Lymington Handicap Sailing Scheme

During 2008, LTSC is experimenting with a new Lymington Personal Sailing Handicap Scheme with the aim of increasing participation in dinghy races and to attract and encourage newcomers.

Scheme Rules PSHNs Issued Dinghy Racing Page Wednesday Prizes www.sailracer.co.uk.
Handicaps PN for each PSHN for each Class  LTSC Contact & Sailing Experience Form – 2008 Data Files
PY08v1
PSHN08v1
www.sailwave.com


LYMINGTON PERSONAL SAILING HANDICAP SCHEME

An outline of the Lymington Personal Handicap Scheme, the rules and a summary of the Personal Sailing Handicap Numbers (PSHNs), criteria, notes and review process have been established. See Scheme Rules

PSHNs used at LTSC will be N for Newcomers  9 (Club sailor) to 4 (national sailor - top 25% at Nationals and/or normally finishes within 2% of National Champion) and  0 for National Champion (or equivalent standard) so long as at least 20 boats at Nationals/Worlds/Continental Championship.

Each helm and crew who complete a LTSC Contact & Sailing Experience Form – 2008 is being allocated a PSHN which will be subject to review.

During the initial implementation, performance during the last three years will be considered and used as the basis to allocate the first PSHN to each participant.

Anybody who has not been issued with a PSHN and has little or unknown racing experience may be regarded as a Newcomer or may be allocated a provisional PSHN for their first race at LTSC in 2008.

Any PSHN issued for the first time may be adjusted in consultation with the competitor before the next race day and used for the whole series. 

It is envisaged that once an appropriate PSHN has been issued it will be not change until there has been a consistent increase or decrease in performance over at least one series.

Competitors may have good races and bad races without impact on their PSHN. If a competitor consistently finishes in the top third of the Personal Handicap Results he/she may request or may at the next review be given a lower PSHN. If a competitor consistently finishes in the bottom third on Personal Handicap Results then he/she may request or may at the next review be given a higher PSHN. 

It is anticipated that during the year the criteria for the crew PSHN may be modified and may distinguish between crew who trapeze and those who do not.

 

LINK FROM PSHN to BOAT HANDICAP SYSTEM
Until further notice the adjustments to the PN number will be based solely on the PSHN of the helm. Accordingly, each PSHN has been allocated a corresponding Helm Performance Handicap which will be added to the boat handicap as follows:

Personal Sailing Handicap No (PSHN)

N

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

Helm Performance Handicap

200

150

100

75

50

25

10

5

3

1

0




It is envisaged that when sufficient data is available, an adjustment may also be made to reflect the crew PSHN.

The race results will show the PSHN of the helm and the PN used in the results. eg Wayfarer (8) 1199 - Wayfarer raced by a Helm with a PSHN of 8 is sailing on a PN of 1199.

TROPHIES & PRIZES
During 2008 the main Club Trophies will continue to be awarded on the basis of the handicap results unadjusted for Personal Sailing handicaps.

Prizes will be awarded each Wednesday evening based solely on the Personal Handicap Results.

Ad hoc prizes may be awarded for other races or series based on the Personal Handicap Results.

 

BRIEFINGS & FEEDBACK
The scheme should be regarded as experimental and it is expected that it will be modified and refned during the year. There will be an opportunity to discuss the Scheme after the first Wednesday Evening race on 16 April.

There will also be briefings for those who participate in Saturday Sailing and opportunities for anyone to provide feedback so that the benefits of the Personal Sailing Handicap Scheme can be maximised.
 

PRODUCTION OF RACE RESULTS
LTSC uses Sailwave to produce race results. See www.sailwave.com to download free copy of programme.

No changes are needed to Sailwave to use the Lymington Personal Handicap scheme.

Two sub directories (PY and PSHN) have been created in the Sailwave ratings sub directory on the Club PC.

Two ratings files (csv) have been created which show each dinghy class with a suffix (n) where n=PSHN number.(eg: Wayfarer (8) which means that Wayfarer is being sailed with a PSHN of 8)

The ratings files are named PY08vx (containing PY numbers) and PSHN08vx (containing PY numbers + PSHN adjustments) - x is the version number of the file. These files are generated from Excel to enable PN or PSHN adjustments to be changed if needed - for more information about this contact Richard Phillips.

Latest Ratings files  PY08v1 and PSHN08v1  - Delete previous file after downloading new file.

The PY rating file is put into the PY subdirectory and the PSHN rating file is put into the PSHN directory

Using Setup/Global option - select directories and for ratings select PY directory to calculate standard results and select PSHN directory to calculate the Personal Handicap Results.

Enter and publish results to paper and website as usual.

A User guide in Powerpoint is being produced.
 

ADMINISTRATION
The handicaps are being administered by the Lymington Handicap Working Party which includes Richard Phillips (Chairman), Simon Ward, Richard Lilley & Wendy Bonney. If you have any queries please contact a member of the Working Party or email the Sailing Secretary who will forward your request.
 
SAILRACER
An Online Regatta Registration system developed by Simon Lovesay and used by Youth Classes and RYA for Youth events is being made made available to other Classes and to Clubs. Richard Phillips (LTSC) is leading a project to adapt system for LTSC Open Meetings. It is envisaged that in due course the Sailracer Results database will assist in the generation of Lymington PSHNs.

As regards Open Meetings, Sailracer on line registration system generate the files necessary to go into Sailwave where the results are calculated. The Results can then be easily transferred back into Sailracer for publication at www.sailracer.co.uk
.

Meanwhile past LTSC Open Meeting results are being loaded into Sailracer.

Last updated 18 April 2008


www.ltsc.co.uk