Portsmouth Racing 101
Well, it’s sailboat racing…or for something a bit more highbrow…it’s ‘Yacht Racing’! Portsmouth is a handicap-based rating system implemented by US Sailing. This rating system is a Time-on-Time handicapping system. What this means is that the boats are rated against each other, regardless of the distance sailed. Portsmouth handicaps are updated each year, depending on how that type boat has performed against other types throughout the year, throughout the world. Unlike PHRF handicaps that are issued for each individual boat, Portsmouth base handicaps are issued for a specific type of boat (i.e. all Laser full rigs have the same base rating, all Sunfish have the same base rating, etc.). What
does my boat rate? And how does this compare to other boats? Slower than a snail! Faster than a speeding bullet! US Sailing has a very informative website describing the Portsmouth rating system. Over the lifetime of Portsmouth handicapping, they have compiled a large database of ratings for many boats. They are classified according to the style of boat: Windsurfer, Multihull, Centerboard, Keelboat and Offshore. Check out this link to find your rating and to see how your boat compares to other boats: There are modifiers used in conjunction with the Portsmouth base ratings. For example, if you decide to race a Club 420 with a Melges 24 spinnaker, or an Optimist Pram with a Sunfish rig and sail, then you will get a rating modification for use of an oversize sail. Also, the base ratings change for each boat depending on wind conditions. US Sailing has tried to be fair to each boat by taking into account that boat’s overall performance within four distinct wind ranges. The philosophy is that one boat may perform exceptionally well in heavy air, but not light air while another boat may be just the opposite. These ‘Beaufort’ modifications to the base ratings take this into consideration. For nown FWYC does not use anything but the base rating for each boat. Consideration is being given to the possibility of ‘leveling’ the playing field by utilizing the Beaufort wind ratings for each race. If that decision is made, it will go into effect for a future racing season. Should
I race Portsmouth? Only you can answer that! At
FWYC, 2004
marked our the start of promoting organized Portsmouth races. Each
year, we have more
and more
sailors participating on varied boats. We encourage Portsmouth racing
on the
‘small boats’. Here, we use boats such as Club
420’s,
Sunfish, Lasers, Hobie
cats, any boat that can be classified as One Design, Dinghy or
Multihull. We have had participants use boats such as those mentioned
above and also the Y-Flyer, Megabyte, Force5, F18HT Javelin, A Cat and
others. If you want to see if you can race your boat, contact one of
the people listed below. How
do I get involved? Be There! The best way to get involved with Portsmouth Racing at FWYC is to show up on one of the race days. The racing schedule is shown below. Typically, registration is from 11:00 – 11:30. Racing starts at 1:00. The cost is usually $2.00 or $5.00 per person, depending on the current racing series. We usually run 4 races, depending on the wind and how quickly each race runs. We encourage everyone to come down and use a club boat, or bring your own. All our ‘regulars’ are more than happy to introduce a ‘newbie’ to the joy of racing. Even if you don’t want to race, but would like to just come out and watch, then come down to the club on a race day. We may even draft you into service with the Race Committee. Spectator boats are always welcome to come watch, heckle and cheer! Who
can come race? Anyone! Once again, we are not some exclusive group. We encourage members and non-members alike to come enjoy a day on the water with us. Members are welcome to bring guests to sail with them. Non-members are welcome to sail with a member, or bring their own boat. Non-members are not allowed to sail alone on a club boat for insurance purposes. We want to make this a series that the sailors look forward to each year. The more sailors and boats we have out on the water, the more fun we all have. What boats are available for use? Please, only use the ones that still float! Club members may use boats owned by FWYC and ECSA. Currently we have 10 Sunfish, 3 Lasers (2 Radial rigs and 2 Full rigs), 2 Hobie Waves, 1 Hobie 16, 5 Club 420’s, 2 Optimist Prams and 4 Flying Scots. Boats are generally issued on a first-come first-served basis. However, if you know you will be attending, you can reserve a boat. See the ‘More Questions’ section below for contact information. Before a club member is allowed to rush out and use a club boat, they must go through a checkout procedure. This typically involves rigging and de-rigging the boat, maintenance checklist and proof of righting ability. We ask that each member prove he or she knows the proper rigging of the boat, where the equipment is located and how to care for the boat and related parts. Also, for most boats, we ask the member to flip the boat (usually in waist deep water) and exhibit their ability to right the boat. In addition, whenever a member is going to use a boat, they MUST fill out a boat checkout form. This form is located in the office and must be signed by the member and a person in charge. The main purpose of this form is to inform FWYC when the boats need repair. Once the member is finished with the boat, they are asked to complete a section that deals with issues encountered while sailing. Please let us know if things break. We have many members who use the boats regularly, so any faulty items must be taken care of immediately. The checkout form will be available during Portsmouth registration. What fame and fortune can I expect? No pictures, please! Sorry, but we do not guarantee that you will become the next Randy Smyth or Bob Curry or Brian Lambert or Dennis Conner or Russell Coutts or…or…(insert famous sailor name here). However, we do believe that you will have an enjoyable day racing…and you might even learn something. This year, we are starting a ‘round-table’ discussion after the day’s races are over. The purpose of this is to encourage all the sailors to share a relaxing drink, any complaints, any discoveries and generally anything of interest with the rest of the group. We are all out sailing so we can learn to sail better and faster. Usually the day after racing, photos from the races are posted here on FWYC’s website. These photos are posted in an effort to promote sailing at FWYC. We encourage everyone to check out the photos: Use the photos as you like…print them and send to family…or laugh at that Laser guy who continuously flipped in the last race…or just enjoy pictures of a beautiful day of sailing. More
questions? Jeez,
what more
do you want to
know? Come down and race already! Phyllis Seaton David Sly Samuel Grant |
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