Wow, I'm just checking back in with less than 24 hours gone by. Thanks for all of the good input! Here're few more of my thoughts on this.

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All handicap systems will fail under the scrutiny of a post race debate around the campfire keg. Distance races are even worse as the direction typicaly is slanted away form a ballanced upwind/downwind situation as found in bouy racing.

I should have mentioned in my original post that this "distance race" actually was entirely up wind and down wind, with maybe 55-60% of it being downwind. I should also note that I've raced against the six Nacra 20s on my own Nacra 20 (actually, a friend's) for several years and I'd say most of us are pretty much on the same level of skill and experience.

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Hate to say it... but
I am sick of this conversation. Let the number be. Why should we be the only class that is altruistic enough to always bring it up. I don't see anyone else running around trying to change their number.

nothing against you jackmac... but I see some sailors bragging about winning all the time based on corrected times due to a BS high DPN and I have never seen them (him) say anything about changing their (his) number.

The point here is that it is a shallow victory when most of your competitors feel like they don't have a chance to win before the competition even starts or they don't even consider you a competitor because of your "NUMBER." I feel much more satisfied with my effort when I know I competing on a level playing field.

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P.S. Take a look at F16's doing really well on elapsed time as well :
http://wrcraorg.ntitemp.com/racerslt.html#SummerFall
Wouter


This further illustrates my point. This is the club to which I belong and compete every Tuesday night. There are typically 4 F16s and a half-dozen or so Nacra 20s and 3-4 Acats every week. With rare exception, the F16 take the top 3 spots. We have some great competition among the F16s, as do the N20s and As among themselves, but Series trophies seem to be attainable only by F16s. Our scorer has run the numbers using the F18 PN for a few of the races and it shows that there were very little differences in the results—and I'm sure that results would change for some races.
I’m sure this will take a long time to run it’s course. But for me the bottom line is, based on all the feedback from all you European sailors who have much more experience with the F16/F18, and our local number crunchers, Mark Schneider and Keith Chapman, I think 63.0 may be a good competitive number for us F16 sailors and I will suggest that to the other competitors in our club. And I suppose I have the right to enter whatever PN number I choose as long as it’s at lease as low as the existing F16 number, when I enter any other open class events.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts on this,
John