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Chapter 1

Pre-introduction

The following is an FAQ for rec.boats. Next to each item in the
table of contents is  a symbol. A '+'  means that I've answered
it. A '-' means that someone  else has promised to answer it. A
``0'' means that I intend to write it but have not gotten to it
yet. A '*' means that someone  else has provided it already. No
mark at  all indicates  that I do  not have  the information to
answer the question, but that no one has volunteered to provide
it. In some cases, this means  that I have written something to
fill  the  gap, but  it's  not  at all  authoritative.  This is
especially true in the powerboating section.

This document  will be  reposted about  every three  months. In
addition, a copy will live at wilma.cs.brown.edu, available for
anonymous ftp in the file rec.boats_FAQ.Z.

Last posted: 10/14/93

This posting: 1/10/94



Chapter 2

Introduction

I have  been reading and  saving selections  from rec.boats for
about 5 years, and operating various watercraft for far longer.
I  volunteered, in  August  1992, to  maintain  this Frequently
Asked Questions list  for rec.boats, with  help from many other
people on topics where they know much more than I do.

The contents  of the posting  below consist  of the information
sent to  me by  many people;  only about  1/4 of  it is  my own
writing.  I  am  especially  grateful  to  Michael  Hughes  (no
relation) for providing much of the bibliography.

If you  have constructive  comments please  let me  know. (I am
John  Hughes, [e-mail]).  If  you have  additions you'd
like to see, please let me know.

The information in this posting comes in three forms. There are
facts (addresses  and phone numbers,  etc.), generally accepted
information (``How  can I  get into  sailboat racing  as a crew
member?''),  and  opinions (``Is  this  magazine  any good?'').
Following a lead of Wayne Simpson, I've put the initials of the
provider of the information or opinion in parentheses following
the statement (e.g., (jfh)). There's  a list of contributors at
the bottom. Since I  only started doing this  *after* I had put
together much of  the list, a  good deal of  the information is
unattributed, especially  in the  book reviews.  I apologize to
the original authors for this.

By the way, my own bias is towards sailboating. This means that
the powerboating  information is scantier  than the sailboating
stuff.


2.1 TABLE OF CONTENTS



+ = provided by jfh
* = provided by someone else
 = someone *ought* to provide it, but no volunteers arose

Sailing stuff:
*       3.1) What are the addresses of class associations for
          class XXX of sailboats?
+*      3.2) How can I get into sailboat racing as a crew member?
+*      3.3) Is the MacGregor 26 a good boat? It seems too good
          to be true. Does water ballast really work?
+       3.4) What's a good first sailboat?
*       3.5) How do those rating systems -- PHRF time-on-time,
            time-on-distance, Portsmouth, IOR -- and all that
             stuff work?
*       3.6)  Who/What is US Sailing, how do I join, should I join?
*       3.7)  Where can I find out about collegiate sailing?
*       3.8)  What about keels?
*       3.9)  Sailing simulators?
*       3.10) Chartering and learn-to-sail schools
*       3.11) Formula for hull speed based on length (and its limitations)
*       3.12) Sailing in other countries.

Powerboating stuff:
       4.1) What is better? An I/O or an outboard? What's
            cheaper?
+       4.2) Is the Bayliner a good boat? The price is great...
+       4.3) Are Doel Fins a good thing?
*       4.4) What is a Hole Shot? Will a Stainless prop add to my
            high end speed?
+       4.5) Is VRO a good idea?
*       4.6) What's a good first powerboat?
*       4.7) Can I put unleaded gas in an old outboard?

General Information:
+       5.1) What are the addresses, phone numbers, 800 numbers,
            for suppliers of boating equipment?
*       5.2) What organizations can help me learn about safe
            boating?
+       5.3) Should I get GPS or Loran?
+       5.4) What other newsgroups discuss boating stuff?
*       5.5) What's the 800 number for the User Fee Sticker?
+*      5.6) What's it cost to own a boat?
*       5.7) Who can tell me about boat X?
+       5.8) What are the laws about boats? Is there anything
            I have to get before I operate my boat?
*       5.9) What's a formula for top speed, given lots of
            other info?
*       5.10) How do find out what time it is, accurately,
            for navigation?
*       5.11) Winter storage for batteries, and their state of charge.
*       5.12) Online sources
+       5.13) Should we split rec.boats?
*       5.14) What sextant should I buy to practice with?
*       5.15) Boat Pictures, and ftp sites for boat info.
*       5.16) Propellor selection
*       5.17) Binocular Selection
+       6) List of Contributors

Bibliography:
*       7.1) Journals
*       7.2) Nonfiction books about sailing trips
*       7.3) Books about racing
*       7.4) Books about maintenance
*       7.5) Fiction about boats
*       7.6) Books about design, seaworthiness, arts of the sailor
*       7.7) Films/videos about sailing
*       7.8) Misc





Chapter 3

Sailing Stuff


3.1 Addresses of class associations for sailboats

Here are some answers culled from the net.


Laser mailing list: [e-mail]
signup: [e-mail] or
       [e-mail]

Laser Class Association:

ILCA
8466 N. Lockwood Ridge Road, Suite 328
Sarasota, FL 34243
Phone & FAX [phone]

Send them your name, sail number, type of boat, age, address, phone
and $25 for a regular membership, $15 for junior (16 and under), $40 for
family membership and list other people in family.


J/24
612 Third Street
Suite 4A
Annapolis, MD 21403-3213
301-626-0240
(Steve Podlich or Cass Mairs)


US Flying Dutchman Class
(Official name is I.F.D.C.A.U.S - International FD Class
Association of the US)
Contact:
Guido Bertocci
168 Overbrook Drive
Freehold, NJ  07728
[phone] H
[phone] B
[e-mail]

Available info:
   General class info
   Promotional video - $14
   Class membership $46/year


INDIYRA
International DN Ice Yachting Association
Contact person changes from year to year, but you can always
find out who's currently in charge by calling Gougeon Bros.
Boats in Bay City, MI.


Catalina 38 National Association
Bill Huber
5076 Bordeau Ave.
Irvine, CA 92714
Annual dues: $25


Catalina 36 National Association
Garry Willis
4350 Glencoe Ave.
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
Annual dues: $25


Catalina 34 National Association
Jon Myers
10970 Seville Ct.
Garden Grove, CA 92640
Annual dues: 1 year $20, 2 years $36


Catalina 30 National Association
Doris Goodale
9141 Mahalo Dr.
Huntington Beach, CA 92646
Annual dues: $15
$23 (Canada & Mexico; US funds)
$24 (outside continent; US funds)


Catalina 27 National Association
Fred Rector
21 Lawrence Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21403
Annual dues: $20


Catalina 25 National Association
Christy Morgan
5011 Revere Ave., N.W.
Massillon, OH 44646
Annual dues: $15


Catalina 22 National Association
Joyce Seale
P.O. Box 30368
Phoenix, AZ 85046-0368
[phone]
Annual dues: $25


Capri 22 National Association
Dan Mattaran
888 Blvd of the Arts #204
Sarasota, FL 34346
Annual dues: $15


Coronado 15 National Association
Ted Stoker
5157 El Roble
Long Beach, CA 90815
Annual dues: $29 (sc)


Capri 14.2 National Association
Dave Dodell
10250 No. 92nd #210
Scottsdale, AZ 85258
Annual dues: $15


Capri 26 National Association
Guy McCardle
529 Sycamore Circle
Ridgeland, MS 39157 (sc)


O'Day/CAL Boat owners association
(email [e-mail] for details)
$18/yr - 6 newsletters, Boat/US discount,
Organized rendezvous...
Captains Log
P.O. Box 684
Assonet, MA 02702 (mb)


For owners of  Catalina and Capri sailboats  for which there is
no national association listed  above, contact Catalina Yachts,
P.O. Box 989,  Woodland Hills, CA 91367.  Annual dues are 12.00
and include a one year subscription to MAINSHEET, the quarterly
magazine of the Catalina and Capri owners associations.

See   also:  The  Sailing  World  ``Buyer's  Guide''  and  SAIL
Magazine's ``Sailboat  and Equipment  Directory,'' and Cruising
World,  particularly  for  classes  that  are  no  longer being
manufactured. All are available in many US libraries.


3.2 How can I get into sailboat racing as a crew member?

The racers  on the  net seem  to have  a concensus  on this (at
least   for  crewing  on  large  boats).  Since  I  wrote  this
originally, I got the following  words from mp, which seemed so
relevant that I've put them first: ``you should add that if you
want to get  experience as neophyte  crew, you need  to show up
consistently. Most owners  can put up with  you not knowing the
ropes and would be  willing to teach you  what you need to know
as long as they know you'll be there every week.''

(1) Go to local  yacht clubs that have  regular race series and
post an index  card on the  bulletin board saying  that you are
new  to racing,  but  would like  a  crew position.  Give phone
numbers where you can be reached, and put a date on the card so
that people know it's active. (Ask the club steward about where
to post the card, and whether it's OK).

(2) Go hang out on the dock on whatever evening the local fleet
races,  and ask  around if  anyone knows  of someone  who needs
crew. Come dressed for the  occasion; bring a foul-weather suit
if it's windy, and wear tennis shoes or boat shoes. Have a hat.
If you bring other stuff (sweater,  dry set of clothes) pack it
in a  small athletic  bag or knapsack.  Show up  an hour before
race  time  and  let  various people  know  you  are  there and
available.  The  club  steward, the  launch  boy/girl,  and the
dockmaster are all good choices.

(3) Make  it clear  that you  are serious--if  the skipper says
``can you  be there an  hour before  the race to  help pack the
'chute?'', say ``Yes.'' Volunteer to  help out with Spring work
on the  boat. If you  have to  miss a race  on a  boat on which
you've been racing  regularly, let the skipper  know at least 3
days in advance. Let  people know that you  are willing to come
out  every single  week  to race.  If  not, word  that  you are
unreliable will get around.

(4)  Listen  and  learn.  Don't  go  aboard  expecting  to tell
everyone everything  you know.  If it  turns out  that you know
more than they  do, keep quiet about  it. Your quiet competence
will eventually show through.


3.3 Is the MacGregor 26 a good boat?

The MacGregor  26 has a  very low price  for a lot  of boat. It
also has a  number of flaws.  The equipment is  not as tough as
that on many other boats of comparable size, and the fiberglass
construction is not as substantial  either. If you are planning
to do lake sailing  on lakes of modest  size, perhaps it is the
boat for  you. If  you are  planning on  going into  the ocean,
perhaps it is not.  The Mac26 is quite  large for a trailerable
boat,  which  is  one  of its  big  advantages.  it  uses water
ballast, in part. It is more stable, even intially stable, with
its tanks full than with them empty. See below.

If you  are considering  a Mac26, you  should also  look at the
Catalina  22.  Compare  the  solidity  of  the  structures, the
hardware, the  rigging, and also  compare the  resale values of
similar boats in your area.

Greg  Fox  has kindly  written  a short  dissertation  on water
ballast, which summarizes the wisdom  of the net on the subject
(including at least one  practicing naval architect). It really
*is* correct, and you should read it carefully before you start
disagreeing. Here it is:


3.3.1 Does water ballast work?

Yes, but not nearly as well  as a more dense ballast like lead.
We are talking here  about a fixed tank  of water placed as low
in the boat as possible and completely filled. An air bubble in
the tank means  that the some of  the water is  free to move to
the low side and  in this case stability  can actually be worse
than if  the tank  were left  empty. If  it is  kept empty, the
entire boat will float too high, reducing stability. So if your
boat has a ballast tank,  keep it *completely* filled while you
are afloat. To answer the question  in more detail, it needs to
be broken  down into  two questions,  one comparing  water with
lead ballast and another comparing water with no ballast.


How does a  water-ballasted boat compare  with a lead-ballasted
boat of  the same length,  beam, draft,  freeboard and interior
headroom, and the same weight of ballast?

Water  ballast is  much lighter  for trailering,  as it  can be
drained. A water tank is cheaper  than the same weight of solid
lead. These benefits are purchased at a cost however.

The water-ballasted boat will  have less static stability, This
is because the less dense ballast cannot be concentrated as low
in the boat. The water-ballasted boat therefore cannot carry as
much sail  as the  lead-ballasted boat,  but will  have similar
resistance to  motion. This  means decreased  speed. Also, this
ballast  occupying  relatively  high  areas  of  the  boat will
require a  deeper shaped  hull for  the same  interior headroom
which leads  to a shorter  (vertically) fin  or centerboard for
the   same  total  draft.  This   adds  up  to  worse  windward
performance.  These  are  the  costs  of  the  more  convenient
trailering and lower expense.


How  does a  water-ballasted boat  compare with  an unballasted
boat of the  same length, beam,  draft, freeboard, and interior
headroom?

If  designed  to  do  so,  water  ballast  could  make  a  boat
uncapsizable.  At least,  it will  increase the  capsize angle.
Water ballast also  adds mass and therefore  easier motion in a
sea and  better way-carrying in  a lull  or a tack.  It will do
this for little increased expense and trailering weight.

Basically,   the   advantages  are   bought  at   the  cost  of
performance.  A water-ballasted  boat can  carry little  if any
more  sail than  an unballasted  boat. This  is because  it has
little if any more stability  at small angles of heel. However,
for the same length, headroom, freeboard, etc. it must displace
a greater  amount of  water equal to  the tank  of ballast. The
same length, combined with  greater displacement and no greater
sail-carrying  ability  means  less  speed.  Compared  with  an
unballasted    boat   even   more   than   compared   with  the
lead-ballasted boat, the hull must be deeper, which again means
less   of  the   draft  constraint  can   be  allowed  for  the
centerboard. This  means poorer windward  performance. Also the
draft with centerboard up must  be greater than the unballasted
case. The better carrying  of way and easier  motion are at the
cost  of  slower  acceleration in  puffs  or  after  tacks. The
increased mass is a double-edged sword.

Why does it add little if any more stability at small angles of
heel?  Remember  we  are comparing  a  water-ballasted  with an
unballasted boat of the same length, freeboard, cabin headroom,
etc. The increased weight of water  must be put in an increased
underwater volume of the hull  located as low as possible. This
added  volume  of water  underneath  what could  have  been the
bottom of the  unballasted boat has  no net gravitational force
under static conditions as long  as it is completely submerged.
That is, neglecting the additional weight of the tank and added
hull material, the increased weight  is exactly balanced by the
buoyancy of the  increased volume to hold  it. It therefore can
have no effect on either heeling or righting moment if the tank
is full  of water of  the same density  as that in  which it is
submerged. Another  way to  think of it  is that  the center of
buoyancy is lowered by exactly the same amount as the center of
gravity.

Then how does it increase the capsize angle? At large angles of
heel more or less of the  water tank rises above the waterline.
Now  the relationship  between the  center  of gravity  and the
inclined  center of  buoyancy becomes  more favorable  than the
unballasted case. All of  the weight of the  water is no longer
balanced by its buoyancy.

Summary

Could you make a SHORT summary of all this?

Yes. Just consider a water-ballasted  boat to be an unballasted
boat but  with improved capsize  angle and all  the plusses and
minuses of added weight while  afloat but not while trailering.
There is a cost in performance. (gf)


3.4 What's a good first sailboat?

The Sunfish and boats like it---very simple, easy to rig and to
move around---make great learning boats  for one or two people,
but not for  a family. The  Laser is a  tougher first boat, but
there's likely to be a racing  fleet nearby, and you can get an
old one that's still plenty strong for very little money.

My own belief is that a somewhat tired old boat is a good first
one. It will teach you something about maintenance, and it will
let  you take  some  risks as  you're  learning---scratching an
already-scratched hull is far  more tolerable than scratching a
brand-new one.

In general,  a boat  that can be  trailered and  handled by one
person is  probably best;  you'll sail  lots more  if you don't
have to get a friend to help out.

Sailing clubs can be a great way to learn.


3.5 How do those rating systems and all that stuff work?

[ Contributed by Roy Smith ]

PHRF  (pronounced  ``perf'')  is  Performance  Handicap  Racing
Fleet.  Unlike  other  rating  systems  (IOR,  IMS,  etc), PHRF
ratings are not assigned based on some sort of measurement, but
rather on past performance of  similar boats. If you are racing
in a club  race or a  local weekday evening  or weekend series,
where different  kinds of  boats race  against each  other, the
odds are that PHRF is the  rating system you're using. In PHRF,
boats are assigned ratings in  seconds per mile. Your rating is
the number of  seconds per mile your  boat is supposedly slower
than  a theoretical  boat  which rates  0.  Most boats  you are
likely to sail  on rate somewhere  in the range  of about 50 to
250. All ratings are multiples of 3 seconds/mile (i.e. the next
faster  rating than  171 is  168). I  think this  is done  as a
recognition that the rating  process just isn't accurate enough
to justify rating boats to 1 second/mile resolution.

Typically, a certain type of boat is given a stock rating based
on past  experience. Just  to make  it a  bit more interesting,
ratings vary  somewhat depending  on location;  each YRA (Yacht
Racing Association)  can assign  its own  rating to  a class of
boat depending on  their local experiences  and conditions. For
example, Western Long  Island Sound, under  the jurisdiction of
YRA of LIS,  is famous for  light wind, which  tends to give an
advantage to certain types of boats,  and YRA of LIS takes that
into account when assigning ratings.

On top of  your regional stock  rating, there are  a variety of
standard  rating  adjustments  depending on  how  your  boat is
rigged. The  standard PHRF  rules allow you  to have  a 153 but
take a rating  penalty for it.  Likewise, you can  chose to not
carry that  big a  sail and  get a  rating advantage.  Having a
non-standard keel, extra tall or  short mast, a fixed prop (the
stock ratings assume a folding  or feathering prop), extra long
or short  spinnaker pole,  etc, all  result in  rating changes.
Some  boats have  several  stock ratings  for  different common
variations. For example, there  are 4 configurations of J/29's;
masthead or fractional rig and inboard or outboard.

Once you've  got your basic  rating, adjusted  for location and
customizations you may have done,  you still have the option of
petitioning for a rating change  based on whatever evidence you
might care to present to prove that your rating is too fast (or
the other guy's  is too slow),  an area that  quickly gets into
politics  and  boat lawyers.  There  are two  flavors  of PHRF,
Time-on-Distance (TOD) and Time- on-Time (TOT). TOD is the more
traditional and easier to understand,  so let's start there. In
TOD, you get a handicap equal  to the length of the race course
in nautical  miles multiplied  by your  rating in seconds/mile.
Thus, for a 6 mile race, a  boat that rates 120 would get a 720
second handicap,  i.e. her corrected  finish time  would be 720
seconds less  than her actual  time to complete  the race. What
people tend to do is think not so much about the actual rating,
but rating differences, i.e. if you  rate 120 and the other guy
rates 111,  he owes  you 9 seconds  per mile,  so for  a 6 mile
race, as long as  he finishes less than  54 seconds in front of
you, you will correct over him and win.

The other  flavor of PHRF  is Time-on-Time (TOT).  In TOT, it's
not the length of the race course that matters, it's the amount
of time the  race takes. To  do TOT, first  you have to convert
your normal rating, R, in seconds  per mile to a factor, F. The
formula to convert R to F  varies from place to place, but it's
typically something like  F = 600  / (480 +  R). Actually, it's
really something like F = 600 / ((600 - Rav) + R), where Rav is
the average rating of  all the boats in  the fleet. Locally, we
use an Rav of  120 which gives the formula  with the 480 in the
denominator. For reasonable values of R,  you get an F which is
a number close to 1. For example, a J/24 rating 171 has an F of
0.9217, while  a Newport-41  rating 108 has  an F  of 1.020. To
score  the race,  you take  each  boat's finish  time, subtract
their start time  (giving their raw  elapsed time) and multiply
by  their F,  giving their  Corrected  Elapsed Time  (CET). The
theory behind TOT is that in a slow race (i.e. light wind), the
boats tend to spread out but since the amount of time each boat
owes the others is  fixed by the length  of the race course (in
TOD), slow  (i.e. light  wind) races  tend to  favor the faster
boats.

On of  the problems  with TOT is  that there  is no universally
accepted  formula  for converting  R  to  F. With  the  sort of
formula used above, you can argue about what should be used for
Rav. What we  do locally is  use one Rav  for the entire fleet,
which is 8 divisions with ratings  ranging from 36 to about 250
or so. Some  people think we  should calculate an  Rav for each
division, for example.  Some people think TOT  is a total crock
and want to go back to TOD.

Contributed by Stephen Bailey (sb) ]

Sailboats racing  under a  ``handicap system''  have a function
applied to their elapsed  time, producing a ``corrected time,''
and the  boats place  in corrected  time order.  This function,
which differs among systems, attempts to fairly represent speed
differences among boats.

There are two  major handicapping philosophies: ``measurement''
rules which  handicap based  upon measurements,  and ``rating''
rules which handicap based upon observed performance.

The International Offshore Rule (IOR) is a measurement rule for
racing boats. The IOR evolved from the Cruising Club of America
(CCA) rule for racer/cruisers.

The  IOR concentrates  on hull  shape  with length,  beam, free
board  and  girth  measurements,  foretriangle,  mast  and boom
measurements, and stability with an inclination test.

The  IOR also  identifies features  which  are dangerous  or it
can't fairly rate, and penalizes or prohibits them.

The measurements and penalties are used to compute the handicap
number which  is an  ``IOR length'' in  feet. A  typical IOR 40
footer (a ``one tonner'') has rating of 30.55 feet.

In a  handicapped race,  the IOR  length is  used to  compute a
``time allowance,'' in seconds per nautical mile (s/M) which is
multiplied by the distance of the race, and subtracted from the
boat's  actual  time,  to compute  the  boat's  corrected time.
Longer IOR length gives a smaller time allowance.

The IOR is also used to define ``level classes,'' where no time
correction is  used. Every  boat in a  class has  an IOR number
less than some number. The Ton Classes, (Mini Ton, 1/4 Ton, 1/2
Ton, 3/4 Ton, 1  Ton, and Two Ton),  as well as 50-footer, ULDB
70 and Maxi classes are examples.

To account for improvements in  design and materials, boats are
given an ``old age allowance'' which decreases their IOR length
as time passes.  In spite of  the old age  allowance, about 3/4
s/M/year on 40 footer, boats over several years old are usually
not competitive, which is why IOR handicap racing is dead.

Peculiarities   of  IOR  designs  result  from  features  which
increase actual performance more than they increase IOR length,
or  other  odd  rules; IOR  hulls  bulge  at  girth measurement
points; a reverse transom moves  a girth measurement point to a
thicker part  of the hull;  waterline length  is measured while
floating  upright,  so  large overhangs  are  used  to increase
waterline sailing at speed;  the stability factor ignores crew,
so IOR  designers assume lots  of live ballast;  after the 1979
Fastnet race  excessive tenderness  was penalized;  full length
battens were  prohibited to prevent  main sail  roach area, but
short battens  became strong enough  that the IOR  had to start
measuring and penalizing extra main  sail girth; main sail area
adds  less IOR  length  than jib  area,  so new  IOR  boats are
fractionally rigged;  The IOR  encourages high  free board, and
high booms and prohibits keels wider  at the bottom than at the
top (bulbs).

The Midget  Offshore Racing Club  Rule (MORC)  is a measurement
rule for racing boats no longer  than 30 feet. The MORC rule is
similar to the IOR. It  computes a handicap length from various
measurements, which is used to  define level classes and derive
time allowances.

MORC seems to work  better than IOR because  the range of boats
it attempts to handicap is not as large, and it is more quickly
modified when  problems arise.  For example,  the MORC recently
adjusted their  old age allowance  to permit older  boats to be
competitive.

The  International Measurement  System  (IMS) is  a measurement
system intended  for racer/cruisers.  The IOR  was not  fair to
racer/cruisers, so  the Measurement  Handicap System  (MHS) was
invented, in 1981, and accepted  internationally, as the IMS in
1985.

With a diverse collection of boats, relative performance varies
not  just with  design,  but also  with  race conditions.  A 33
footer can beat a 40 footer upwind in moderate wind, but the 40
footer will probably come  out ahead in heavier  winds, or on a
reach.

The IMS  uses a  Velocity Prediction  Program (VPP)  to predict
speed on different points of  sail in different wind strengths.
From the  predictions, and the  distance, course  type and wind
strength of a race, a time  allowance is computed for each boat
and subtracted from  the boat's elapsed  time to give corrected
time.

IMS  rule  designers  believe the  key  to  fairly handicapping
diverse hull shapes  is measuring a large  number of points all
over the hull  and appendages, measuring  sail area accurately,
and using an inclination  test (which is the  same as the IOR).
The VPP uses these measurements to account for heeling, crew on
the rail, the immersed shape, and other factors.

The IMS  VPP doesn't  yet account  for dynamic  drag of  a boat
pitching in  waves, nor  for appendage  shapes which  result in
reduced   drag.  Some  parameters  are  based  upon  incomplete
experimental evidence. For example,  the VPP predicts a greater
benefit from full battens than is realized in practice.

IMS defines a ``General Purpose  Rating,'' which is a predicted
time per mile around a particular  course, in 10 knots of wind.
A typical IMS 40 footer has a GPR around 595 s/M.

The Performance Handicap  Rating Factor (PHRF)  is a subjective
rating  rule. PHRF  was  developed to  handicap  monohulls that
didn't fit under  the rubric of other  handicap systems. It has
since become  the most popular  handicapping system  in the US,
being almost universally used in club racing.

PHRF assigns a  boat a rating,  in s/M, which  is multiplied by
the length of the course and subtracted from the boat's elapsed
time to give corrected time.

Ratings  are  assigned  by  a  committee  of  the  local racing
authority, formed from representatives of the member clubs. The
initial  rating  for  a  boat  is  based  upon  any information
available, such as  the boat's rating  in another area, ratings
under other  handicap systems,  information from  the designer,
ratings of similar boats, and  a set of standard adjustments to
basic ratings  (e.g. fixed prop,  extra large  sails, etc.) All
ratings  are multiples  of  3 s/M.  For  example, a  J/24 rates
around 171 s/M, and a J/35 around 69 s/M in many areas.

Since ratings are assigned  and administrated locally, they may
account for local conditions. A  good heavy air boat would rate
faster in San Francisco Bay, than in Long Island Sound.

A member may appeal a rating, presenting evidence, such as race
results,  which  supports  the  appeal.  The  local committee's
decision may  be appealed to  a committee  of PHRF handicappers
from all over the country.

Although  PHRF is  subjective, it  still  attempts to  rate the
boat, in racing trim, with a  perfect crew. Just because a boat
never wins,  or always wins  doesn't mean its  rating should or
shouldn't be adjusted.

Using  this  system,  the  slower  the  race,  the  smaller the
percentage by which a  faster boat must beat  a slower boat. To
correct this, some PHRF races  are handicapped by multiplying a
boat with  rating R's elapsed  time by (C  / ((C -  Rav) + R)),
where Rav is  the fleet's average  rating, and C  is a constant
around  600-700,  to  compute corrected  time.  This  system is
called ``time on  time'', the previous,  more common, system is
``time on distance.''

The two systems  only differ substantially  when ratings span a
large range (> 30 s/M), or races  are long (in time). It is not
clear which system is ultimately fairer.

The Portsmouth Yardstick  (PY) is a  statistically based rating
rule. The  PY was  developed by  the Dixie  Inland Yacht Racing
Association to  handicap any boat,  including multihulls, which
are   excluded  from  all  the  previously  described  handicap
systems, based on performance in races.

The PY begins with a boat which is well sailed, and ubiquitous,
called  the  ``Primary  Yardstick.'' This  boat  is  assigned a
Portsmouth Number  (PN), which  is the  time the  boat takes to
travel  a  fixed,  but unspecified  distance.  In  the  US, the
Thistle the primary yardstick, and its PN is 83.

Elapsed times are collected for races. The fastest boat of each
type in a  race is assumed  to have sailed  a perfect race. The
ratios  of the  fastest boat's  time  to the  fastest yardstick
boat's time, normalized by the yardstick boat's PN are averaged
over   all  races  to   compute  that  boat's  PN.  Statistical
techniques are  used to discard  outlying data  points. A class
with a large quantity  of data, and no  recent change in PN may
become a ``Secondary  Yardstick,'' used in  the same fashion as
the  Primary  Yardstick. The  Laser  and J/24  are  examples of
Secondary Yardsticks.

The  usual  way  to  handicap  with  Portsmouth  numbers  is to
multiply elapsed  time by  100/(PN) to  compute corrected time.
This is a ``time on time'' system (see PHRF).

In addition, PY has begun to compute numbers for different wind
strengths. The  Primary Yardstick is  defined to  have the same
number for all  wind strengths. Using  these numbers, clubs can
more fairly handicap races in various wind strengths.

Since  the PY  data  are not  broken  down by  course  type, it
assumed  that  boats racing  under  the PY  are  racing courses
similar to an Olympic, triangle or Gold Cup course.

Below  are  formulas for  converting  among  different system's
ratings. Accuracy of these conversions may vary.

PN = PHRF/6 + 55 PHRF = GPR - 550 PHRF = 2160/sqrt(IOR) - 198

Since we  know that the  IMS GPR is  the time taken  to cover a
mile (of  a particular  course), in  10 knots  of wind,  we can
estimate a boat's speed over this course given its PHRF rating:

v = 3600 / (PHRF + 550)

So, a J/24's (171  s/M) speed is 4.99  knots, a J/35's (69 s/m)
is 5.81 knots. The J/35 is 16 of 3 s/m represents around a 0.4

Using  the IOR  conversion,  a one  tonner  might rate  72 s/M,
whereas they are actually much  faster than that, rating around
54 s/M PHRF.  This illustrates the  ``advantage'' designers can
take of the IOR.


3.6 Who/What is US Sailing, how do I join, should I join?

United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), formerly USYRU,
is the governing body for sailboat  racing in the US. Its goals
are to  govern, promote, and  represent sailboat  racing and to
promote  the  sport  of  sailing.  Activities  include  sailing
courses; certification  of instructors,  race officers, judges,
etc; holding  of various national  championships; management of
the olympic sailing  team; and updating  and publication of the
International  Yacht  Racing  Rules  every  four  years.  Basic
membership  is  35/year,  but  various  discount  programs  are
available through many  yacht clubs. All  active racing sailors
should  be  members  of US  Sailing.  (sc)  The  directory they
provide has the  addresses of every racing  class known to man.