Handicap (sailing)

Handicaps for sailing vessels in sailing races have varied throughout history, and they also vary by country, and by sailing organisation. Sailing handicap standards exist internationally, nationally, and within individual sailing clubs.

Typically sailing vessel classes are defined by measurement rules, which categorise vessels accordingly in to classes of vessels, and vessels compete within their class. Handicapping allows vessels to compete across classes, and also allows vessels and crews to compete based on performance and equipment on an equal basis, by adjusting the race outcome data, to declare a handicap (adjusted) winner as distinct from a line honours (first over the finish line) winner.

For some national, international, and other yacht racing events, rules such as those of the International Racing Certificate known as the IRC or the IRC sports boat rule SBR may be specified. Others exist in different countries.

Other handicap systems of a simplified measurement type are designed to allow very different yachts of diverse designs to compete on an equal basis. This is particularly so for trailer sailers that may race in trailer sailer fleets or in mixed fleets. For example, Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF), Class Based Handicap (CBH), and Yardstick which is based more on previous individual performances rather than vessel design characteristics.

Class Based Handicap (CBH) measurement system is used, for example, for trailer sailers, such as in Australia and also in NZ

In Australia, the CBH system is a nationally governed handicap designed to assess the potential speed of the boat. It does not ake int oaccount the experience of the crew. Vessels are given a rating number based on a set of measurements. It represents a very well sailed boat kept in top racing condition, that is the boat at minimum weight, good sails, fair hull.

Rather than a vessel measurement rule, Yardstick as in Portsmouth Yardstick is used in the UK is a way of rating different classes of trailer yachts relative to each other. These are adjusted annually at a state or regional level. At a club level, starting from a CBH or Yardstick rating a Performance Based Handicap or PBH may be used, such as PBH. This attempts to measure the relative performance of a particular yacht and crew against other yachts and crews either of the same type of other type. Clubs will often run an event or season championship based only upon a CBH rating together with a handicap winner based upon a regularly adjusted PBH figure for each yacht and crew. In theory the PBH which is adjusted after each race gives each boat an equal chance of winning each race.

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