Whatever system is implemented should absolutely be NATIONAL or INTERNATIONAL. Local weather or whatever anomaly is "averaged out" and any bias applies to ALL boats when the sample size is large enough (ergo national/international). Local handicapping is an extremely bad idea for local political reasons. Local measurement is a bad idea for the same reasons, and also because on a local level there isn't enough manpower.
Tami has it exactly right. There is no real benefit to half butt this initiative.
The MHC has the issue on their agenda for the next meeting.
The proposal is to officially approve using a measurement system and sanction the development of ratings for the US boats.
Appoint a chairmen to line up a couple of measurement individuals. Designate a scale standard and have at it.
Some budget provisions might be needed... (eg purchase or rent a load cell). Also, sailors who mod their boat will want to get a measurement certificate and some guidelines should be established so that the measure person is fairly compensated for his time.
Get some training on the phone from the EU guys and go out and measure the USA specific catamarans.
The MHC would then publish the US approved ratings table just like the Portsmouth committee publishes the PN yardstick.
The Ratings Committee would be assigned the job of writing a fair and balanced FAQ which would detail the differences between the rating systems.
In the event that a measurement certificate can not be issued, the MHC would issue a provisional rating pending measurement and this would be published by pick some date certain. And this rating would be the official rating and not subject to change with out a valid measurement certificate.
A ratings file containing both the USPN and Windspeed adjusted ratings, SCHRS and Texel and NMBR would be published on Sailwave with a Faq on how to score a race using one or all four of the rating systems. This is the point where boat names would be unified and we would need to vet each of the EU boats in the table as appropriate for the NA market.
You would also want the committee to collect regatta results of Portsmouth versus Measurement system and an assessment from the regatta scorekeeper
The Ratings Committee would then have to evaluate the data and make more recommendations for the MHC meeting in a year.
Since Jack owns one of the US specific boats... he would be a likely measurement person for Florida. I seem to remember that Ding had some scales in his possession and i bet we could get him to weigh a Nacra F17 for us... I know he has a certain fondness for and would love to know more about the infamous Frankenboat!
At the end of the day...Each Organizing Authority will choose how they want to run their races... just as they do now.
We should be clear... WE DO NOT EXPECT TO SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE TROPHIES AWARDED. As Tami said... The fast guys are gonna win... and that is the way it should be
Having a workable US Measurement based system should be beneficial for any future developments.
(It would also be very neat if we could find Herb Malm's NAMSA measurement formula and regression process. This work follows from his efforts in the 70's and early 80's and it would be appropriate to recognize his work.) A fun project for any historian's out there!
