phrf-lo rating

[QuickMick]

While I understand the notion that these ratings are used to handicap, im not quite sure what the rating means my boat is classified as. i have a phrf-lo rating of 180. does that make me a crusier? or, as per usual, just a numbskull?

thanks
Quinn

[JohnRPollard]

Nah, not a numbskull.

I don't know what size boat you have, but a rating of 180 is not necessarily strictly a cruiser. However, nowadays, with the proliferation of sport boats and other designs that are geared much more toward racing, 180 is falling further back in the fleet than it used to say 15-20 years ago.

It may depend on where you race, too. If the local fleet is more middle of the road and comprised largely of 15-25 year old designs, you may fall nicely into their rating range. If it's a highly competitive, modern fleet you're racing in, you may be in the afterguard.

P.S. I like your avatar!

[j34035]

J/22's (race boats) rate 180 while J/34c's rate 120 (cruising boat). What PHRF handicaps describe is your boats performance potential compared to another, usings seconds per nautical mile as the standard. In other words, if your boat rating 180 sails against my boat rating 120 for one mile, I would have to beat you by 60 seconds actual time to be even with you after corrected time. It gets a bit complicated after this as many clubs use time on time instead of time on distance, but the base numbers are still used. It is also a good yardstick to compare different boats potential when looking to purchase.
DD

[MSN2Travelers]

Originally Posted by QuickMick

While I understand the notion that these ratings are used to handicap, im not quite sure what the rating means my boat is classified as. i have a phrf-lo rating of 180. does that make me a crusier? or, as per usual, just a numbskull?

thanks
Quinn

Quinn,

Don't overthink your PHRF rating. The rating doesn't result in some sort of classification such as "cruiser". It is just used to determine handicap when you enter a race where the other boats are of different designs (as opposed to a one-design race with all Tartan 10's).

I crew on a Pearson Flyer and our rating is 135. In any race invloving our two boats, we would be expected to finish ahead of you but we would have to beat your time by 45 seconds for every mile in race course length. Our typical course is 3.4 miles around the marks. We would have to cross the finish line more than 2 minutes and 33 seconds ahead of you to beat you in a race.

Our club will have around 65 boats racing on any given Wednesday night . These are divided first into Spinakker and Jib & Main (JAM) classes. Spinakker flyers are further grouped into three division while JAM boats are split into two divisions.

PHRF ratings range between a low of 24 a high of 234 within the spinakker boats, 120 to 234 within the JAM boats. A Catalina 30 in the JAM fleet has a PHRF rating of 207 assigned.

[Faster]

Originally Posted by MSN2Travelers

PHRF ratings range between a low of 24 a high of 234 within the spinakker boats, 120 to 234 within the JAM boats..

Here in the PNW there are several 'sleds' rating will into the negative numbers PHRF... but for the mainstream boat market I think your numbers compute.

[L02314564]

Originally Posted by MSN2Travelers

Quinn,

Don't overthink your PHRF rating. The rating doesn't result in some sort of classification such as "cruiser". It is just used to determine handicap when you enter a race where the other boats are of different designs (as opposed to a one-design race with all Tartan 10's).

Well stated Paul.

[Faster]

A 40 footer that rates 180 is gonna be a pretty slow ride.... a 20 footer that rates 180 will be a relatively quick boat..for its size. So the PHRF 'number" itself has to be related to the boat it's applied to.

[jjablonowski]

I found this graph pretty instructive.

[MSN2Travelers]

Originally Posted by Faster

Here in the PNW there are several 'sleds' rating will into the negative numbers PHRF... but for the mainstream boat market I think your numbers compute.

Ya, we have a couple of those rockets that show up for weekend regattas. We often have a Nelson/Marek 52 with a PHRF rating of negative 57 (-57) cutting through the slower divisions. That boat can really fly!

[blt2ski]

-57 would be slow vs an ANdrews 77 with a -180 or some such number. My local race a month ago had 6-8 boats with negitive ratings, the fastest monohull was Neptunes Carr at -66 or some such number, and DragonFly a custom 40' cat with a -120'ish rating, two other tri's at -75 or there abouts, A NM 53 @-9 from memory, and a id48 in the -20 range. We had 8 or so mono's with a 20 or faster ie lower rating. slowest was an etchals at 300 or there abouts. Funny thing is, a Baba 40 won there class, and had the fastest corrected time on the 24 mile long course for those faster than 180, and a US25 @ 257 won the 18 mile short course for those with a 180 and slower rating!

But as mentioned, compare the rating you have vs boats of equal size. If you have a 32'r, and a 180, compared to a melges 32 at 20 or there abouts, you're a slug! but compared to other 32'rs with ratings will typically be in the 90-150 range, so a bit on the slow side, but not to say you are a cruiser per say.

marty