py failing

I believe the current RYA returns system excludes the top 5% (top sailors) and bottom 30% (learners & regular capsizers) in each race, to base performasnce on average skill level in each dinghy type. This probably reflects the make-up of most clubs. It's also a lot simpler than the old system, to encourage more clubs to make returns. Makes sence.

There are still losers though. We have a case in Laser 3000s this year at Burghfield where a typical average club sailor raced every weekend in their Winter Series, i.e. strong winds on average which should favour the boat. However, he didn't make the cut in any race so the club didn't make a return for the Laser 3000 and the RYA figure isn't influenced.

Regards the Laser comment, SMODs will be naturally disadvantaged in an average based ratings system, as (in theory) there is no range of boat performance. With the increasing pace of technological advances in the sailing industry, the range of performance in the OD 'development' classes is increasingly wide. As older boats can also be upgraded to some extent, the average performance also advances much faster than the PY can keep up with. Average gets faster, and differential from average to top boat specs increasingly wide ... the gap back to the Laser fleet widens each year and they loose popularity.

That's the motive for the 3000 class introducing the lighter Vandercraft V3000 hull and more efficient North sails ... to try and keep pace with the 'bandits' at an affordable price tag, and then be able to maintain a stable and competitive spec for the next 5 years or so for prospective buyers.

Who can blame us?

Laser 3000 sailors like myself also gain from the availablility of much better performing sails at 2/3 of Laser Direct prices which has moved me up the fleet.

You should maybe blame the hunger for technology in the market place (very evident on this forum) for PY anomalies, along with class associations manipulating their rules to take advantage of it ... don't blame the RYA, we should blame ourselves!

I was talking to the German RS distributor at the Dinghy Show and he says German clubs remain very traditional, with very restricted classes permitted (i.e. no asymmetrics yet). Is that what we want over here, to get back to a fair and even basis of racing, or do we prefer the fun of going for a blast in our latest toy, then complaining when another more optimised boat wins?

It could be down to clubs setting more realistic PY's for the main fleets in the club, it's not difficult to do with a couple of ounces of common sense. Afterall handicap racing is usually about getting out there and enjoying sailing, and is as ppl have stated not an exact science.

In Bosham the race committee have set the Finn handicap lower than the PY to reflect how suited it is to the harbour waters (harbour chop, reasonable winds etc) and still the Finn sailers do well in the series, but it's just closer.

By changing the py system, there will always be classes that become better off and classes that will suffer.  I'm sure that each of us wouldn't have a problem if our individual class py increased but would complain if somebody else's class did.

What other options are feasible?

The scottish champion of champions used a split py system for light winds / heavy winds - but who decides which value to use? (ie some classes will think it's heavy wind while others won't).

We tried a rolling handicap series once at Helensburgh with limited success as it was open to "tactical" sailing (people not sailing to their maximum so that their handicap improved for the next race).

I think the py system does a good job overall but it must be almost impossible to have a handicapping system which is fair and suitable for 100% of sailors in the UK