Hans Geisler has shown strong interest in the full Florida 300 for next year. His G-Cat 5.0m has a square top main and just ordered a reacher type sail that will not use a spin pole but be attached to the front bows with a traveler system to switch sides. What would we need from him to get a rating?
Craig
He is going to have to weigh the boat and measure the sails at the minimum. It's the OA 's call if can do the honor system or you require an official measurement from an ISAF measurer.. (eg Carla Schiffer)
Alternatively...Jake's Plan B. Guestimate a SCHRS hard rating for the Gcat.. and let him race with that rating. (Its the same as using Portsmouth for a one off boat.... except that it will be the Florida 300 rating... not a US Sailing Portsmouth committee rating) Again... its the OA's call. You have to balance the fleet interest versus the individual sailors interest.
You have to remember... US Portsmouth requires a Fleet of Gcat 5.0s to have competed against other yardsticks... This is probably not the history of the G cat rating... so.. Modifying the rating of a gcat with cookie cutter corrections is a bit silly. You are strictly into PHRF world now... where your committee does its best.
In reply to Jake.. I agree, there is no harm in a handing a guy a stiff rating PHRF guestimate for a non one design configuration of a boat he just bought. Now... if goes out and gets a new non OD sail.... You can ask him to have the sailmaker measure the new thing and report those numbers.
As always... it's the OA who balances the interests of the fleet versus an individual sailor.
