"...there are fundamental problems in this day and age in collecting valid data..." In what day (or age) was it ever easier to communicate finish times? With today's technology, it could be done from the water at the end of each race.

True... but technology is not the problem. I got nothing to report!

Area C Portsmouth Regatta weekend buoys events.
Rock Hall YC open class (Hobie 16, 17, 18)... and the 16's made class. We don't expect the H16 rating to change... ever!

Corsica River 10 boats... Hobie 16, 17 and 18 and two A cats...

Fleet 32's Spring Regatta... The portsmouth start was very small(memory) (results never published)

Area C championships canceled for want of interest.

Everything else in Area C is one design... even if you have 3 or 4 boats... that is the mindset.

Working your way down the coast.... Next set of results are spring fever which have 13 or so boats in two divisons.... all members of the dead boat society.... Bad things happen to the ratings when you use these data to replace the data when these dead boats were actively raced one design.

Bottom line... the events to collect the data no longer exist in my area.

RE Texel.. The race is popular, They use a handicap rating system. They review it annually and periodically update the ratings. The sailors don't seem to complain about the ratings. My analysis of the ratings indicate that it's pretty fair. Those are the reasons for why I would choose it. Never made a cause and effect argument.

Changing handicap systems will not change the popularity of an event.. Using a measurement rating system will allow a new boat like the F20 to race tomorrow without a load of crap and do so fairly.

I agree with you... changing the handicap system will not effect the popularity of any event. I am not making this argument. However.... one wiff of a complaint like... you are winning because you have a cheater boat... is a real turnoff to everyone. Transparency goes a long way to dismissing the "cheater boat" complaint...

Much better to argue that plate calculation is off by 2% based on your interpretation of the effective Reynolds number at small angles of attack! Tends not to inflame the rank and file!

Administering a measurement system! Problem solved... Texel already does it.. ISAF already does it. Nothing special about the wind and water in the US. If a one off boat wants to get measured.... the US has ISAF certified measurers. They make a living doing this work... A catamaran knowledgeable person would be Carla Schiffer when you need to get your frankenboat rated.