CYCA handicap wanted for hunter Horizon 23 (and help understanding handicaps)

[penfold]

Ok, most people... Only a special kind of loony does that with a bilge keel boat.

 

[Birdseye]

Post 3 is just an excerpt from the CYCA data base on a "boat type" search. Individual boats require an individual handicap e.g. 3-bladed prop, furling headsail, etc. all get an allowance. Unfortunately, the system doesn't penalise carbon masts, hi-tech sails, rod rigging, reprofiled keels and rudders, etc. so plenty of scope to buy wins. Fortunately, the waters we sail in have sufficient vagaries to reduce the value of tech without local knowledge.

Buying wins is a problem with all handicap systems. But even without that issue, handicaps are only ever the best that can be done. In the (casual) race series I am running in at the moment, I have taken all the times and re run the results using different handicap systems. The result of course was a completly different finishing list.

But as said earlier, the bar would be a far less interesting place if there werent handicaps to talk about