Your Handicap
This article by our Race Officer Shane Triggs explains the basics (and maybe more advanced elements) of how the race results and handicapping works.
Basically it all comes down to one simple equation:
CT = (ET x 100) / YS
What does this mean you say? Well, “ET” is your elapsed time in minutes (no relation to our mate from space). i.e. the time it takes you from the 0 minute signal to the time you cross the finishing line of sight. “CT” is your Corrected Time in minutes (the reason behind why all the gaps I put on the board being in fractions of minutes). The YS is your Yardstick as allocated by Yachting Australia, or your Personal Yardstick as allocated by handicapper (me).
This gives each boat a corrected finishing time, the order from smallest to largest being the finishing order. The points are allocated according to the Low Points system outlined in your rules appendix A. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.) Points for a DNF (Did Not Finish), DNS (Did Not Start), DSQ (Disqualified), DNE (Disqualified Non- Excludable), OCS (On Course Side i.e. Jump Start) are number of starters + 1, points for DNC are number of entries in the series + 1.
An OOD (Officer Of the Day) will receive points equal to his average point score per race over the series. As they rely on the series being completed, DNC and OOD point scores will fluctuate until the series has concluded. The scoring varies slightly for a regatta, but not enough to warrant further discussion here. All seems simple right? How on earth could you bugger that up using a computer you say? The correct answer is that I don’t make mistakes, you must be mistaken. The more realistic answer is that when you do on average 30 different boats per series and 2 divisions per race over 57 races, that translates to over 3,400 of these simple equations I have to keep an eye on over a season, that is excluding Peel and any class events held at the club.
Needless to say that there may be some error creeping in now and again that I may or may not pick up. Keeping an eye on your own results is imperative, as you know what you did better than I will remember.
The main points to remember are:
- CT = (ETx100)/YS
- DNC will hurt you in a big series
- Keep an eye on your own results
- Any troubles must be made known to me no
longer than 1 week after the results have
been posted.