Lunenburg Yacht Club Race Program

 HANDICAP SYSTEM

Starting in 2009 NSYA is assigning Yachts a PHRF rating in Sec/Mile.  The LYC Handicap System is changed this season to align with NSYA, while maintaining the proven characteristics of the LYC adjustment System. It is our intent to achieve a similar type of rating change throughout the season using PHRF ratings as we did under ASPN. Your Race Committee will be ready make adjustments to the system as race results provide data.

1.   The LYC Handicap Ratings will be calculated and adjusted, if required, three times per season and reflects individual yacht performance. The LYC Race Committee (majority committee vote) 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 start at the average of the previous years LYC ESPN1.

3.      All LYC yacht handicaps will be re-calculated and adjusted at the end of June, July and August or prior to the beginning of a new monthly series.  

 4.   All races with a minimum number of four yachts finishing with the exception any "FUN" races (e.g. 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 ESPN1 rating will be calculated for each yacht finishing a race, providing a minimum of four yachts finish.

ii)  Each yachts monthly/yearly ESPN1 rating will be the calculated by the following formula: The ESPN1 rating total (the sum of all race qualified ESPN1 ratings) divided by the number of qualified races (at least four yachts finished the race).

ESPN ( total )      =  ESPN average
number of races

iii) Each yacht will be adjusted according to its ESPN1 from the prior handicap period.

iv) LYC Yacht Handicap adjustment criteria

The individual yachts averaged ESPN1  performance rating for a given period (month/year)  will be compared to the previous period LYC handicap rating, if the difference is : 

greater than      - 9                                            Handicap goes up 9 Point2
greater than -6 and less than or equal to -9          Handicap goes up 6 Point2
greater than -3 and less than or equal to -6          Handicap goes up 3 Point2  

less than or equal to       - 3                                No Change
less than or equal to       + 3                               No Change

greater than +3 and less than or equal to +6        Handicap goes up 3 Point2
greater than +6 and less than or equal to +9        Handicap goes up 6 Point2
greater than      +9                                            Handicap goes up 9 Point2

v) If a yacht’s calculated ESPN1 rating for a given race is 12 points2 greater or less than its current LYC Handicap, the rating number used in the monthly/yearly ESPN1 calculation shall only be a maximum of plus or minus 12 point2, its current LYC Handicap.

vi) A minimum of four eligible races are required to calculate a monthly ESPN1 average.

 6.   Yachts new to LYC will be given the established NS-PHRF rating for their class or, at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee, may be given the current LYC handicap of an existing similar Yacht . Yachts with no established NS-PHRF rating will be given a provisional handicap to be reviewed after four races. Provisional handicaps may, based on the yachts performance, change by 3 or more points2 at the discretion of the LYC Race Committee.

A yacht’s LYC Handicap Rating will be no lower or higher than +12 to -12 of the established Provincial PHRF Rating.

 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 18 points2 for a masthead spinnaker and minus 12 points2 for a fractional spinnaker.

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 NS-PHRF guidelines. http://www.nsya.ns.ca/content/81/Adjustments

10.  All yacht owners wishing to race (other than Friday Night Fun Races) must have an up-to-date yacht data NS-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 NS-PHRF guidelines.

Notes:

1.       ESPN (Estimated Speed Potential Number ) is defined as the rating that a Yacht achieved in comparison to the median placing yacht. (rounded up). This is sometimes called BCR  ( back calculated rating )

2.       Points are PHRF Seconds/mile

Date

Revision

Author

Change

July 7, 2008

2008.1

Ian Mann

Correct version of published document.

Start Version Log.

Change wording of # 2 to remove specific year.

April 2009

2009.1

Ian Mann

Changes to align with NS-PHRF sec/mile