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Handicap System for Coasting Class

Introduction

A "handicap" is a system, usually locally administered, which allocates a time allowance to a boat to reflect its performance on the water. Handicap systems allow dissimilar boats to race against each other on a semi-equal basis and can be reviewed based on actual performance and race results. A "rating" such as IRC, on the other hand, is a time corrector based on measurements of boat, rig and sails, and takes no account of crew ability or race results.

The Coasting Class awards have traditionally been made using handicaps. Handicaps in any race indicate that there is some inherent bias which a race committee wishes to remove. The Coasting Class handicap should be one which permits a wide range of barges, with a wide range of performances under different conditions, to compete as fairly as possible. At this time, no handicap system known to the Match Committee is capable of removing most of the biases among the Coasting Class under most possible conditions.

Describing the second Thames Match of 15 July 1864, The East Kent Gazette of 23 July 1864 mentions "half a minute per ton being allowed" for the Topsail Class, as opposed to the Stump Class which had "no time allowance". Further details, e.g. which type of ‘ton’, are not available. This handicap would not appear to result in "fair" results if used today, e.g. Lady Daphne (1923) would only give time to Hydrogen (1906) and, marginally, Lady Jean (1923).

The Match Committee used the timing data from the 65th. Match in 1995 and the following seven Matches to develop a handicap system for use in Thames Match 2001. This became the basis of the system which is in use today. The objective of the handicap system is to encourage improved racing alongside reasonable prize distribution. A longer paper with accompanying spreadsheet model output is available on request.

Trial Handicap System

The trial handicap system worked according to the following rules:

  1. The system uses the previous seven years’ match results (ideally 10 years’ in the future);
  2. Handicaps are given with reference to a virtual barge, "Solid", which participates in all years and performs averagely in all matches;
  3. "Solid" has a running average time-to-finish;
  4. Each barge has an average time-to-finish for all races in which they finish (e.g. DNF and after the close of match times will be discarded);
  5. Each barge’s handicap is calculated as the ratio of "Solid’s" average time-to-finish divided by the barge’s average time-to-finish;
  6. Each barge’s handicap is then expressed in minutes and seconds per hour by multiplying the handicap by 60 and subtracting 60 from the result. All handicaps should be rounded to the nearest second per hour;
  7. No handicap can confer an advantage or disadvantage of more than 10 minutes per hour (16.7%) against "Solid", i.e. handicaps are limited to a range from 0.833 to 1.167. By implication, no barge can give any other barge more than 20 minutes;
  8. Any barge participating for the first time is given a handicap which is the average of all the other barges with a handicap whether racing or not that year, i.e. very close to 1.0.
 

Current Handicap System

Details will be provided in due course. 

The missing details will inserted and this page updated when the relevant information is provided to the Webmaster by the Hon. Secretary.