To say a regatta will die because the OA won't police handicap infractions is bogus! Handicap racing has been around forever and the nonsense that goes along with it has too. It's also impossible for the OA to police what someone submits on their registration and it's up the the competitors to file a protest if there is an infraction. I'm actually surprised you took this position Mark.



Same as with DPN, you are still expected to claim your mods. The chink in the armor with a measurement based system is it's just not likely that the twice a year frankenboat racer is going to go to the bother of getting a cert. DPN makes it very easy for this type a participant to play and play legally. So you need to choose, purify the water and shrink the pool or live with it being a bit tainted with the hopes that frankenboat sailors will catch the bug and join a formula, OD or box rule class.

Handicap racing IS about the party. If the party sucks why would you handicap race at all? Everyone knows if you want to have a real race you do it straight up! The Rudder Club gets it, again Kudos to the Rudder Club!

What can I say...

We don't have a qualified "[censored]" among us to file a protest and look like the sore loser.

Like ... you.

Ding is right...as usual.

The Mug Race is a lot more than a bunch of Catsailors whining about winning.

(Not that we shouldn't do what we can to encourage fair reporting and challenge those who abuse the system...thanks to JC for getting that started).

Most folks haven't a chance and many never finish within the time limit.

Still, they come back every year. 4 out of 5 years it is a tedious slog in conditions most of us would not attempt otherwise.

The Crap Shoot is finding pressure and not sailing through it into a Black Hole.

Your handicap is just the first card in your hand. You squander that away many times during the day, often to gain it back double with a lucky choice.

Who would do this without the fellowship and camaraderie?

My ride of choice this year put me square in the middle of the folks who make this race happen. The slower pace actually was quite invigorating. Lots of position swaps and close racing goin' on in there with so many different boat configurations.

The Mug Race will be 60 years old next year. If none of us showed up, we would hardly be missed.

Not what I want to say.. The OA should pay attention to the racing by just changing to a workable and fair handicap system. ... This is just an issue of integrity. Use a workable system... not one that has been failing over time.

You can't piss on the sailors for "cheating" when they really are not... the OA should lead... not follow.... change the system.

I am not saying the OA should enforce handicap or One design compliance....I have second thoughts on the OA enforcing the safety requirements. Its the sailors responsibility for all of this. Not the point I want to make.

You are always hung up on the certification issue. The twice a year sailor with a beater one design boat.... is covered.

the twice a year sailor who has spent the time on creating his frankenboat is HIGHLY motivated to see how the thing does.
They will be follow the rules... measure their franken equipment and run the calculator and get a rating. They will be more worried about getting the measurements and ratings correct then trying to cheat. No certificate is needed...

If you think he is cheating... protest him... (just like PN)... if you think he made an interpretation error... talk to him.

When you are required to use a bull $#it tool (portsmouth has failed over time)... and all you get is grief about it... Of course that is no fun.

Dave... the guy who builds the frankenboat for this race is simply not going to buy a Nacra 17.

Here again is where you and I disagree. By definition (in my opinion) handicap racing regardless of the system used is flawed and unfair in one way or another to someone and there is simply no way around this very glaring truth. Didn't Carnac use a measurement based system?

You also said the "serious" frankenboat sailor would make sure their cert was up to date and accurate, which doesn't really apply here either. The teams in question in this thread are being accused of cheating (not claiming the mods that apply to their rig) and a measurement system aint going to fix that.

I think with the looseness of the portsmouth rating for that boat, the protest might be difficult to win unless there was some other information that the Portsmouth committee could provide showing how they arrived and how they constrained that number. It is what it is.

"Don't hate the Playa, hate the game!"

Portsmouth sucks...but if you want to play, well, you know the rules are weak when it comes to 'modified sail plans'. How would you like to be one of those poor monohulls who have to start at 7am, with zero wind, and then try to finish, as all the late starting cats go blowing by you when the breeze finally shows?

Go for the Party, but they should just hand the RC 30 the trophy on Friday night.

Personally, I HATE light air sailing. I only got into cats to GO FAST(er) than monohulls! Having done this light air drifter 3 times, I swore I'd never go back, the logistics are a PITA, as is the long drive home with a hangover, but since next year is the 60th...well...maybe.

Depends on the weather forcast.

I have heard complaints about portsmouth and frankenboats in the local clubs in my area as well. I've been tossing an idea around in my head but I have never mentioned it before now...

What if the skipper was rated instead of the boat? It would be a portsmouth style system where a skipper's (rather than the boat's) rating would adjust after every regatta. With such a system, you would win races more based on how much you (or your boat) has improved.

In the particular case being discussed here, the skipper's (Dave's?) rating would progressively decrease every time he won the regatta. In order to keep winning, he would need to either improve his boat each year, or become a better sailor.

Gaming such a system would require the skipper to intentionally loose regattas to keep his rating high. Somehow I don't think that would be much of a problem!

We are due for a windy year Tim. We missed by two days this year...it blew nicely all day Thursday.

Translation.... Catnip.... Old heavy A class that Dave has modified... LEGAL
Carbon Rudders... LEGAL (not regulated in Portsmouth)
A-cat carbon mast.... A catnip is an A Cat.... Length and type of mast... not an issue for A cats... LEGAL

spin, only taking a hit for the spin LEGAL

All of that is LEGAL

Now... the problem is that the last time a catnip raced in a legit portsmouth race may be 15 years ago. Do you think the A cat rating from 15 years ago was... is "accurate".... The Portsmouth system has FAILED.

Calling Dave Carlson Unsportsmanlike or "cheating".... Ignorant at best!



Flawed and unfair....

Flawed.... what do you mean?
The rating table is not accurate? the rating table is not precise enough? the rating table was generated using bogus data? the rating formula uses the wrong constants?

Unfair.... again... what do you mean?

Look.... if two IDENTICAL ONE DESIGN BOATS finish a race overlapped... guess what... the most perfect and the fairest handicap system in the world would still score the two boats as TIED.

If what you want to say is that handicap racing is not as precise as the One design racing.... TRUE.... and .... so what?