HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

Imported from Yahoo
1

The title says it all really, but a little background info may help.

It has been suggested at my club that we seriously consider using average lap time scoring for our racing given some of the advantages that it brings (more-or-less pre-determined race time for all classes, less hanging about for fast boats between back-to-back races, etc).

In principle I don't have a problem with this as it's really a race management issue BUT as the guy who uses sailwave to score our races, I do need to understand what the impact will be on my role!

I've searched through what on-line help I can find regarding using sailwave for this type of racing but without any success. I can see that several clubs use average lap time scoring but can't determine if they use sailwave.

So if anyone can offer guidance on this, I'd be very grateful.

2

Just put in the elapsed times or the start and finish times in the normal way and remember to complete the ‘number of laps sailed’ box, score it in the normal way and Sailwave does it all for you. It even prints the number of laps sailed next to the elapsed time if you ask it to,

Rgds

George Morris

···

----- Original Message -----

From:
familyberry

To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 10:49 PM

Subject: [sailwave] HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

The title says it all really, but a little background info may help.

It has been suggested at my club that we seriously consider using average lap time scoring for our racing given some of the advantages that it brings (more-or-less pre-determined race time for all classes, less hanging about for fast boats between back-to-back races, etc).

In principle I don’t have a problem with this as it’s really a race management issue BUT as the guy who uses sailwave to score our races, I do need to understand what the impact will be on my role!

I’ve searched through what on-line help I can find regarding using sailwave for this type of racing but without any success. I can see that several clubs use average lap time scoring but can’t determine if they use sailwave.

So if anyone can offer guidance on this, I’d be very grateful.

3

It is described in the Sailwave User Guide available from http://www.abyc.org/upload/Sailwave_ABYC_User_Guide.pdf

How Do I Set Up Average Lap Time Racing?

The objective of average lap racing (ALR) is to give fairer racing, particularly when boats from a wide range of handicaps are racing together, by requiring all boats to sail for about the same time period, and so experience generally the same wind and current conditions.

Based on the number of laps of the course each boat sails during the period, their elapsed times are factored to represent the times they would have taken to sail the same number of laps as the fastest boat. These factored times are then corrected in the normal way using the appropriate Portsmouth Numbers.

If boats sail a different number of laps in a race, you must specify the number of laps completed as well as the start time and finish time. This is the trigger that Sailwave needs to use average lap time calculations. Note that if all boats do the same number of laps you can leave the laps field blank when setting the elapsed time; Sailwave will assume 1 lap but it’s arbitrary because they are all the same.

If you specify a number laps the corrected time that Sailwave shows you will be for the maximum number of laps that any one boat did in the series (or fleet when scoring by fleet) any race. It means there is no need for fractional seconds and so confirms to Appendix A and also avoids the inaccuracies involved with the equivalent of calculating an average lap time.

Mark Townsend
Phone: 562-433-4366

Cell: 562-533-5909
Email: s_mark_townsend@hotmail.com

···

From: sailwave@yahoogroups.com [mailto:sailwave@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of George Morris
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 3:13 PM
To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [sailwave] HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

Just put in the elapsed times or the start and finish times in the normal way and remember to complete the ‘number of laps sailed’ box, score it in the normal way and Sailwave does it all for you. It even prints the number of laps sailed next to the elapsed time if you ask it to,

Rgds

George Morris

----- Original Message -----

From: familyberry

To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 10:49 PM

Subject: [sailwave] HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

The title says it all really, but a little background info may help.

It has been suggested at my club that we seriously consider using average lap time scoring for our racing given some of the advantages that it brings (more-or-less pre-determined race time for all classes, less hanging about for fast boats between back-to-back races, etc).

In principle I don’t have a problem with this as it’s really a race management issue BUT as the guy who uses sailwave to score our races, I do need to understand what the impact will be on my role!

I’ve searched through what on-line help I can find regarding using sailwave for this type of racing but without any success. I can see that several clubs use average lap time scoring but can’t determine if they use sailwave.

So if anyone can offer guidance on this, I’d be very grateful.

4

Thanks George and Mark for your responses.

As I suspected, what you both suggest is exactly what we do at the moment (doh!).

However, with average lap racing, there is a possible need for further adjustment if one boat sails more laps than another boat with the same handicap, but as a result of wind changes on the last lap received a corrected time higher than that of the later boat. This can happen if the "About to Finish" signal is made after one had crossed the line and started a new lap, but before the other (slower) boat had reached the line.

So an adjustment needs to be made to the slower boat's corrected time to compensate for the fact that the faster boat slowed on her last lap.
My understanding is that the slower boat's corrected time is increased by making the assumption that if she had sailed the same number of laps as the faster boat, on her notional last lap she would have slowed in the same proportion as the faster boat did.

That's the theory BUT does sailwave make this adjustment automatically or does the poor scorer have to get their calculator out and work it manually???

Stewart

···

--- In sailwave@yahoogroups.com, S Mark Townsend <s_mark_townsend@...> wrote:

It is described in the Sailwave User Guide available from
http://www.abyc.org/upload/Sailwave_ABYC_User_Guide.pdf

How Do I Set Up Average Lap Time Racing?

The objective of average lap racing (ALR) is to give fairer racing,
particularly when boats from a wide range of handicaps are racing together,
by requiring all boats to sail for about the same time period, and so
experience generally the same wind and current conditions.

Based on the number of laps of the course each boat sails during the period,
their elapsed times are factored to represent the times they would have
taken to sail the same number of laps as the fastest boat. These factored
times are then corrected in the normal way using the appropriate Portsmouth
Numbers.

If boats sail a different number of laps in a race, you must specify the
number of laps completed as well as the start time and finish time. This is
the trigger that Sailwave needs to use average lap time calculations. Note
that if all boats do the same number of laps you can leave the laps field
blank when setting the elapsed time; Sailwave will assume 1 lap but it's
arbitrary because they are all the same.

If you specify a number laps the corrected time that Sailwave shows you will
be for the maximum number of laps that any one boat did in the series (or
fleet when scoring by fleet) any race. It means there is no need for
fractional seconds and so confirms to Appendix A and also avoids the
inaccuracies involved with the equivalent of calculating an average lap
time.

Mark Townsend
Phone: 562-433-4366

Cell: 562-533-5909
Email: <mailto:s_mark_townsend@…> s_mark_townsend@…

From: sailwave@yahoogroups.com [mailto:sailwave@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of George Morris
Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 3:13 PM
To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [sailwave] HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

Just put in the elapsed times or the start and finish times in the normal
way and remember to complete the 'number of laps sailed' box, score it in
the normal way and Sailwave does it all for you. It even prints the number
of laps sailed next to the elapsed time if you ask it to,

Rgds

George Morris

----- Original Message -----

From: familyberry <mailto:stewart@…>

To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, April 28, 2012 10:49 PM

Subject: [sailwave] HOW TO USE SAILWAVE TO SCORE AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES

The title says it all really, but a little background info may help.

It has been suggested at my club that we seriously consider using average
lap time scoring for our racing given some of the advantages that it brings
(more-or-less pre-determined race time for all classes, less hanging about
for fast boats between back-to-back races, etc).

In principle I don't have a problem with this as it's really a race
management issue BUT as the guy who uses sailwave to score our races, I do
need to understand what the impact will be on my role!

I've searched through what on-line help I can find regarding using sailwave
for this type of racing but without any success. I can see that several
clubs use average lap time scoring but can't determine if they use sailwave.

So if anyone can offer guidance on this, I'd be very grateful.

5

Why!?! Whoever said handicap racing was ‘fair’? What if the breeze got up on the last lap?

You’ll be wanting to correct results 'cos a sea breeze came in an turned over the fleet, next… IMHO it’s more important that the RO doesn’t split leading boats of the same class, which requires a flexible race length - just say ‘nominal race length of N minutes’ in the NoR (if you do actually specify race length).

Mike

Lancing SC

···

— In sailwave@yahoogroups.com, “familyberry” <stewart@…> wrote:

However, with average lap racing, there is a possible need for further adjustment if one boat sails more laps than another boat with the same handicap, but as a result of wind changes on the last lap received a corrected time higher than that of the later boat. This can happen if the “About to Finish” signal is made after one had crossed the line and started a new lap, but before the other (slower) boat had reached the line.

So an adjustment needs to be made to the slower boat’s corrected time to compensate for the fact that the faster boat slowed on her last lap.

6

I would not make any changes to the average lap time calculations. Once you start adjusting the finishes for one boat where do you stop. What if a slower boat sails one more lap than a faster boat shouldn’t they beat the faster boat. Maybe the wind died, but also maybe they sailed poorly on the last lap, who is the judge.

Handicap racing has inherent challenges and everyone loves to complain about something. Post the results and have a beer.

Mark Townsend
Phone: 562-433-4366
Cell: 562-533-5909
Email: s_mark_townsend@hotmail.com

···

From: “Mike” mike.croker@phonecoop.coop
To: “sailwave@yahoogroups.com” sailwave@yahoogroups.com
Sent: April 29, 2012 3:24 AM
Subject: [sailwave] CORRECTING AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES!?!

— In sailwave@yahoogroups.com, “familyberry” <stewart@…> wrote:

However, with average lap racing, there is a possible need for further adjustment if one boat sails more laps than another boat with the same handicap, but as a result of wind changes on the last lap received a corrected time higher than that of the later boat. This can happen if the “About to Finish” signal is made after one had crossed the line and started a new lap, but before the other (slower) boat had reached the line.

So an adjustment needs to be made to the slower boat’s corrected time to compensate for the fact that the faster boat slowed on her last lap.

Why!?! Whoever said handicap racing was ‘fair’? What if the breeze got up on the last lap?

You’ll be wanting to correct results 'cos a sea breeze came in an turned over the fleet, next… IMHO it’s more important that the RO doesn’t split leading boats of the same class, which requires a flexible race length - just say ‘nominal race length of N minutes’ in the NoR (if you do actually specify race length).

Mike

Lancing SC

7

Family berry have raised a valid point which is covered in the Rules and the Prescriptions of the RYA etc etc. The YR2 document which sets out the recommended method of applying the average lap handicap system does say that if two boats of the same class sail different numbers of laps the faster one cannot be beaten by the slower one even if its corrected time is better. The problem comes with boats of different classes but with very similar handicaps. In a small fleet it doesn’t happen very often. Our sailing instructions allow the RO to revert to the times at the completion of the previous lap ‘if conditions change and the race becomes unfair’. Of course in normal racing this happens all the time with the slow boats being dumped when the tide changes or the wind dies, but they don’t get any sympathy.

George Morris

···

----- Original Message -----

From:
Mike

To: sailwave@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2012 11:24 AM

Subject: [sailwave] CORRECTING AVERAGE LAP TIME RACES!?!

— In sailwave@yahoogroups.com , “familyberry” <stewart@…> wrote:

However, with average lap racing, there is a possible need for further adjustment if one boat sails more laps than another boat with the same handicap, but as a result of wind changes on the last lap received a corrected time higher than that of the later boat. This can happen if the “About to Finish” signal is made after one had crossed the line and started a new lap, but before the other (slower) boat had reached the line.

So an adjustment needs to be made to the slower boat’s corrected time to compensate for the fact that the faster boat slowed on her last lap.

Why!?! Whoever said handicap racing was ‘fair’? What if the breeze got up on the last lap?

You’ll be wanting to correct results 'cos a sea breeze came in an turned over the fleet, next… IMHO it’s more important that the RO doesn’t split leading boats of the same class, which requires a flexible race length - just say ‘nominal race length of N minutes’ in the NoR (if you do actually specify race length).

Mike

Lancing SC

8

Oops: shows how recently / closely I’ve read YR2… Thanks George.

Mike

Lancing SC

···

— In sailwave@yahoogroups.com, “George Morris” <gmorris@…> wrote:

Family berry have raised a valid point which is covered in the Rules and the Prescriptions of the RYA etc etc. The YR2 document which sets out the recommended method of applying the average lap handicap system does say that if two boats of the same class sail different numbers of laps the faster one cannot be beaten by the slower one even if its corrected time is better.

9

Of course in normal racing this happens all the time with the slow boats being dumped when the tide changes or the wind dies, but they don't get any sympathy.

Quite: handicap racing is 'fairer' than boat on boat, but shit happens!

Mike
Lancing SC

···

--- In sailwave@yahoogroups.com, "George Morris" <gmorris@...> wrote: