Handicap racing now pointless?

How well would a IRC type rule work on 2 similarly dimensioned boats - say the Wayfarer and the 505? I'd take bets that the ratings would be far further out than the handicaps are.

Originally posted by Peaky My only (good humoured, not whingeing) suprise was that my handicap was adjusted mid series without even having done the first race.

Do you have any evidence that your handicap was adjusted *mid series*?

I don't believe we have seen "series" handicaps, haven't we just seen Grafham's handicaps and QMs handicaps?

The document they present states "An amended proposal was carried forward as the recommended handicaps for the 2012 events, but with each club able to amend any handicaps based on local criteria since each club is responsible for its own event."

So it clearly states that clubs are liable to change handicaps for their own conditions, and it may be that the data they had for your boat suggests different results for pursuit as opposed to single start races, or races with lots of different direction legs as opposed to more formal courses which tend to be rather heavier on running and beating.

Alternatively, or maybe as well, I wouldn't be suprised if some of the clubs have various adjustments they make in some circumstances: if we consider Jack's Farr 3.7, that boat ought to be a demon on handicap on a course with lots of reaching, but really suffer if, to hit an extreme, forced to do windward/leewards as she's unlikely to go down the run any faster than a Nat 12, probably not even a Firefly in light conditions.

Originally posted by maxibuddah we do not design in a certain amount of idiot element on purpose,

No, but don't you design the aircraft so it can cope with a range of cg positions? Provided our man's terrifying stuff up didn't put the cg outside the acceptable range wouldn't you expect them still to be able to fly it, even if they did have to wind on a lot of trim tab they weren't expecting?

Originally posted by JimC Originally posted by maxibuddah we do not design in a certain amount of idiot element on purpose, No, but don't you design the aircraft so it can cope with a range of cg positions? Provided our man's terrifying stuff up didn't put the cg outside the acceptable range wouldn't you expect them still to be able to fly it, even if they did have to wind on a lot of trim tab they weren't expecting?

Originally posted by Peaky ...it is unusual to change a PY mid series. And unusual things suprise me.

But its not really a series, more a collection of events. And I doubt the majority of competitors will be doing all of them, so why not have the best handicap for each individual event if you have the data?

Originally posted by Peaky Not sure I like the idea of adjusting yardsticks to different courses. Too much like adjusting on the grounds of wind strength or agevof boat etc. Inherently flawed and unfair.

I'm curious. Do you believe its right to set the handicap for the type of venue, as this "Great Lakes" group is declaredly doing, but wrong to set the handicap for the type of course you are going to set on that venue?