TOPIC:

Do any clubs that have a fleet of Albacores that sail on inland waters use the RYA local PY system or their handicap races?
If so could you post what your local PY number is.
We are the only Albacore and our local PY has been calculated at 1006 and we just wanted to have an idea of other local PYs for the Albacore, when sailed in a fleet.

Thanks in advance
Eric H
ALB 8065

We have a fleet of albacores at Maidenhead SC so usually class race. We also do regular pursuit races and also handicap racing once a month. The current PY for the albacore is I believe 1046. Some clubs have their own systems and some even calculate personal handicaps based on your results. I would suggest that 1006 is somewhat low. What handicap to they use for a Solo or a Laser?

Albacore Andy
7525 'Blue Jay'

AlbacoreAndy wrote:

We have a fleet of albacores at Maidenhead SC so usually class race. We also do regular pursuit races and also handicap racing once a month. The current PY for the albacore is I believe 1046. Some clubs have their own systems and some even calculate personal handicaps based on your results. I would suggest that 1006 is somewhat low. What handicap to they use for a Solo or a Laser?

Albacore Andy
7525 'Blue Jay'

Andy, Maidenhead Albacores have been sailing off 1038 (not 1046) for the last year. No change in local PY this year.
Eric - 1006 sounds very harsh and tricky to justify if there is only 1 Alb.
If the club is using the PYS system, the confidence rating on 1006 cant be very high.

This may help:
www.pyonline.org.uk/map-classes.php
caution though, the Maidenhead Number quoted (1029) is not what we use (1038)

Weston seem to have it tough on 996, but Burghfield are at the other end on 1101.

After sailing on the RYA listed handicap for many years and our sailing sec uploading the results, the club has started using the RYA suggested PYs this year.
The Albacore is the fastest boat (on PY) sailed at the club but not only is the Albacore brought back from 1045 last year to 1059 this year but the YW DayBoat (our nemesis) has gone from 1200 to about 1185 so we have gained 2 minutes on them in the club pursuits!

At South Cerney, Albacores (both of us) use the PY number of 1043.
The RYA number this year is 1041.
I think that 1006 seems excessively unfair, in my opinion.

When I bought my boat, back in 2000, the PY number was 1068 and the laser was 1078.
Now we are at 1041 and the Laser is now at 1095, somewhat a bandit, especially in the right hands.

Do a Google search for "Great Lakes Handicaps" and you'll find what is probably the best handicapping system out there currently. It details methodology as well as numbers and is widely used for some of the Country's biggest events. I think it lists the Albacore at 1055, which in my experience would be about right.

Personal handicapping should be kept completely separate from boat handicapping!

Just had a look at the Great Lakes Handicap system.
They've put the Laser up to 1115!!
Seems like a good system though.