FUN HANDICAP RACING 2006
A short guide to be read with the normal club race officer’s guide, but the Saturday afternoon racing is supposed to be for fun, both for the sailors and the OD!
Don’t make life difficult for yourself.
Announce over the Tannoy roughly where you intend to put the course and give sailors some idea of what time the start will be. Remind sailors to sign the “Signing On” sheet, and also to sail through the gate on the windward leg on every lap. It is also a good idea to remind them that you will give a series of hoots or whistles about 1 minute before the first start signal, then it will be 4 mins, 2 mins and off.
You will need to check with the safety crews that they have a “pin” mark ready for you. They are used to putting these marks in now and if asked will do that for you. The pin mark positions the other end of the start line and also forms the gate through which all boats must sail on each lap, be lenient! But try afterwards to explain to sailors who don’t do this.
Set a simple course with a start line, which then becomes the “gate”, about a third of the way up the beat. Indicate on course board. Number of laps not needed.
It is easier to have the committee boat at the port end of the line but not essential.
Orange flag up.
Organise your watch, and if possible have a second watch to start at the start signal, it makes it easier to take real times.
Series of hoots, about 1 min later class flag “F” for fun up! Plus 1 hoot
exactly 2 mins later “P” flag up plus 1 hoot
exactly 2 mins later both flags down plus 1 hoot
Write down types and numbers of boats and their time of crossing through the “gate”/lap line on every lap.
Decide after about 40-50 minutes to finish, try and find a suitable gap.
Orange flag down, Blue flag up. Officially no need to hoot as you do this but you can if you want to. All boats will be finished and timed next time they cross the lap line. The handicapping system will sort out the positions based on average lap times.
When all boats have been finished, repeat the process for a second race. Hopefully if the wind has stayed from the same direction you will not have alter the start line and the course. If there is only a marginal shift, make life easy and just get on with the next race!!
Back on shore, if you would like to have a go at working out the results, then this is the method.
Use a calculator, change time from mins and secs to seconds,
divide by the number of laps a boat has sailed,
divide by the boat’s PY number, there is a list,
write down the first 4 digits on the calculator,
position from lowest 4 digit number to highest.
Copy results onto sheet in Foyer, and if time write a detailed list for notice board upstairs, sailors seem to enjoy looking at the details!
Otherwise give lap and times sheets to somebody else to do!
