The RTYC Progressive Handicap System
A simplified explanation

The RTYC system uses a mixture of progressive handicap systems used in Ireland in Australia. The concept is that all competitors have equal chance to win a race when they start. Hence the handicap over time takes into account not only the boats theoretical performance but quality of sails, quality of upkeep of say the hull, and quality of the crew. A similar concept to golf where a poor golfer can play with a seasoned golfer each having different handicaps and they each have the same chance of winning the 18 holes.
     
All boats initially start with a generated handicap. We use a form of PY handicap which cannot be used in any other club or event.
     
After the each race a boats Handicap will go up or down depending on the boats performance. The lower the Handicap number the faster the boat has performed. The higher the Handicap number the slower the boat has performed.
     
How the RTYC system works
     
After a Race
• the Average Elapsed Time of all boats that finished is calculated
• the Average Handicap of all boats that finished is calculated.
     
• Then a handicap for each boat is worked out compared to the Average Handicap so all boats would have acheived equal first place. This is the Calculated Handicap for that boat for that race.
Calculated Handicap = Average Handicap x Boats Elapsed Time / Average Elapsed Time
     
• The handicap each boat will use for the next race in then produced by using 25% of the boats Calculated Handicap + 75% of the boats handicap used in the current race.
New Handicap = 25%Calculated Handicap + 75% Race handicap
Wed 21 Mar 12 15:41:50