The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23
HANDICAP YACHT RACING.
CLASS PROVES SUCCESSFUL IN
FIRST YEAR.
q. y. Granbery Explains the System ny
which Every Boat Has q Ghsnce 70 Win
Close Race the Ruie In Seasons
sport RECORD OF the Contests In 1909.

Isl - FaAhDrTy EAptaAthn ~ 80 ny
which Every Boat Has q Chance 70 Win
Close Races the Ruie In seasOn'ss
sport-RecOrd OF the Contests In 1909.
Early in the present year a number OF
yachtsmen who owned yachts not quite
fast enough to race in the regular classes
or that have beer legislated out of racing
through the changing Of the measurement
rules met to arrange a handicap class which
was to be raced during the summer. They
had several meetings and finally agreed
on what would be a fair system Of handi-
Gaping, and after appointing officers
agreed to try the rule out for one season.
The idea became popular, and during the
season t~wenty-one yachts took part In the
races, in two divisions. In these two divt-
sions forty-nine races were sailed. In the
first division there were twenty-six races,
and in the second twenty-three races.
The number OF starters was: First division,
seventy-seven; second division. ninety
nine, making a total Of 178. These figures
in a measure show how popular the
handicap racing became. ,
One of the prime movers in this style OF
racing was q. p. Granbery, owner OF the
Rube, and in this months Fore and All
| Mr.. CRANBERRY has written an article on
handicap racing. Mr.. CRANBERRY after
telling why a handicap class was necessary
and what led to its formation says:
"The scheme involved was to provide
racing on some equitable basis for boats
which under the existing measurement
rule shad little chance of winning In the
re OCULAR classes. The most essential feature
of the plan was TO devise a system of handi-
Gaping whereby each boat in the class
would at some time during the season have
an opportunity to win. Tn results of the
years racing show that the system adopted
met this requirement.
"The size of the boats and their sail area
were not taken into consideration. but the
boats were rated on a basis OF actual speed,
which was figured from the records OF their
past performances. They were compared
accordingly, one being scratch boat. allow
ing the other boats various percentages Of
the fastest elapsed time made in the race.
Thus, il the fastest elapsed time was ? hours.
O 100 minutes, a boat with a 3 per cent.
allowance would receive 3 minutes 80 SEQ
onds, and a boat with a 5 per cent. allowance
would get 4 minutes. After the first race
on this basis its results were taken into
consideration together with all the data
already used, from which the time al
lowance for the second races was deter
I in nj. This procedure was continued
until "a boat had competed in five races,
when all previous races except these five
were discarded, and FRI n then on the Oldest
race eliminated as each new one was added
TO the boats record.
A boat finishing in any race closer up
than she had heretofore done would have
her allowance slightly reduced for the next
race, while one finishing further behind
would sail the next race with a slightly
increased allowance. To discourage inten-
tional holding back when apparently de
feated for the purpose of securing a large
increase of handicap for the next race no
time exceeding IL per cent. OF the fastest
elapsed time was taken into consideration
in figuring handicaps. In order to group
the yachts 40 there would not DO too great
disparity in speed. destroying keenness Of
competition, a limit of 10 per cent. allow
ance was made for each division.
NO race in which the fastest time aver
aged less than three miles an hour was
considered in computing handicaps, thus
eliminating drifting matches and fiukes,
which certainly are not fair tests OF speed.
The effect Of the system Is To gradually
bring the boats closer together on corrected
time, ga one race succeeds another, and
any boat il raced consistently VIII neces-
saTily obtain an allow anCe which will en-
able her 10 win. If a boat wins several
times c1nsecutively she will have to allow
the others more time each succeeding
raoe\thus giving all a chance during the
season.
while under most rules of time allow
ance il is possible TO foreteil the winning
boat before the race, according to the
weather conditions, under this system, in
either light or heavy winds, the result Is
alw avs an uncertainty. The system Of q
dicapping, while comparatively simple in
principle, involves considerable labor and
accuracy in figures on the part OF the Of
fcal Handicapped that the boats may be
fairly treated. Like all other rules, the
rules of his class are not perfection, and
after this seasons trial they may be some
what improved, though it. IL already
evident that in the n of computing
time allowance they are admittedly supe-
rior 10 the standard table generally used.
The advantage of this method consists
of self-adjustment 70 Weather conditions
the allowance ~iuctuating in ratio to the
elapsed time, giving a boat more time in
light than In heavy winds, although the
percentage remains unchanged: IL will
he seen by consulting the record that the
victories were we'll distributed and that
nearly every boat that competed In two or
more races won at least n prize.
PfRgT DIVISION.