Datchet Flyer

but the overall fleet's results are still calculated just from the Base Course segment · Originally posted by iGRF

   So what do you do when some bright designer spends a few hours playing with the VPP and finds the inevitable weaknesses and designs or modifies a boat accordingly?

Or what about the boats with advantages that cannot be calculated by most VPPs? For example, Finns have a Lamboley test that measures and limits the amount of weight taken out of the ends. It was introduced to stop people spending big bucks to get light bows and sterns and packing the minimum weight into the middle of the boat. 

A VPP can't allow for that, unless you go through the enormous hassle of doing a Lamboley test on every boat. But unless you allow for it, you create an advantage for the big spender. Someone could get a Finn laid up with illegally light ends that would not allow it to be raced as a Finn, but it would have an advantage over a normal Finn (and therefore the rest of the fleet) that a VPP would not normally pick up.

Obviously building a special VPP cheater may not happen, but what about classes that have limits on weight corrector placing? The boat with the correctors spread out fore and aft according to class rules would have a small disadvantage over a boat taken out of class.

That's assuming you can get a VPP to work, which is extremely unlikely IMHO. Check out the later IMS boats and you will see some horrible craft designed to cheat a VPP. On a less ugly note, look at the Farr 39 or Robert Hick boats and you will see otherwise very nice boats designed to be rather underpowered (in stability and sail area) because if you have a faster boat you lose out every time you slow down through manoeuvres or calms.