Great British Sailing Challenge

What percentage of dinghy racing is handicap and how much fleet racing? I suppose in terms of boats on the start line at L&LSC it's around 20% Solo's and the rest handicap but the Lasers and Radials sail in the handicap fleet. If they had a separate start that would be 30 boats fleet racing and 34 handicap so around 45% fleet? 

Well the waters a little muddied for the FAST40+ because they incorporate IRC in to their class rules. And yes, they do race on that handicap, but they are designed to that handicap system, which is a measurement system. So, really it's just a box rule, with concessions for how hard you push the envelope. It's the same for things like 1/4 tonners. 

Pedantically speaking we can't alter our ratings Chris, we can only alter the boat and get it rerated and hope its advantageous.

In theory of course that's also open to dinghy sailors, since there's no reason why one shouldn't peel the stickers off the sail and change the configuration, but its not likely to be a successful ploy without a measurement system to attempt to game.

I dunno, I would think by now most measurement systems are going to be pretty close, bearing in mind the huge disparities in crew speed, but I suppose if you can alter your boat so you tend to sail in clear air rather than in a pack that could be worthwhile.

It occurs to me that would be a fruitful strategy for dinghy handicap racing as well: if you pick a class where you are sailing in clear air for most of the race that has to have potential - except of course for the psychological factors. I can imagine a tendency to relax and not sail flat out if sailing on your own.

Edited by JimC - 04 Oct 18 at 8:48am

I've always understood 'first in class' to mean the IRC Classification you're rated under - i.e. Class 2 will have a rating band of x.xxx - y.yyy (this can be altered by event, so a given boat, with a given rating could be in Class 1 for one event and Class 2 for another). Also, even the so called one designs (e.g. Fast 40+) are racing under IRC, but typically in a much narrower rating band, such that seconds, rather than minutes, count. 

Originally posted by Sam.Spoons Keelboats are not my area of expertise but doesn't "First in class" mean the same as "first Merlin" or "first Moth"? I'm guessing the dinghy equivalent is dev classes built to a rule. Sure there is 'one design' racing too but as a percentage of boats on the line I suspect it's very much the minority.

Edited by mozzy - 03 Oct 18 at 9:34pm