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Hi all, more of a general sailing research question here as there are a wealth of clubs represented on the forum. What is the slow handicap cut off py at your club please?
We have only one event where there's a split between fast and slow handicaps. The breakpoint is 1101. The laser Radial being the first Slow Handicap class on the list at 1106.
For the majority of handicap races/series at my club (Carsington), the boats are segregated into 4 'Fleets' nominally;
Fast, Catamaran, Medium and Slow/Junior, with staggered starts at 2 minute intervals in that order (no general recalls permitting).
The PY limits are some what arbitrary, In that (as far as I remember) the fast fleet is >1000, but includes a Merlin Rocket sailor PY 1006 whos ability compliments that fleet. The medium fleet is 1001-1090 and includes Flying Fifteens, Laser 2k's and National 12's. The Slow/Junior fleet is >1078+Supernovas (PY 1063) and is significantly dominated by singlehanders; Lasers (Full/Radials) and Solos. The Catamaran fleet are exactly that, but a Challenger (trimaran PY1619) also starts in this fleet.
It is as much a balance/comprimise to group similar speed boats together whilst also having boats with similar performance characteristics.
There was also a split tried between having a 'symetrical' fleet and 'asymetrics'
At the end of the day, being a non-tidal venue and with (usually) all fleets racing around the same course, and results based on 'average lap times', the biggest issue is at the startline and potential for congestion at the first mark between fleets/boats of differing performance characteristics.
EDIT,Postscript;
Challenger PY quoted is ? SCHERS = 1.619. Just checked, currently listed @ 1178 on RYA py list. In essence this illustrates putting a 'multihull' in the Catamaran fleet rather than the Slow/Junior handicap fleet which is predominantly singlehanded monohulls.
At SSC we use 950 as the cut off between fast and slow. That means all our cats go in the fast and nearly all dinghies in the slow.
Being restricted for water and having had dinghies sitting broadside on the start line whilst cats like to start fully sheeted we allow the RO to choose at the briefing whether to send the slow fleet off one minute early, or start all together.
Bet that Challenger trimaran wins everything dosnt it Its a fast multihull with the py of an upturned shed (enterprise)
we used to have one at Halifax there was no point in trying to sail against it even for the monohuls on alight wind day, there PY is wrong by a long way
KarlPountney wrote:We have only one event where there's a split between fast and slow handicaps. The breakpoint is 1101. The laser Radial being the first Slow Handicap class on the list at 1106.
I meant to add that Catamarans (mainly Sprint 15's) would be in a separate grouping of their own. The rationale for the 1101 (and cats) is straight-forward is that it nominally breaks the members into 3 even-sized groups.
Its a fast multihull with the py of an upturned shed (enterprise) 
