Discards
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Race Management
Forum Discription: For race officers and competiors to discuss the topic
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8919
Printed Date: 27 Jun 25 at 8:31pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Discards
Posted By: Kev M
Subject: Discards
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 3:38pm
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In your average race series at your club what percentage of discards are you allowed. I was just looking at last year's yearbook for my club it seems on average you only need to complete half the races to get a final position. I suppose if you make it too high you might put people off because they can't all commit the same amount of time but I'd have expected it to be more than 50%. ------------- Successfully confusing ambition with ability since 1980. |
Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 3:50pm
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There's no right answer, but these days relatively few people will succeed in staying married if they go sailing every weekend, whilst if you're already divorced most likely the only time you get to see your kids is every other weekend. Thus relatively few sailors can possibly manage more than 50% of a weekly series...
We use 50% rounded up for number of discards, so half or one race less than half to count. It is difficult though, but these days I think for many people no amount of "encouragement" would enable them to get to many more races. |
Posted By: Fraggle
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 3:56pm
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At my old club it was 50% plus one to count. ------------- |
Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 4:13pm
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50% for a series with an even number of races, 50% + 1 for an odd number.
------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: Ian29937
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 4:21pm
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I've long thought a high point scoring system is the answer. Last place in a race gets 1 point, last but oine 2 etc Rewards attendance, rewards winners of well attended races, removes the games you play as discards come into play.. Never seen it used anywhere though. Ian
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Posted By: Kev M
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 4:43pm
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Thanks all, I guess it's a common way of doing it after all. I do like your idea though Ian. What other sports use discards in this way?
------------- Successfully confusing ambition with ability since 1980. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 4:44pm
Same here...... to avoid penalising those that can't turn up every week.
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Posted By: jeffers
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 5:14pm
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At Hunts we found that some series were not getting a second or 3rd place boats because you had to do a set number of races (50%+1) to qualify for a series.
This was reviewed and chage so that 50%+1 was the number of races you had to complete before you got in to discard territory meaning someone who did 1 or 2 shy or the require number can still get an overall position. ------------- Paul ---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
Posted By: AlexM
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 5:24pm
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In my old club we also changed it to number of discards 50%+1 and dropped the qualification rule
Alex ------------- |
Posted By: Roger
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 5:37pm
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I've been argueing over this at our club for years, the committee seem to go for around 75% of races to count and believe it's an incentive for people to turn up.....
They are so wrong......
We have long series with maybe 2-4 boats completing enough races, turnouts have dropped off over the last 3-4 years and although there may be other reasons for this I do believe this is a contributing factor.
I did try and research other clubs a year or so back (just via posted results on club sites) and found the 50% or 50%+1 to count was by far the most common.
Personally I believe, as others have already said, that asking/expecting more that 50% is unrealistic and actually puts people off attending, but there are just some people you can't reason with...
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Posted By: ChrisJ
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 8:40pm
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RE:>> but these days relatively few people will succeed in staying married if they go sailing every weekendIn that case, I must be one of the few! My wife would get very upset if we didn't go sailing every weekend, as well as spending at least 2 if not 3 weeks of our summer holiday racing somewhere... (It does help that I married my crew about 33 years ago!).
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Posted By: sargesail
Date Posted: 13 Jan 12 at 8:48pm
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And mine would be very happy if we could sail every weekend but there is the minor issue of childcare. But give it another 23 years and will be as footloose and fancy free as Chris and Gill.
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Posted By: patj
Date Posted: 14 Jan 12 at 8:21am
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We're a couple sailing together and we just don't "do a series" because they are very long (often 16 races) and we have other things in our lives. We just turn up and race when we can and when the weather suits us.
We're also members at two clubs (one distant larger water, one local puddle) and sail some class events so our sailing has more choice and mobility. That is a factor that often isn't considered, as many club series have been the same format since the heyday of the sixties and seventies when members travelled less and had less options.
If there's a one day trophy we are more likely to attend but the long series are offputting.
I only show interest in series results when I'm checking I got things right as race officer!
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