Originally Posted by Mark Schneider
Originally Posted by Damon Linkous


If someone shows up to race with a slightly modified boat and no SCHRS certificate then the PRO will assign a rating.


A ha.. the rest of the world calls this process PHRF! (just putting the conventional name to what you do)

Chances are your Race Committee PRO can do a pretty good job of guessing a fair rating.... The sailor can enter the race or not with that rating. The bar could host a lively discussion on ratings or the slimy reputation of XXX or whatever)

How good of a job the PRO does as a ratings expert/ sooth sayer is really not the point....PHRFng the rating is not a good or bad thing...Much of the sailing world in the USA uses PHRF quite happily. its simply just not a transparent or unbiased process.

The advantage that SCHRS provides is that for the NEXT EVENT.... the Owner can go get his gear measured, present the certificate with his transparent rating and play the game with a fully measured boat. Discussion about fair/not fair and bias is simply over. (It doesn't mean everyone is happy with the measured rating... but you know where you stand)


Mark, you're right. I currently serve on a local PHRF committee and we have been pushing ORC Club for the serious racers. The "debate" between Portsmouth and SCHRS seems to parallel PHRF vs ORC. Even though Portsmouth is supposed to be derived from observed performance, getting US Sailing to accept the results is quite a challenge. I run a Wednesday Night racing series (20 races during Daylight savings) and we have submitted the results every year for the last 15+ years. There is always a challenge to get acknowledgement. But, it appears that Portsmouth and PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Formula) are a projected handicap based on a boat's performance; where SCHRS and ORC are more of a scientific measured rating system. I grew up with IOMR, which measures boat specifications and applies a rating based on that. Always seemed straight forward and fair. Now, our larger multihulls use a modified form of PHRF, and they have gotten pretty close to performance; but I am not a fan of a single point rating system. I have raced Nacras, Tornados, and Prindles. In the 90s, we used D-PN and I could tell you who would win based on the wind speed. From my experience, many people who first supported the ORC, quickly changed their tune when their favorable PHRF handicap wasn't a "gift" anymore.


Cheers...
Scott Tuma
P 18-2 Mod Turbo "FrankenKitty"
Tornado Classic "Fast Furniture"