Worldwide most sail racers do so in handicap races.
Setting of handicaps (PNs, TCFs, etc) is always an issue and bar conversation subject.
The late John Anstey said:
“In a level class race the winner will say he won by superior preparation and skill; the losers say that the wind failed or the gear wasn’t working properly.
In a handicap race the winner will say he won by superior preparation and skill; the losers say that their handicap was unfair – the Handicap Officer got it wrong.”
Another John Anstey saying:
”All handicaps are unfair but some are more unfair than others”
Handicaps can be fairer and their use can be fairer.
The main problem with the use of handicaps is in the type of racing.
Both conventional mass-start and pursuit (sternchaser) mass-finish races suffer from the “fast boat waiting time” problem.
“Fast boat waiting time” occurs after the fast boats have finished but before the slow boats finish in a conventional race, and while they wait for their start in a pursuit race.
If the conditions during “fast boat waiting time” are better than when all boats are sailing then it is likely that the slow boats will win – and vice versa.
A solution to this problem is Average Lap Racing, which uses both a mass start and a mass finish so minimising “fast boat waiting time”. Stuart Cresswell’s Guide to Average Lap Racing explains this type of racing to sailors, race officers, Sailing Instruction writers, event organisers and spectators.
Racing will be fairer if the handicaps used are fair for the boats racing on the waters where they race. An example might clarify.
Consider the Osprey and the Optimist or the Merlin-Rocket and the Mirror.
Set these boats racing (with equivalent skill crews) on a river and it will be seen immediately that the Osprey and the Merlin Rocket has significantly superior wind collecting capabilities because of their relatively high aspect ratio sail plans.
Alternatively set them racing on an open lake, now the high sails have lost that benefit and indeed if the water is shallow they may be at a disadvantage because they cannot drop their centreboards fully.
At sea in any sort of waves the pram bows of the Mirror and Optimist are a disadvantage to the sharp bowed Osprey and Merlin-Rocket which diminishes on inland waters where the fetch is not sufficient to raise significant waves.
Each of these three conditions may require different PNs for fair racing.
So handicaps must be adjusted in light of experience.
The normal principle of handicaps in sail races is that the best prepared and raced boat should win, regardless of the design of the boat and its speed potential.
There are other principles such as Personal handicap racing in which the objective is that the boat and crew that most improves on their previous performance (as indicated by their personal handicap) should win.
All handicaps depend on opinions at some stage or another.
With measurement systems those opinions (of wise men) are applied at the time that the systems rule or formula is developed and can be found in the choice of parameters and penalties. They are aided in their work with the sciences of aero- and hydro-dynamics. Once the rule is created there is no more judgement – measurements are input to a formula and the rating or handicap is the output.
With empirical schemes it is necessary to analyse races and then to differentiate between effects of the skills of the designer, the skills of the crew and random variations on the performances calculated. The objective is to rate the design element only. Judgement is necessary to separate the designer’s efforts from those of the crew. In this work the science of statistics helps to eliminate the random element and can help with judgement of the crew’s efforts. A possible method is the use of Personal Handicaps with Peer Ranking Evaluation.