Hello all,

This is an old fashion chain letter

If you believe that a race is only a race if one keeps score…. Now is the time to make a request of Rick White and the CABB group for keeping score for several large level class Portsmouth races with one design scoring for this years Tradewinds regatta.

Based on the published preregistration, a high quality dynamic competition could be created. Rather then competing in so so turnouts of 5 or 8 boat starts… Why not 20 + boats competing around the course. Since Rick White will start similar boats together anyway… you might as well contest mark roundings, starts and crossings in a race where the score is kept. … This formula works extremely well for the CATFIGHT regatta hosted by CRAM.

If you group the I20’s, F18HT’s, Nacra 6.0 with chutes and Tornado’s (for example) into one portsmouth open class … the corrected times will be very close and the racing very fair. Since you will also score the sailors in the small one-design groups.. you will also have that result as well. I believe that you will generate great excitement on the water AND create an event that most sailors would like to be at; if not this year… then next.

If you think that this format would be worthwhile and fun… or at least it won’t detract from the regatta… please forward this open letter to a friend, add your support below, or forward your request to Rick White at Rick@catsailor.com


Mark Schneider

Mark,
Sounds interesting, like a two-level chess game. I guess you have to decide whether to plan your tactics to win in your one-design fleet or in the overall open class -- or maybe both? Does the conflict of interest hurt or help or confuse?

This is MY question, not Rick's, because he is not even here today and hasn't seen your post yet. I'm curious, though, what others think about the idea -- and about how people liked it at the Catfight.

Hi Mark

Reinventing Portsmouth ? hmmm ."{a high quality dynamic competition could be created. Rather then competing in so so "} --
Sounds like what you are attempting to descibe already exists in large Formula class racing groups in numerous areas internationally.--
It is great that you recognize this is what needs to occurr,-The question now becomes how best do we form larger class racing groups and direct a better future integral racing structure and organization.

Handicap racing using averages of skippers times in class as a basis to score all is inherantly less accurate and inferior applied to major races and distance races .-Portsmouth also was never intended for distance races . Good class racing is the ideal form of fair racing . We have numerous classes and many new Formula class groups to choose from . Each fit individual needs and preferances with minor rule variation per class and length category.

As Formula CLASS GROUPS GROW in N A --Formula 18 -Formula 16 --Formula 18 HT --yes Formula 20 ,--possibly F-20HTs -F-17 SINGLE HANDED SPIN ,-and evan 22s in the future as category for all over the next few years to 10 years which is inevitable if the sport is to grow again .
The question becomes how does this integrate with Portsmouth handicap rating and this type of reinvent scheme. Just calling it something different does not really address the problem.An integral system of racing class groups and scoring system in the obvious direction the sport internationaly and finally here in N A is directed,--is needed.Large category class groups by numerous competitive builders per Formula classes -A class and numerous other established classes , this creates better design and safer faster boats for us all --no question .

Given it may be 2-3 or 5 years away but,----

How does Portsmouth help this ?? -it ingrains the status quo of mfg. dead boat classes.
How best can we in N A integrate international racing class groups and update our rating system to compliment this categorical race groups direction.

Formula class groups are finally under way this year . Worlds will be held soon in N A for them generating more and more interest ,along with As -single handed spin class cat interest , Great new distance races are being held and more planned .
N A as a world leader in so many areas of human endeavor should readily accept these recognized length weight based categorical Formula Class groups and integrate a compatable integral rating system to assist and help the sport become great and accepted internationally .

We can stop being seperatists in the international catsailing community and accept that others have great catamaran racing and organizational concepts that work well. We can adapt very similar integral versions for use in N A .-- both class groups and improved intergral rating system.

Portsmouth timed yardstick rating is appropriate for smaller club racing along with individual handicap type racing based on membership in group and their comparitive abilities.

The reality is most people are just so happy to be out sailing they could care less how it is scored , place me in that category unless it is a major distance race or major race event .. This is the distinction we in N A need to make .
What type of racing -scoring is appropriate for the type of event .


Understand Portsmouth is using Texel and ISAF rating numbers to help establish preliminary rating numbers , so how far away is integrating a combination rating system ?
It is part way there ALREADY !!.

Outline for a combination rating system T I P catamaran rating is posted . Would be pleased to help develop this type of integral rating with any sincerely interested.
Texel base rating ,-attributes of ISAF rating applied for spin and other updates ,-and proposed Portsmouth rating to be factored into the equation along with an added upper windspeed category and applied rating .
The genius of this rating is any boat can easily modify or update their boat and target the same rating number as Formula class in length .
Accomplished with accuracy and integral with growing formula class -development class,-and with established exsisting class oriented ideal fair forms of racing .

Lets review --{" a high quality dynamic competition could be created" } --
It already is created ,----- we need to recognize it and the obvious direction the sport has taken . It is all there for us to build something of real value for the future.
We in N A can certainly improve and develop these ideal racing groups and integral rating system .

This needs to be our goal , in larger context ,sailing ,-including catamaran sailing is very much an international sport ,-often taking place on the worlds oceans and international waters. The world we live in always becomes a better place when we interact in kind with others.

Interested to read your vision for the future of the sport in N A and internationally.

All the best
Carl

Hi Mary -

What Mark suggests works well here in the Panhandle, but I hate to see any changes made at an event that's already working well. You and Rick always draw a great crowd for this event - I wish I were there now. "If it ain't broke" and all that.

With the advent of simple scoring programs like Sailwave, the scoring is a snap. Your limitations will be the starts and courses, because anyone you want to score together must have the same start and sail the same course. Detractors feel that is a potential problem when there are such disparate platforms on the water (e.g., Wave vs I-20). In actuality, however, it seems that 45-minute races for the first boat across the line work well and nobody bobs around too long waiting for the next start, even with a 4.3 or a Hobie 14 on the course. Then you're able to break out fleets however you need to, based on DPN, one-design, spinnaker, or whatever.

The important thing is to decide on fleets as soon as you can and before the skippers' meeting. It's not fair if the fleet doesn't know who they're racing ahead of time, even if we privately believe that most folks either don't care or already have their competition picked out.

Hope Tradewinds comes off this year as well as it has in the past - looking forward to some stories.

John

Hi John

"If it ain't broke... don't fix it... "
should be balanced by... you can't put humpty dumpty back together again.

Based on the preregistration and word of mouth in my local fleet and internet buzz. I do not detect a buzz of people planning on going this year.

I argue... a 6 to 8 boat one design race is not worth the time effort and money despite the weather and location and a crowd of sailors from around the country. I argue that a 20 boat race has more interest and may draw some people out of the bushes.

I don't know of too many regattas that got to 110 boats.. crashed to 50 or so and then managed to rebuild the excitement and energy needed to be a can't miss on people's schedule in the years following.

I argue that its best not to let Humpty Dumpty fall in the first place.

Spring Fever is another regatta that has drawn a national turnout. Again, the word of mouth is that while the beach scene was great... the racing was not worth the time and money. This regatta could also crash in attendance without changes.

Take Care
Mark

Mary
I would vote for starting the F18HT's, the N6.0wSpin and the I20 together. It looks like you will have 25 or so boats that can all race boat for boat as well as among their class.

Bill Vining
F18HT
USA 22

Mark,

At first I was turned off on the idea because I bought my 6.0NA so I could do some class racing. But after some thought it could be pretty fun. My focus on the water would still be on my class and my concern is my frustration level if a slow I-20 (if there is such a thing) started covering me when I was in battle with a 6.0na...

Since it would be a first attempt at doing something like this (I'm NOT speaking for the RC) would it make more sense to treat the portsmouth racing class fleet awards as a fun item? This would be to see how everything falls out. I would be very disappointed if the portsmouth rating for any boat gave them a decisive advantage AND I lost some of my class racing experience. On the other hand, this could be some very valuable normalized data for the Portsmouth Committee.

Did anyone have any concerns about the way it was handled at Catfight?

It has been standard procedure for many years to start one-design fleets of the same general speed together if they are small fleets. So that is not an issue. And if you take finish times on all the boats, it is not a problem sorting them as individual fleets and as an overall Portsmouth fleet for that whole start.

But nobody has answered my initial question as to tactics -- If you are going for trophies in both overall Portsmouth in that start group and for trophies in your one-design fleet, how do you decide whether you are racing just your own one-design fleet or racing for the overall Portsmouth trophy or both?

And I have an additional question as to how reliable the times and results would be as far as inputting for Portsmouth ratings. Obviously, if you are racing within your own one-design fleet, you are not going for fastest time a la Portsmouth, you are planning your tactics to beat the others in your own fleet, and time is not important.

Hi Jake

What actually happened... was your one design racing effected by the other traffic on the course?

"At first I was turned off on the idea because I bought my 6.0NA so I could do some class racing. But after some thought it could be pretty fun. My focus on the water would still be on my class and my concern is my frustration level if a slow I-20 (if there is such a thing) started covering me when I was in battle with a 6.0na..."

Would you have cared how you did against all of the other racers in your start?

Mark,

Of course it was (and we were had a terrible pointing problem - not enough mast rake on Saturday) but only because they were present - no Hobie 20's were making deliberate attempts to slow our progress after the start. Slower class boats wanted the faster class boats to go ahead and pass them and get out of the way as quickly as possible and get out of the wind - at least I did. You know that you can generally count on that any time there are other boats on a course. My previous point is: how happy would the H20 sailors be if I started covering them but their focus and intent was was on competing with the rest of the H20 fleet? I would not be happy if it were me. On several occasions I was working to overtake or keep down a 6.0 or two in the midst of some H20's and we both tried to minimize our effect on each other because we were in different classes.

I still think it's an interesting idea that might be fun in the smaller regattas. However, I would be frustrated in the more serious events (like Catfight, Tradewinds, etc) if all the sudden other classes, that may have advantages on different points of sail and wind / water strengths, are trying to make me have a bad day. I got into class racing to get away from this.