Piet Vroon has traded up his Ker-designed Tonnerres with the purchase of the former Varuna (left), a newer Ker 51 that replaces Vroon’s previous extremely successful Ker 46. The boat may have changed but not the results… with Vroon’s well-practised team winning both the IRC and HPR divisions at Key West 2015
proper condition, determined by appointed handicappers observ- ing results from the past and present… so the boats in action. It is not the principle of ‘guesstimating’ performance by keen individuals that is the real worry here, as the system indeed aims to serve the local racing of multi-functional boats. The real worry, if not the nightmare, is that somehow PHRF managed to divide itself into about 72 (sic) US fleets. Plus a few outside the US… Each claiming to be an independent handicapping authority with its own assessment staff and procedures. Consequently the same boat rates differently depending upon location. On top of this PHRF also works like golf handicapping, with the handicap adjusted after each race, or each regatta, based on the race performance. US Sailing is blamed for this, as it allowed this development to take place. It has not sunk in yet that if you’re up a dead-end street you may try to turn yourself around instead of blaming the authorities for not supplying an exit. The PHRF system is in addition so subjective and political that the competition is often fiercer on the shore than on the water. It drives the organisers of popular events mad.
Like Block Island Race Week, which attracts boats from several of these fleets. Somehow the PHRF ratings are ‘streamlined’ by issuing Guest Certificates to PHRF participants from fleets other than the Yacht Racing Association of Long Island Sound. It is a pity that it would take up far too much space to explain this process in detail… (but you can amaze yourself:
yralis.org/news/guest-phrf-certificates-birw-and-alir-2). On the positive side (there always is one) you have to admire the efforts by US Sailing to bring some unity to rating boats the PHRF way. The PHRF Support Service is a credible effort. As long as its use is restricted to local sailing and local events. Meanwhile, the Sailing Yacht Research Foundation (SYRF) is another glimmer of hope that all is not lost for offshore sailing. I just hope that all the SYRF’s evident energy, intelligence and love for our sport does not lead to further fragmentation; surely it is time for action and some clear choices – research is not much use without translating it into a product?
I guess we have to accept that there will always be many rating rules at the local level. Local authorities will not co-operate towards reducing the number of rating rules, let alone come down to a decent number like three or four rules for three or four levels of competition, from local to international. ISAF will never be strong enough to enforce uniformity. Even if keen to do so. Nor will any other authority.
Should we care? Not really where it concerns local racing. But we should care where it concerns facilitating and encouraging international competition.
To that purpose we should not just make, but also enforce, a clearer distinction between international and non-international events, whether national, regional or local. Boat owners, events and authorities should work together to set and maintain a list of international events and ensure that an event is only labelled as international if it has starts for ISAF-recognised international rating rules – and all competitors other than those from the host country shall enter these starts.
ISAF already uses the term principal events, but as yet it has no clear definition for what these are. Of course on this list should be the ISAF-recognised world and continental championships, but also all events labelled International Race Week and all offshore races labelled international. Events labelling themselves as international shall have an International Race Officer and Inter- national Jury. Further, the IRO and IJ members shall only accept the invitation if the event is truly international, in this case if all foreign flagged entries race in ISAF-recognised rating rule starts. You may feel that popular events simply will not bother about the international label, but that is where the boat owners have a task. In the end it is the owners who will always decide which events are popular, nobody else.
SEAHORSE 23
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