Handicap for race

[Velocious]

Just a quick clarification question. Is this race being run under PCR or Norcal PHRF downwind ratings? The rules are ambiguous as 16.01 says OR an alternative downwind rating. Thanks, George McKay "Cookie Jar"

[BobJ]

Heh, heh. (Oh, sorry Rob.)


s/Former SHTP Race Chair

[robtryon]

Hi George,

I'm going to score the race with PCR for a couple of reasons. Foremost is that the race has been scored this way for a long time, and this way the results are consistent with past races. Also, my personal belief is that the new downwind ratings are faulty. Bob Johnson did a lot of research before the 2010 race and rescored some past races using the DW ratings - the results were very interesting.

Anyway, that's the way '12 is going to be scored: PCR ratings. Thanks for asking!

Rob

[WBChristie]

Hi George,

I'm going to score the race with PCR for a couple of reasons. Foremost is that the race has been scored this way for a long time, and this way the results are consistent with past races. Also, my personal belief is that the new downwind ratings are faulty. Bob Johnson did a lot of research before the 2010 race and rescored some past races using the DW ratings - the results were very interesting.

Anyway, that's the way '12 is going to be scored: PCR ratings. Thanks for asking!

Rob

Any chance we can get a look at the re scored results using the downwind ratings?
Cheers

[BobJ]

They're on a computer in a galaxy far, far away . . . maybe the same computer the formulae for the DW Ratings are on?

I'll track them down and give them to Rob, then he can decide if he wants to open that can of worms.

[Philpott]

I have the old old SSS computer. It's an IBM think pad and weighs about 20 lbs. I'll bet it has all kinds of fascinating old race results. A resourceful person could probably use it for parts to replace a broken boom or rudder. Golly, I'd love to get it out of my tiny workroom. Who wants it? I'll deliver it to you!

[Critter]

I'm kind of fond of that computer.

[Velocious]

I'm perfectly fine with that, PCR it is. George

[BobJ]

Just for posterity or something, "PCR" stands for Pacific Cup Rating. The Pacific Cup YC still calls them that, but uses the NorCal PHRF "Downwind ratings" (for PHRF boats) and ORR ratings (for the sleds) to calculate the PCR's for the race. So what SSS should probably say is we're using the "Old PCR Adjustments" for the Singlehanded TransPac.

The good news is there's no ambiguity in the SHTP Rules because the math for the adjustments is spelled out. This is, by the way, my biggest beef with the DW Ratings - they use things like a "com shift" (whatever that is) to figure out what your DW rating will be. When you invest thousands of dollars and months (if not years) of effort to race in the SHTP, you want to know how the ratings were derived - they determine your race result. While one might say regular PHRF ratings are just as subjective, the regular PHRF ratings for most of our boats were determined long ago and have been tested (and often appealed) via observed performance over many races and in multiple PHRF regions. These are then adjusted with published formulae to determine what we might now call the "SHTP Rating." It's a good system.

All in my personal opinion.

[Jan Brewer]

Jackie, I'll be happy to put that computer in our storage unit to get it outta your way. That way Max can visit it whenever he wants!