high performance racing

back  to the original  question 

make sure you set the boat up well  for the conditions and   don't hold back at the start, its better to be near the front rather than ducking around  slower boats. Rs 400's  use to be absouletly pigs to pass.  As for the rest of the thread well nothing beats water line lenght in light winds,  but then in those  conditions  playing the gusts or shifts   right tend to be far  more important  than whatever  the boat.   If you read  bethwaite  then from his reasoning the  cherub should be  equal upwind  scp  is equal   but I think  Paul Biekers  thinking about  upwind sailing is  far more important and that  high performance dinghies atre in the semi forced stage  most of the time up wind  in a breeze  ( sorry cherubs but  equivalent waterline lenght   still plays )    ie  you've no chance against   14's 49ers etc upwind.  Downwind  its adiffernet ball game as  its down to  drag  and since the  cherub has ee haw  in its  back  end compared to  some of the others then  game on.  the late  great Dave Ov said  that the 29er was  one of the fastest boats that  he sailed downwind because he cold drive it hard in a big breeze and not pitchpole. 

from a personnal viewpoint  look at the scottish skiff  travellers  the spread is from 4000's and cherubs which took a handicap  drop to qualify to 18 ft skiffs its interesting how  high performance classes do.  the  mps dominates  due to numbers but also  th top 3 sailors in the world  also do the events. In sub 15  knots it was  how  sailed  not the handicap  that  mattered  ie  a well sailed 4  tonner  would  beat  a  49er  around the course ! 

hANDICAPS  ARE  ARE  AN AVERAGE OF CLUB  RETURNS IF YOU DON'T  LIKE THEM  MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CLUB DOES THE RETURNS.  THEY CAN WORK WITH THE NUMBERS THEY GET !