Understanding handicap

[PabloPicasso]

I'm a bit confused about racing handicap.

Should a faster yacht have a higher number?

So, for example would a handicap of .89 be for a faster boat than a handicap of .95?

 

[VicS]

NHC scheme, high number = fast
Corrected time = elapsed time x HN

PY scheme, high number = slow
Corrected time = elapsed time x 1000/PY

What scheme are you using?

 

[PabloPicasso]

The rating system is ECHO.

 

[VicS]

The rating system is ECHO.

The slower boats have lower numbers (<1.000)
Faster boats have higher numbers ( > 1.000 )

 

[Daydream believer]

I'm a bit confused about racing handicap.

Should a faster yacht have a higher number?

So, for example would a handicap of .89 be for a faster boat than a handicap of .95?

If a slow yacht took 1 hour to complete the course one would multiply the elapsed time of 60 minutes * .89= corrected time of 53.4 minutes
If the faster yacht did the course in, say, 57 minutes then multiply the elapsed time 57 * .95 & get 54.15 minutes corrected time ie slower than the other boat.

This means that the slower boat crew can go & p..s it up in the bar & brag how well they did, whilst the faster boat crew can complain about the weed on their boat slowing them down. Otherwise they would have won easily

Of course as stated above it depends on the handicap system being used & any weighting the committee may decide to add after a number of races. This is sometimes done to give the losers a chance of getting a cup for the Xmas prize giving, so that they enter next year.

I do not know the ECHO system, but I think that is where it comes in. Perhaps forumites with race experience can comment.

 

[Quandary]

Not sure how it works now but Echo used to give very generous allowances for incompetence, open to manipulation cause if you were down the pan you slowed right down to improve your chances the next time.

 

[johnalison]

I used to understand PH when my Firefly was 62 and the N12s had improved to 60, so they had to give us two minutes per hour, but then it all got more complicated and I had to trust our racing captain even though he was racing too.

 

[William_H]

Our club uses the handicap as described where the decimal number is multiplied by the elapsed time (in seconds) to give a corrected time. The computer program we use (Finish Line) then automatically updates handicaps after each race. However this update is based on the 3 previous race results (average) so more difficult to fudge an easy handicap by bad performance. Unfortunately it does not work well with small fleets and when a boat does not race for several races the handicap gets easier. So yes manual intervention is often required. I reckon handicap is for girls what really matters is boats behind you. We get a flag for first second and third on handicap and another for fastest time. This ina very mixed KB fleet. ol'will