Hello Michael

Thanks for your perspective.
I am curious. you wrote
I don't think we should go back through the portsmouth #'s and "revive" the lowest #'s possible, however. This would be unfair to those in the "dead boat" classes, as a lot of tuning has been lost.

Actually, I don't think that its lost... (Most of the active racers in America started on one of these dead boat society desgins... just ask them... I am sure they would share their widsom. In fact, I don't think that its actually soughtg after or used by these racers! Consequently, why should the rating system take into account the racers apathy.... similarly, why should the rating take into account old tired equipment that breaks down or works poorly. I think fairnes requires an accurate rating for the boats design.

you wrote:
It's been a slippery slope, and maybe it's better to just see that it doesn't go further. I think it would be better to just force the classes to perform at at least their "current" levels

Good point... had not considered combining both of my proposals.

you wrote
. Then, we don't slam the newbies with beat-up boats with impossible #'s and lose more sailors.

Perhaps.. but I think that this is the role of a B fleet organization to solve... not the role of the rating system. Handicap racing has enough complex factors to account for already. The racing sailor buys into the rule ONLY if they believe that it fairly rates the boat.... the minute your rating takes into account sailor apathy or lack of skill... you will see the racers start to loose interest in the game. Sailors will accept that one particular design is optimal in waves, etc etc. However, if the scale(rating) apears tilted in favor of one class then the rest of the sailors will loose interest in this game.

For instance, the original F20 rule resulted in a clear win for the ventilo 20 design and so EVEN THOUGH all of the other designs were optimized and legal in the f20 rule... the interest in the racing class collapsed. In contrast, the F18 rule was sufficiently robust that any number of designs could compete fairly and evenly... in fact only the recent capricorn design appeared to threaten the competitive playing field and was outlawed.

In summary, I think that the wink wink.... your rating is a little bit of a gimme does not serve the racing public. All this having been said.... this is really a tempest in a teacup... The vast majority of boats actually racing seriously in the US and Canada are fairly rated.

Take Care
Mark