INTRODUCTION

These yardsticks are prepared to provide the fairest possible calculation of results for mixed fleet racing. New and modified classes appear every year and it is important to gather information and review results as quickly as possible. It would be of great assistance in this electronic age for clubs to either email results to John Donaldson or at least send the address of their website where they post this information.

VALADITY OF YARDSTICKS

Return of results by Class Associations and clubs has been falling over the last few years. In order to assure the continued validity of yardsticks these returns must be received. Electronic submission of results containing the information set out below is encouraged as it enables processing of the information in a timely manner.

In this seasons list several class yardsticks have been marked indicating an urgent requirement for more results to be submitted these are either new classes where the tentative yardstick needs to be confirmed or classes whose yardsticks are going to be archived due to lack of results for review. Sailors sailing any of these classes are encouraged to ensure that results are submitted as soon as possible

Again the status of several yardsticks for prominent classes has had to be down graded this season as insufficient results have been provided to maintain their status. Class Association are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure that sufficient data is provided to YACHTING VICTORIA to validate the yardsticks of the classes. Class associations should Title and other event results in the required form and encouraging their members to ensure that regatta and other results are provided. This is essential to ensure the ongoing reliability of YACHTING VICTORIA yardsticks for all forms of interclass racing at club and regatta level a consistent and steady supply of results are necessary. The data must be supplied for all boats competing in each heat of the event and MUST include the following:-

• Date and location of event .
• Course sailed by each division ie. leg length, course angles and number of legs sailed, shown on a diagram for each division.
• class, sail number, helmsman's name and elapsed time in minutes and decimal minutes or in whole seconds.
• wind strength, wave height, temperature.
• National Champion, State or Club champion should be noted.

Class Associations should also forward the results of National and State Titles provided the data is set out above. Data which does not conform to the above cannot be used to revise the ratings.

In 1990 yardsticks were grouped into four categories. These categories are based on individual results for each class in the previous season in all events where several classes sail the same course. The categories are:

Classes with thirty or more results in the current season proven to be consistent over many years. Should not be altered by club handicappers.

Classes with fifteen to twenty-nine results in the current season. May be adjusted by club handicappers only if a gross mismatch is apparent over a series.

Classes with less than fifteen results in the current season. May be altered by club handicappers at their discretion.

Classes with no results for two consecutive seasons. Based on obsolete data and published for guidance of club handicappers. After two consecutive seasons on the archival category the yardstick may be deleted.

Enquires with regard to new classes or classes not listed should be directed to the Yardstick Co-Ordinator c/o YACHTING VICTORIA. Urgent enquires can be made by initially getting in touch with YACHTING VICTORIA who can put you in touch with the Yardstick Co-Ordinator.

Email Inquiries may be sent to Yachting Victoria

Class Associations wishing to change their ratings must ensure that YACHTING VICTORIA receives sufficient data in both number and condition range to conduct that review. This involves ensuring that clubs organising events (in particular Regattas and Class titles), where several classes sail the same course, forward the results to YACHTING VICTORIA Yardstick Co-Ordinator in the required format. Where a rapid review is required the Class Association should forward sufficient data (proforma is available from yardstick Co-Ordinator - not selective data) to allow that review to be conducted. No correspondence. will be entered into where insufficient data is provided.

It must be emphasised that it is the responsibility of associations to ensure that their members know what class they sail so that unintended ''new' classes do not appear due to errors in data provided.

The aim of the yardstick is to provide a basis for yachts of different ratings to compete fairly when sailed well. the yardstick is not intended to compensate for differences in skills or competence of individual sailors. The yardstick is calculated and maintained on a statistical basis and within broad limits remains valid for a variety of wind strengths and courses sailed. Comparison of yachts of different classes sailing different courses is thought to be outside the scope of the current rating system.

Yardsticks are based on the current design of a class unless otherwise noted. It normally takes 12 months for a major change in class rules to be incorporated into the yardstick as results have to be gathered and assessed. For example the current yardsticks for Cherubs and Javelins are for boats with an asymmetric kite not for the previously standard symmetrical kite. Where major changes are occurring within class design the associations should inform the yardstick co-ordinator of these changes and try and ensure that results submitted indicate the boats sailing under the changed design.

Elapsed Time (ET) is the time taken (in minutes and decimal minutes, or in seconds) for a boat to sail a proper course.

Corrected Time (CT) is the elapsed time divided by the boat's class yardstick (YS) and multiplied by 100

Standard Boat Time (SBT) is the corrected time for the first boat on corrected times to sail a proper course. Alternatively consistently sailed boat finishing in the top five of the fleet, on corrected time, can be taken as the standard boat

Back Calculated Yardstick (BCYS) is the corrected time divided by the standard boat time and multiplied by its own yardstick.

Performance Factor (PF) is the BCYS divided by the boat's class yardstick This is used to rate the class yardstick

CT = ETxlOO

YS

BCYS = CT x YS

SBT

PF = BCYS

YS

Further assistance with regard to handicapping on a club basis may be obtained by contacting the Yardstick Co-Ordinator c/o YACHTING VICTORIA or via Email at jdandnjd@ozemail.com.au

The Class Basic Handicap system (CBH) is recommended for trailable yachts. For occasions when trailable yachts compete with off-the-beach yachts, it is possible to convert CBH to Tentative Yardstick by the formula:

Yardstick = K

CBH

For 2004/05 season K = 80.35

When using K to create tentative yardsticks for trailable yachts the result should be rounded down to the nearest 0.1 to preserve the differential between trailables given by their CBH’s

The best racing occurs when the fleet consists of only one Class, as in State Titles. So, whenever possible, clubs should arrange for a Class to race separately if there are sufficient numbers. For other yachts, divisions should be formed by grouping yachts as shown below:

First preference

This may be subdivided into fast and slow divisions related to yardsticks or if sufficient yachts of a class are present they may form a separate division.

Second preference

In this case it will be necessary to apply the Tailable Yacht conversion factor to obtain tentative yardsticks.

Third preference

Where fewer than four sailboards compete in an event, they may be grouped the monohulls. Owing to the many types of sailboards and whose performance varies with sail area and wind strength their yardsticks should be treated as tentative.

The Mixed Class Correction Factor (MCCF) applies to fleets containing multihulls and monohulls or sailboards and monohulls. The MCCF is derived by dividing the sum of the 5 lowest corrected times for monohulls by the sum of the 5 lowest corrected times for the multihulls or sailboards.

The corrected time for each multihull or sailboard is now further corrected by multiplying it by the MCCF

The following table of adjustments is provided for the guidance of handicappers. Any resulting yardsticks must be regarded as tentative and should be further adjusted in the light of race results. If a boat is entered and a claim is made to use one of the following adjustment factors which increase the yardstick of the boat, it is recommended that contravening these requirements should be regarded as a breach of Fundamental Rule 2 and be indicated as such in the sailing instructions. All adjustments are made on the current yardstick for the rig defined in the yardstick list.

ARCHIVAL YARDSTICKS

The archival yardsticks listed below are ratings recorded for each class. The year indicates when the last information was recorded. This is a partial list, a complete list was published in Boating '94 this list is also available on [To be Advised].

The following yardsticks are provided for guidance for handicapping sailboards in mixed fleet racing. Mixed fleet results involving sailboards are urgently required, as these yardsticks have not been reviewed for many years.

Weight is the sailor's dry weight fully equipped including harness and safety gear. Heavy weight is greater than 81 cgs. In wind strengths consistently over Force 4 (15 knots) the yardstick for heavyweight sailors shall be the same as the yardstick for lightweight sailors..