I received this in the mail from PHRF Dago, one that went out to all members. Credit must be given to them for waking up and wiping the dust out of their eyes. This is of course a regional deal and may not have broad appeal, but there is little doubt that PHRF here needs to make some fairly significant changes to what they are doing, because it is slowly dying…
We are looking to the membership for your thoughts. Please read all the way through before answering the questions below and please make additional comments if you choose.
For many years PHRF SD has conducted a year long championship series often called the High Point. A series of distance races and a series buoy races are chosen and classes are set and awards have been given in each class to the top three boats in distance, buoy, and overall.
In more recent years participation has fallen off. In 2017 only 17 boats sailed enough races to qualify in any category. As of this writing there are 189 boats with PHRF SD certificates. 17/189 is less
than 9%.
2018 we have set different class breaks and used the same list of races for spinnaker classes that we have used for many years and we have set up a different set of classes and races for non spinnaker boats. So far in spinnaker classes this year only 2 boats are qualified in Class 1 with only 2 distance races not yet sailed and only 9 boats are qualified in Classes 2 – 5 with only 2 distance
races not yet sailed and only 3 buoy races not yet sailed. Non spinnaker classes are not yet scored.
So with not too many races remaining only 11 boats are qualified towards any awards this year. 11/189 is less than 6%.
It would appear that PHRF SD is spending a fair amount of volunteer time and membership money on a championship series that is not drawing a fair amount of participation.
Some clubs have expressed opinions that PHRF SD setting class breaks makes it difficult to round out a race with participation since often only one or two boats sign up in a particular class but if the clubs could set the classes for each race participation could be more evenly distributed among participants. There is a way to score a long series by using percentage scoring instead of raw number scoring that would allow boats in different classes to be scored after several races against each other.
PHRF SD is proposing a new series of races: 3 inshore regattas and 3 offshore races requiring a boat to qualify by sailing in at least 2 inshore regattas or 2 offshore races. If boats sail in more than 2 inshore regattas or 2 offshore races then only the best 2 would be scored in each category. Offshore races now being considered: Cabrillo I, Dennis Conner Around the Coronados, Mission Bay to Oceanside, Oceanside to San Diego, and Little Ensenada. Inshore regattas being considered: Midwinters, Gerry Brown, and Arden. PHRF SD proposes to let the clubs running the races/regattas set the class breaks.
Percentage scoring takes the high point score of each boat and divides it by the number of boats in the race to get a ratio. First place in a 10 boat race would score 10/10. 1st place in a 5 boat race would score 5/5. The series would be scored by adding these ratios. So if a boat had a score looking like third of 5 + fourth of 7 + first of 3 that would equal 3/5 + 4/7 + 1/3 = 8/15 and the score would be 53.3%.
It is further proposed that if this championship series is chosen awards would be given to the top 5 boats in offshore races, inshore regattas, and overall regardless of classes that the boat actually
raced in.
Should we continue to have a year long championship series?
If yes, should there be more or less races?
If yes, should PHRF SD set the class breaks or allow the clubs that
run the races to set the class breaks for each
race?
Additional Comments:
