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Handicaps

I suggest you look at the number of 'returns' or sample results contributing to the handicap before making a judgement.

A discussion arose at my sailing club over the difference in PY versus GL for the Laser Full Rig, as it then was; before the sail was changed to a radial cut and carbonm masts were introduced. Then the PY returns numbered circa 15,000 versus GL cieca 150.

The GL at the time was much slower, advantageous, in a handicap race.

The club chose to use GL because: we are an inland lake, and GL numbers are primarily derived from winter series lake sailing.

Whereas the PY results include retrurns from coastal sea & estuary clubs as well as a greater number of inland lake clubs.

It can be argued that the PY returns cover a much broader range of sailing abilitiy than the GL. For a number of classes, and not least the Laser, I suspect this is the case.

20/10/2025 11:55:00
Jonathan Rickels
Posts: 120

The GL 9 rig (8.9m) is more technically accurate when you compare rig sizes to other classes that have a similar square meter size.

solo 8.32
Solution 8.5
rooster 8.1
it is only the weight that would suggest the big difference on the Portsmouth numbers which rarely works in real life

15/10/2025 19:46:00
Mark1654
Posts: 24

Do we think the Great lakes handicaps better reflect the ralative performance of our 4 rigs than the PY?
http://greatlakes.org.uk/The-Data.php

Class Name

RYA / Class Handicap

RYA / Class 2024->25

Great Lakes Handicap

Difference to RYA / Class

Great Lakes 2024->25

RS Aero 5	1139	-2	1145	6
RS Aero 6	1099	-3	1105	6
RS Aero 7	1063	2	1068	5
RS Aero 9	1005	-3	1024	19

Note the big difference in the relative number for the 9 rig.

15/10/2025 15:47:00
gk.griffiths
Posts: 186

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