Is it possible to reduce the variation in a handicap so it does not exceed a certain amount? I.E. it can bounce between a min and max value? almost like a dampening effect on the handicap?
We had a scenario where we have series running through the year and roll the handicap over from series to another series… on one race there was one boat that (A Storm on the Mersey), which ran and finished but it skewed the handicap so much it has affected them the whole year?
Most progressive rating systems require a minimum of 3 boats to have completed a race for that race to be used in calculating a new rating. If the minimum number of boats do not compete the rating remains unchanged for everyone, usually.
If you use an external spreadsheet rating file like - RYA NHC, Irish Sailing ECHO or World Sailing Empirical Handicap System (recently made available by request) - you can see how they work. If they do not work for your requirement you could always modify one of them or even write your own.