No rewards or penalty for going to a smaller sail unless of course you are taking it off and sailing uni-rig or uni-rig and putting one on. Therefore if it were me I would leave that alone.




Anywhere we can get a look at this Frankenboat - sounds like an interesting project.

It appears that with the boat differing so much from a standard TheMightyHobie18 that the correction factors serve little purpose in this case. In the UK the portsmouth yardstick is a 'guide' not a bible. There is such a range of variability in different sailing locations that any rating system could be 'ideal' at one club yet prove totally inadequate at another.

If your club uses a portsmouth scheme, get the sailing committee to issue you with a provisional yardstick. Get it reviewed after a year with sufficient race results to enable it to be 'fine tuned' to enable fair racing for all.

With thanks to the efforts Robin Smith the introduction of SCHRS in the UK was a great step forward for catamaran handicap racing. It wasn't perfect but what was noticeable was the wider range of craft able to achieve race/regatta wins. After a couple of years my club reviewed the impact of SCHRS and made minor 'local' amendments to a couple of the ratings. These tended to be at the slower end of the fleet who found the ratings very difficult to sail to in the local conditions. The end result - sailors who are happy to use the rating system as implemented and reviewed.

Get a local number issued, go out and enjoy your racing. It should be appreciated that no rating system will ever be perfect. What is important is that both competitors and sailing/racing committees actively promote 'fair racing for all' however that can be best achieved.

Handicap allowances can encourage disabled sailors or novice racers to join in where there would otherwise be little chance of achieving anything because of the local 'hot shots'.

If you are not happy with a handicap don't moan to all and sundry in the dinghy park. Make note of the inconsistencies and when you have sufficient data from a number of races ask for a review of the rating as applicable. This then becomes a positive input to fair racing for all concerned.

The alternative - Don't race in handicap fleets.

Cheshirecatman

I've got a couple of pics (if I can post them)

Here's a solution that might actually work...

Send a few pics and a list of the mods to the US P/N committee! Let them hash it out and you will end up with a rating that you can move across the country with! What a concept!!

Bob <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I've got a question. Ratings are basically the theoretical speed of your boat compared to other classes. The skipper is of course the most important factor, but generally speaking, where do you come in when racing against say standard 18's, F-18's, H20's (906 in the background) I20's, etc? Who gets to A mark first in what conditions? Who gets to the bottom first?

It'd be interesting to see if the calculated #'s make any sense compared to the ratings of other boats in the fleet.

J

The website for Catfest has times for the open fleet, div 2 I think is what they called it. Link is on the main page. We didn't race Sun and couldn't use the spin in the fourth and fifth race due to the tack line coming uncleated in puffs. The F18s and I-20s at this race where on a longer course and sailed more laps so no comparison there. Haven't checked on times at Hatteras.

Off the subject here, I've justed noticed that Texel and SCHRS have different numbers for the A relative to the F18's, Why? Also If we are up in arms over ISAF why do clubs still use SCHRS or have they moved to PY or Texel?

"If someone is trying to "beat the system... it will most likely not be protested... It is the old saying, argue with an idiot and you start to look like one too."

While it's hard to disagree with that last statement, this is the attitude that slowly kills events. When people get tired of rules not being enforced, they may stop coming to regattas.

First, this sounds great, however history has shown the opposite. Not because I do not agree with the statement you made, I wish it were true. The reason has to do with "most people", will avoid conflict. That is all. If people don't act as they should, then others will just leave simple as that. My history also goes back to the wonder years of Hobie's..I had 16' 18's and still have a 33 and an 18. I sat on protest committees when Hobie fleets had 350 boats to a regatta. I sat on one committee that had to hear 8 protests from one guy alone.. Yes, it would have been good if that was just making it fair for everyone...reality was quite different.
My point is, what you are saying is a good goal...however, it will take the better sailors "talking" to the people getting out of line to create the proper atmosphere. If you wait for protest committees to solve your problems for you..just look around and ask your self again why no one is showing up??
It goes back to playing any game. If you are not will to pay the game straight, why play at all. There are people out there all over the place that have not learned this. There are many other people who are trying to get their entire world view of themselves on the out come of a sailboat race...winning is all that matters...or some variation to that...
Bottom line is this is a game. If we can't play it straight, who is winning and who is really losing? Protest committees are not solving these problems and never will. That is what most have figured out is all I am saying. That does not mean we do not need good protest committees. We should and they should be used...the real solution is a little more than that... <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We still use SCHRS becuase it is run by sailors (my team and I) for sailors. We are an affiliated group that reports to the technical ctte within ISAF and I have the technical director if the ISAF as one of my team. I am the chair of the SCHRS management group.


The reason that Texel and SCHRS have different values for the delta between the A and F18 is that the systems use differrent formulas.

Texel was developed to handicap boats in the Round Texel Race which has hten been adopted by some clubs for some other races. SCHRS was developed to handicap boats on all race course shapes.

Have you sent this to the folks at Sail Wave?

Kaos,

Two quick things. What I said DOES happen. I've run into many people over the years that come by regattas or boat shows. When you asked why they stopped racing, they sometimes use this as a reason. I'm sure that there are plenty of others that have the same feelings but won't come out and say it.

Also, don't take my last post out of context. If you go back to my other posts in this thread, you will see that I refer to "talking to the person" before protesting. In reality, we do this all the time, many PROs do this before protesting something they see on the water. In reality, there is a clock ticking on all of this, and sometimes you have to file fast before you can resolve it on the beach.

Mike

I would have to question these numbers. The Tiger is 227 sq ft total(STX main) and the 18 is 220. Tiger jib is 44 sq ft and the 18 is ?. ST main is smaller than STX, correct?

Regardless, we ran as a 67.7 at Catfest so I think Dings' calculated 66.84 must be close to correct and will be the number I use forward. Interestingly enough that is the number I had calculated but was unsure about last year.
Thanks for the input!

For the record, this boat wasn't built for racing. It is my attempt to keep me interested in sailing as I feel drawn toward other sports. I most wish to own a boat that would allow me to solo sail safely, but money is always an issue. I am very pleased with the looks and performance of this boat, its an '82 model. It just had its first bottom job and sports original gelcoat. I have wings for it as well. Adding the spin gives me the pucker factor that was missing and creates a new challenge. Not to mention speeding up my trips along the coast.

I have researched this further and there were 2 Hobie 18 Formulas. One was the predecessor to the SX, built in Europe with a 1 1/2' taller mast and mylar sails. The other was US built and had white powder coat but otherwise is a standard 18. The Formula 18 is still rated under portsmouth, inactive classes. The European 18F had no wings and was allowed to race with a spin, just like the SX. I still plan to use the number generated here but the H18F is a valid portsmouth rating and could be applied to my frankencat. And I did learn that I finished second in open class at Catfest without racing the second day. In looking at the times I would say my cat is substantially faster than a standard 18 but not as fast as an F18.

Race Outback? Vs. another frankencat? No spin yet.

Nice, you're almost as fast as an F16. Will we see you at Outback?

I got popped with another deductible on my wifes cancer treatments so no money for playing until...............

I would like to attend but its just not going to happen this year, it will be the first time I missed it in the past 4 years. It is my favorite regatta location other than the coast. You guys have a great time and I will dance for wind.

We'll miss another homebuilt. Dance hard!

The best to you and your wife.