1. The LYC Handicap Ratings will be calculated and adjusted if required four times per season and reflects individual yacht performance. The LYC Race Committee reserves the right to make any changes to the LYC Handicap System as necessary. Any changes will be posted on the official LYC Race Notice Board.
2. All LYC yacht handicaps will be carried over from one year to the next.
3. All LYC yacht handicaps will be re-calculated and adjusted if required on the last day of June, July, and August. Any races finished after these dates will use the newly adjusted individual yacht handicap rating if applicable.

4. All races with a minimum number of 3 yachts finishing with the exception Friday Flotilla Fun Races qualify for the purpose of handicapping calculations.
5. Individual Yacht handicap adjustments will be made according to the following guidelines:

i) An ESPN rating will be calculated for each yacht finishing a race, providing a minimum of 3 yachts finish.

ii) Each yachts monthly ESPN rating will be the calculated by the following formula: The ESPN rating total (the sum of all race qualified ESPN ratings) divided by the number of qualified races (at least 3 yachts finished the race).

ESPN ( total ) = ESPN month average number of races

iii) LYC Yacht Handicap adjustment criteria

The individual yachts averaged ESPN performance rating for a given month will be compared to the previous months LYC handicap rating, if the difference is :

greater than -1.5         Handicap goes down 1 Point
between -1.00 to - 1.5    Handicap goes down 0.5 Point
less than -1.00           No Change
less than +1.00           No Change
between +1.00 to +1.5     Handicap goes up 0.5 point
greater than +1.5         Handicap goes up 1 point

iv) If a yacht’s calculated ESPN rating for a given race is 3 points greater or less than its current LYC Handicap, the rating number used in the monthly ESPN calculation shall only be a maximum of plus or minus 3 points, its current LYC Handicap.

v) Handicap adjustments for a class of boats will be determined by the best performing yacht in the class.

vi) "Staggered Start Sequences" may be used for Thursday Night Races or longer than usual scheduled races at the discretion of the Race Committee or Officer of the Day as prescribed in the current "Sailing Instructions"

6. Yachts new to LYC will be given the established ASPN or ASPN-PHRF ( new 2001 ) rating ( as per last NSYA list available ) for their class. Yachts with no established ASPN-PHRF rating will be given a provisional handicap to be reviewed after 5 races. Provisional handicaps may, based on the yachts performance, change by 1 or more points at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee. 
   
7. Yacht handicaps will be adjusted on a "per race" basis for yachts choosing not to fly a spinnaker provided that the Race Committee Start Officer is notified before a course is set. An individual yacht handicap adjustment will be minus 3 points for a masthead spinnaker and minus 2 points for a fractional spinnaker.

Individual yachts choosing to white sail only , their ESPN for the race will not be used for any handicap purposes.

8. There will be no ‘per race’ handicap adjustments made for a yacht choosing to sail without certain non-spinnaker sails in her inventory.
   
9. Sail, propeller and other changes will affect handicaps according to present ASPN-PHRF guidelines.
   
10. All yacht owners wishing to race (other than Friday Night Fun Races) must have an up-to-date yacht data ASPN-PHRF sheet on file with the LYC Race Committee. It is the yacht owner’s responsibility to inform the LYC Club Handicapper of changes in inventory or equipment which would affect the yachts handicap calculation according to ASPN-PHRF guidelines.

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