Comments and Insight from the Race Chairman...

I am pleased to be able to post the preliminary class breaks for Key West 2010 nearly 4 weeks before the racing begins. This year, there are 38 handicap entries (24 PHRF and 14 IRC).   

First and foremost, I want you to know how pleased we are with the IRC and PHRF owners who have made the commitment to participate in what is unquestionably another very challenging year for all. In an extraordinary 18 months with the economy here in the U.S. and overseas, we don’t take participation by any of our classes and entrants for granted. 

With the goal of providing the best racing we can for all, Premiere Racing has always given careful consideration to race management issues. It comes as no surprise that the economic uncertainties and losses have translated into a smaller fleet in Key West again this year. Regardless of the number of boats, we’ve learned that not all entrants will be in agreement with the decisions that are made. And with fewer boats to work with, that may well be the case again this year.

DIVISION AND CLASS ASSIGNMENTS

The two IRC classes will be racing in Division 1 along with the Farr 40 and Melges 32 classes and the 3 PHRF classes and Multihulls will race on Division 3.  The Melges 24, J/105 and J/80 classes will be racing together on Division 2 as they have in events prior to last year.

We understand that this creates a slightly longer commute for some of the PHRF entrants who have arranged for dockage in Old Town Key West marinas. All PHRF racing was on Division 3 last year also, but I do regret the timing of this announcement, as we couldn’t make this decision until we were more certain of fleet composition.

CLASS BREAKS – BIG PICTURE

This year the IRC and PHRF class breaks are pretty straightforward and non controversial. I ask that participating IRC and PHRF boat owners assess the class breaks in the context of the facts and considerations that I will share with you in this letter. As always, I welcome feedback and comments, but will ask that you first take the time to read my letter before contacting me with feedback or questions. My second request is that only the boat owner or his/her designated representative contact us and to do so via email. It is the most efficient way for us to manage the process going forward and provide you with a meaningful response in the limited time we have before racing begins on January 18th.

Participants should be aware that in some cases, preliminary PHRF handicaps that have been posted may be adjusted based on which class the boat will be racing in (in accordance with the event specific PHRF Rules & Regulations). 

 

BACKGROUND
The event-specific PHRF Rules & Regulations and the Notice & Conditions of Race speak to our philosophy on PHRF class breaks. The same basic philosophy applies to IRC. We fully recognize that getting class breaks right is as important to 'good handicap racing' as proper handicaps. There are a multitude of factors that should be taken into account when assigning the class breaks including rating bands, LOA, Sail Area/Displacement Ratios (up wind and downwind), etc. There are of course, some limiting factors from an event and race management standpoint. These include, but aren’t limited to, the number and type of boats entered, practical class size and a maximum number of starts per division in order to achieve 2 or 3 fair races on any given day.  

Premiere Racing publishes preliminary class breaks only after considerable dialogue with the PHRF Consortium, Appeals Committee, and naval architects. In my capacity as Race Chairman, I am the one responsible for making the final decision on class breaks. 

One of our primary goals, based on feedback from participating owners over the years, has been to provide 'like racing' - that is to ensure that boats which perform in a similar fashion in a variety of different conditions are racing together. There are a number of factors we normally take into consideration in our efforts to ensure like racing. A boat's Sail Area/ Displacement Ratio (both the upwind & downwind numbers) and Displacement/Length Ratio are two key factors that come into play.

This worthy goal was simply unachievable in 2010 based on the number of PHRF boats entered and the composition of the fleet.

Ultimately, the determining factors for PHRF class breaks were handicaps and logical breaks considering the number of boats per class, resulting in three PHRF classes and two IRC classes with reasonable to good rating bands. 

2010 CONSIDERATIONS / ISSUES

On any given year there are unique considerations and limitations concerning class breaks and this year is no exception:

·         There will be 38 boats racing under IRC and PHRF handicap rules in Key West next January. The IRC fleet will feature 14 entrants (down from 21 last year) while the PHRF fleet totals 24 boats (down from last year’s 31 boats).

·         There will be a total of 11 classes spread over 3 divisions (13 classes on 3 divisions last year):

-       Div 1 (50 boats):   IRC 1 / Farr 40 / IRC 2 / Melges 32

-       Div 2 (54 boats):   Melges 24 / J105 / J/80

-       Div 3 (31 boats):   Multihull  / PHRF 1 / PHRF 2 / PHRF 3

·         These preliminary breaks feature 6 handicap classes (3 PHRF, 2 IRC, and the Multihulls) with 6-10 boats in each class.  

·         IRC Racing returns to Key West for its fifth year with 14 boats racing (2006-17 / 2007-27 / 2008-20 / 2009-21). These boats broke logically into what should prove to be two competitive classes – both racing on Division 1.

·         The mix of PHRF boats led to logical class breaks. There are no larger size classes this time around, and the 5-10 boat class size work toward the goal of participants having a meaningful competition.

·         The provisional rating bands for PHRF are a reasonable 30-40sec/mile when excluding the scratch boat in PHRF 1 which is 30 sec / mile faster than the next boat in her class.    

DIVISION 1

4 Starts / 48 Boats

IRC 1 (Class 1A):  A 6-boat class with the biggest boat in fleet (Wally 82), a R/P 69 and 4 TP 52s. Handicap range is approximately 1.360-1.640.

Farr 40 (Class 1B):  The 14 one design boats will start second.

IRC 2 (Class 1C):  This 8-boat class is a fairly diverse group of boats that includes a pair of J/122s, Summit 40s and Swan 42s along with a J/44 and Mills 43.   

Melges 32 (Class 1D):  This strong 20-boat sport boat class will represent the 4^th start on Division 1.           

DIVISION 3

4 Starts / 31 boats

Multihull (Class 3A):  After a 1-year hiatus, multihulls are back with a 7-boat handicap class that includes 6 Corsair trimarans (two 28Rs, two Sprint 750s and an F-27). 

PHRF 1 (Class 3B):  This 10-boat class features a disparate group of boats with 9 of the 10 boats within 20 secs/mile. The scratch J/125 is significantly faster than the rest of the class.

PHRF 2 (Class 3C):  Most entries in this 10-boat class are moderate displacement boats. The class features a reasonable rating band of 33 sec/mile.

PHRF 3 (Class 3D):  The “small boat” PHRF class features a 36 sec/mile rating band.

As always, we welcome your constructive criticism and feedback. Keep in mind that we are reluctant to make last minute changes, hence timely feedback is essential. If you see something you don't agree with, we ask that you provide useful feedback.  Please don't just state that a boat does not belong is a certain class. It will be far more useful to present the perceived problem, why it is a problem, along with a potential solution along with your justification.
 

This is an appropriate time for me to thank the PHRF Consortium Chairman and his team for the time and effort spent in researching, evaluating and debating to establish fair Key West specific handicaps for our PHRF fleet. Their work is not yet finished as they complete the handicap assignments, analyze the classes and determine the potential for any handicap adjustments.

We anticipate another good week of IRC and PHRF competition at Key West 2010. I look forward to seeing everyone next month.

Sincerely yours,
 

Peter Craig
Race Chairman