What we really need is a different way of setting PHRF handicap....Lets face it when your boat gets hit and loses seconds to boats that beat it over half the time...well you just got to smell a Rat in Denmark don't you....just cause one guy loses to another all the time doesn't mean he needs time...what about sails, bottom prep..(Here is a good one) knowing which way to go.... (Told you it was good)...hundreds of ways to lose....
I don't think we have bad system or bad people on it...I also don't disagree that the aforementioned and some times style challenged Gilbert would make a fair and non prejudiced handycrapper.....but in the end this once thought of fair guy will be the topic of some guys crew when he has to hit them 3 seconds a mile for doing things right....he will then be the anal opening that gave a friend (be he friend or foe of the recipient of a +3 seconds...lets not forget truth has nothing to do with mulling over why the handycrapper TOOK 3 seconds or GAVE your sworn enemy +3 seconds....just you and your crews personal perception of the injuring party) so poor Gilbert with his plaid orange shorts and lime green polka dotted shirt will be to some a hero and to some a zero....
SO you see the question isn't WHO but HOW to set these handycraps....maybe something similar to golf....but then I don't play that...so bowling....with a twist...an accelerated system where the first (pick a number = X) X races or so your handicap would change drastically and as you sailed more the number of races to adjust your handycrap would increase. would that be a good system....who knows I can shoot holes in it myself...for example I can just see some guys at say fictitious club CYON would bring in a boat and sail it like crap...or just let the owner sail it (as some would say = same results) then here comes Challenge Cup..... and you put the LOVE BOAT team on there and instant winner...so I guess all this verbiage was for naught cause it seems no matter what system you have there is going to be a problem...so maybe the answer is OD of course then you have to deal with a whole different list of problems...in my short foray into OD I have seen the good old boy system work there too...How you ask?....Go to protest committee meeting against one of the elbow bending, drunk bar stabilizing, pat each other on the back while blowing smoke up each others orifice’s, see what happens...hell see if you can get them to even let you file a protest...if by some magic they do accept it watch the smug look when the oh so impartial members of the PC see you brought in as the sacrificial cow, see if they even let you state the facts before they eviscerate you with dumb questions about the position of the moon and the stars at such time of the offending protest or the Zodiac sign of the person you are protesting...and when you go "HUNNN????" in disbelief see if your shoes are still on cause they threw you out so fast they pulled you right out of them..........so what does all this mean ...hell if I know, but the few things I am sure of is I LOVE sailing and racing even better...the rest of this crap about complaining about OD good ole boy patronage and/or idiot handycrapers is just icing on the cake....see ya on the water...I will be the rabid sailing freak barking at you from a Finn or some big floating condo with air and heat and Haagan Dazs headed to Pensacola with Uncle Jeffy saying it's dark I got to go down below........man I miss that boat. Where else can you have such a good time feeling bad...where you can whip up on Drs and Lawyers and Indian Chiefs...where some lowly copier guy with a crew of the best misfit sailors a beer can buy...(cheap beer at that) can go out and whip up on a 4 time national champion such as Zephyr...WITH CHUTE UP...lord knows where they found it...so keep up the bitching and whining but at least get out there with a boat and kick some ass....or else who would we have to complain about....
DOG RANT OVER....
DOG GONE....
DAVE...0