[Alberg30] Spinnakers and PHRF

[Don Campbell]

For Bill Blevins:
    PHRF is quite a system, and the worst part is that it is not
consistant from one fleet to the next. I race in both Lakes Erie and
Ontario and there are major differences between the 2 sets of rules. One
needs to read the manual for your fleet carefully. To try to get Alberg
class sails to measure for both is not easy. First the genoa for PHRF
without penalty is 153%, and for Class is 173%  so a 6 second penalty in
PHRF. Second the Spinnaker is limited in PHRF to 1.83 x J which is
19.215 feet for the A30. It would appear as if you have the same
measurement there. Anything over is a 3 second penalty. In Canada, we
advise staying with a girth of 19 feet for anyone wanting to race PHRF,
and I don't think it will be that much of a disadvantage when class
racing. Certainly the penalties are carried for every leg in PHRF and
that is always hard to accept. The third difference here is in the
Whisker Pole Length. Lake Ontario allows the pole to be 1.83 x the LP of
the sail and Lake Erie restricts it to the J. It is tough to use the
spin pole in Lake Erie for light air reaching or downwind legs, even
with a 153% headsail. Because we have adopted PHRF-LO rules for much of
the class racing,  with the 170%,  we can use a 14'3" whisker pole. We
have also not used spinnakers here because we have had trouble finding
particpants, both skippers and crews, so longer whisker poles make
things more reasonable down wind.
    In Canada, we have tried to accomodate our class rules to PHRF-LO
while maintaining the spirit of CCA rules if we can, because there are
more PHRF races than class races, and we think it tough to force either
2 suits of sails or disqualification from one group. We have too  few
class racers to knowingly  force anyone out of class racing.
Don Campbell  White Opal, # 526

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