The Racing Rules of Sailing
Handling multiple sail sizes as a single entrant in Club Racing, Regatta DIV — feedback wanted
Do any of the major results packages (Sailwave, SailSys, etc.) support scoring a competitor who uses different sail sizes race-to-race as a single entrant, rather than creating a separate entrant per size? For example, the RS Aero has four rig/yardsticks in use (5, 6, 7, 9). We'd like sailors to register under one rig size (say Aero 7) but be free to down-size in heavy air, and still be scored as one continuous entrant. This keeps them sailing.
Proposed formula: adjusted time = raw elapsed time × (registered rig yardstick / rig sailed yardstick).
For example, if a sailor is registered on an Aero 7 but sails an Aero 6 on a given day: adjusted time = raw elapsed time × (Aero 7- yard-112.5 / Aero 6-yard -114.6 ). This converts their elapsed time into what it would likely have been on their registered rig, and that adjusted time is entered into the results package as their result for the race. Where we'd use this: club racing, where we actively encourage skippers to down-size in strong winds for safety and enjoyment — this removes any scoring penalty for doing so. We wouldn't use for a Regatta Calls DIV. There we'd follow the existing ILCA/RS Aero convention of treating a rig change as a new entrant, accepting the DNS/discard consequence for the original entry, rather than normalizing across rigs. However, we propose using it for: A mixed-yardstick DIV combining classes like ILCA, Finn, and RS Aero together when there are insufficient numbers to have separate Class Divs. Of course it requires manual adjustments of elapsed time, before entry into the results. Keen to hear if anyone has tried something similar, or spots a flaw in the approach.
Proposed formula: adjusted time = raw elapsed time × (registered rig yardstick / rig sailed yardstick).
For example, if a sailor is registered on an Aero 7 but sails an Aero 6 on a given day: adjusted time = raw elapsed time × (Aero 7- yard-112.5 / Aero 6-yard -114.6 ). This converts their elapsed time into what it would likely have been on their registered rig, and that adjusted time is entered into the results package as their result for the race. Where we'd use this: club racing, where we actively encourage skippers to down-size in strong winds for safety and enjoyment — this removes any scoring penalty for doing so. We wouldn't use for a Regatta Calls DIV. There we'd follow the existing ILCA/RS Aero convention of treating a rig change as a new entrant, accepting the DNS/discard consequence for the original entry, rather than normalizing across rigs. However, we propose using it for: A mixed-yardstick DIV combining classes like ILCA, Finn, and RS Aero together when there are insufficient numbers to have separate Class Divs. Of course it requires manual adjustments of elapsed time, before entry into the results. Keen to hear if anyone has tried something similar, or spots a flaw in the approach.
Created: Yesterday 18:35
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Short answer is Sailwave can cope with the rig size changes you are asking about.
Sailwave is able to have a different rating for a competitor for each race. The race rating for the race in question can be manually set to the rating for the race appropriate to the rig size being used. It is also possible to import race results from a CSV file. Since Sailwave version 2.28.7, Sailwave can also import as part of a csv file the rating to be used for the race. See https://www.sailwave.com/how-do-i-import-a-list-of-race-results.
When publishing results from Sailwave you can also using an 'Effect', a piece of JavaScript code, to show in the overall series results the rating used in each individual race.
So using Sailwave there is no need for calculating an adjusted elapsed time before entering into Sailwave :-)
I hope the information is helpful.
Kind regards,
Huw
For club events with a manageable number of total entrants why not just start all boats together and offer an “open” class where boats can use whatever rig they want?
It’s easy enough to move someone from “7” to “open” mid regatta and rescore all races in any of the scoring systems and you don’t end up with a bunch of DNC scores and boats registered multiple times (ghost entries). It also alleviates the RCs burden of determining, every single race, what rig a boat is sailing with.
The idea of using a handicap in a OD class sort of flies in the face of why most people sail OD in the first place. If it’s what the fleet wants, great, but I suspect it will decrease instead of increase overall participation and satisfaction.
Eventually the interest in over all results further diminished and now we have boats that sail spin/non-spin or different rigs and count as a single boat. No one really cared and numbers for boats on the water are good. But this is going to be place specific. Another club I belonged to would never permit the above. I would support what ever the fleet wants, so long as they are sailing and happy with the results.
If the class allows use of multiple sails during the event, why wouldn't you set up as registering to use a particular sail, eg #6, and base the handicap in it, allowing the boat to use a smaller sail but not a larger one, so all races would be based on a #6.
Makes life very simple
As folk have said, Sailwave for one permits different handicaps in a series. At my club we go beyond rigs and permit sailors to compete with more than one class in a series. Plays merry hell when doing the PY returns to the RYA though.
I remember watching 1/3 of the (in those days) Radials upside down while the (also in those days) 4.7s were having the time of their life. I thought that it was too bad that the Radial sailors couldn't / didn't switch to smaller sails.
With my racer cruiser I can get a better handicap if I only register smaller sails but I then have to use them in light wind conditions. If I register with a larger Genoa, I don't get the same handicap as the boat that only has the smaller sails if I fly the smaller sails on a windy day.
Many master's ILCA regattas allow rig swapping. They do not make a handicap allowance when the rig is swapped.
In conclusion yes some scoring systems will support the change you suggest but I don't think you really want to do it.
You're idea makes sense and I like it. Sailors of the smaller sail/rig combination may not agree. It's something the local fleet must discuss. In the ILCA class you are permitted to change sails in the Masters events but the Masters are very sailor friendly and kind to aging sailors. In regular ILCA events you may not change sails as you are changing class which would be like changing to a different boat.
As has been said Sailwave can handle the scoring. Just need to get all the competitors to agree
Have a look at the ILCA Demo results screenshot on this page https://www.sailwave.com/category/sailwave you will see in the results whenever the competitor is sailing a different rig to the registered the rig type is displayed with the result - Any questions please ask - Jon (Sailwave Author)
We can do this with SailingScoreboard. We can use individual TCF/HCP/TCC per race.
give me a call if you want to discuss