The only way to improve the accuracy of the PN system is to provide data. The committee will not seek data, it must be sent to them. One would think that this would be easier than ever with online scoring (or even plain old email), but this is the one area that constantly gets overlooked on our end.
Yes, we can (and maybe should) throw PN aside and adopt something else. That takes even more time and effort, and still leaves the problem of what to do with new designs (or an old design that never got a number and shows up to race).
Mike
The idea of gathering meaningful statistical data is a fantasy and we really need to stop hiding behind the idea that if we could get race results the system would fix itself.
How many regattas have a single start same course format? Now that area qualifiers are gone I'd venture a guess that the number is extremely small. You also need to keep in mind distance racing data is NOT considered in the statistical analysis.
DPN has simply evolved into a PHRF model which is easily the worst handicap system on the planet! In all fairness even Texel and SCHRS are PHRFish in there arbitrary adjustments.
I would be perfectly happy if the DPN numbers were bounced off Texel and SCHRS numbers and any place there was a large deviation an adjustment would be applied. Not perfect but still better than not doing anything at all.
FYI, I did make this same proposal years ago and it went nowhere so I'm not remotely intrested in working with the current committee.
