Measurement Based Handicapping

Originally posted by Bas Edmonds Havent we forgotten the righting moment acheived by the crew? Should we not be looking at weighing crews before every event and factoring that into the equation?

Nope, crew weight and height is factored in. For the time being ive taken the middle of the suggested weight range for each class and left height as a constant.
Obviously how this would actualy be imlemented if the system was ever used is a pretty big sticking point and one of the 2 main problems I can see if a similar system was ever used.

(The other big problem would be how development and even some of the more open one design classes are handled... What would happen if people started optimising towards the rule rather than towards winning class events?)

Hi Isis, Any more details on how your system works, what the formula is etc? I'm sure I'm not the only one that is interested.

Its a VPP based rule as opposed to a formula - Pretty similar in principle to the IMS (or ORCi as its known know) rule from the keelboat world.

Edit: VPP = Velocity Prediction Program

The program takes 20 values describing the hull shape (and a few more describing rig, foils, and crew) and creates a representative model of the boat - It then balances the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic forces for a range of wind speeds and angles and the resulting speeds give you a pretty good view of the overall performance. The handicap then comes from these performance figures based on the course type and wind speed you choose.

Originally posted by Daniel Holman Isis, Did you find much use for the stuff I sent over last year? Good to hear you're happy with the outcome, lets hope it gets some good loving from the examiner! That had parameters involving the RM of the crew, assuming a crew weight / height pertaining to each boat. I also sent them to Bas in january post BM but this went unacknowledged.

Dan, thanks again for the stuff you sent me - It was definantly interesting to have a look through but I didnt actualy use any of it in the end having gone down a  different route to yours. If you want to have a chat about what I come up with then send me another email.



Edited by Isis

Isis, Did you find much use for the stuff I sent over last year?

Good to hear you're happy with the outcome, lets hope it gets some good loving from the examiner!

That had parameters involving the RM of the crew, assuming a crew weight / height pertaining to each boat. I also sent them to Bas in january post BM but this went unacknowledged.

Edited by Daniel Holman

Hi Isis,

Any more details on how your system works, what the formula is etc? I'm sure I'm not the only one that is interested.

Havent we forgotten the righting moment acheived by the crew? Should we not be looking at weighing crews before every event and factoring that into the equation?

Originally posted by G.R.F. I actually think personal handicapping is probably a good idea at club level and might encourage folk to realise just how much there is to learn.

Yeah I think that's down the right road - however sailings' complexity does - even in class racing - leave a lot of hidey holes for people to lurk in denial... 

If anything sailing probably loses more people who never master the basic racing skills having got lost up the 'boat fiddling' street.  If sailing had something similar to the golf professionals in clubs then maybe it would be able to guide people to focus on relevant areas and allow them to get more out of their racing.

Golf doesn't seem to suffer from its handicapping - it seems bizarrely more and more popular with younger and younger people going by my colleagues in various jobs. Weird.

As for the scientific vs empirical handicapping (apologies I'm probably repeating points already made - only skim read it) - well big boat racing went through 15odd painful years mucking about with IMS.  Loads of money was poured into the project and now its back at a single number IRC rating with every dog having its day.  Good luck with the project but I think you'll end up reinventing the wheel!