The Newport to Ensenada Race is upon us later this month, and as part of attracting more competitors, they offer a shorter 88-mile Newport, around the North Coronado Island, and finish back in San Diego. I entered the Anarchy 6 in that course as it avoids the hassle of going to Mexico and the logistics involved.
As I was looking at the entries, I noticed that the race in PHRF was being scored using OWC (downwind) ratings, as opposed to Random Leg ratings. The problem with this is that in order for OWC ratings to be applied at least 2/3’s of the racecourse has to be sailed with the wind 135 degrees or further aft.
Anybody who has ever sailed those waters knows there is almost no way that course conforms to the OWC definition. In my usual “what the fuck are you doing?” approach, I was of course met with near-universal dismissal from NOSA, the race organizers. They have mostly never liked me – like I care – and I heard responses like “we will consider it for next year”. Of course, that was totally unacceptable to me, and I kept firing away.
Not everyone over there is an idiot, and I am happy to report that they have indeed changed the ratings to RL, which is a considerably more accurate way to score the race.
Way to go, NOSA!
