Here's the vision; 50 beachcats and sportboats screaming down the beach toward destiny... when will this dream come to fruition? Spring of 07! On the morning of the venerable Newport to Ensenada Race we will be launching the Newport to Mission Bay Blast, (unless you got a better name for it) It will have all the benefits of Newport-Ensenada with none of the usual nightmares (all night drifting, border hassles, bad fish tacos, mexican jail etc.) All that's needed is a core group of enthusiasts to push the idea and build critical mass. How about a 5 stop coastal feeder race starting in Santa Barbara? Too much, too bold? Perhaps, but there ARE hundreds of beachcat sailors out there who could make this the premier west coast cat race... Lots of guys have been doing the race bootleg style for many years, now xsracing.org could help us make it real. what do you fellers think? Check out xsracing.org's forums, let's make it happen...

To me, the whole xsracing thing comes across as Reynolds' answer to being kicked out of ORMA races...

Is it really necessary to confuscate multihull sailing in the US with yet ANOTHER racing organisation?

Join NAMSA!

sea ya
tami

um... when is namsa going to actually do something... anything to promote multi racing on the west coast? Don't matter to me who promotes it, just make it happen. And the reasons for xs' existence notwithstanding, if they can actually make things happen then good, right?

Isnt XSRacing sole purpose is to create, manage and promote a rating system where sports boats and multihulls can race in mixed fleets?

I think this is an awesome approach and it can be a huge plug for us beach goers. I personally think it would be awesome to race within a melges, J boats or whatever other sports boat fleet. It is only promotion for us and anything that puts us on a bigger map is a major PLUS.

I myself joined and registered with xsracing.

Nope. Their goal is create a racing organizational body that will allow racing between "high performance" sail boats. The ratings things is their way of making that happen. But if you've ever been involved with scoring and handicap systems I believe they are sadly mistaken as to how it will work out.

First, they are taking the US Sailing base DPN numbers and converting them to PHRF for your rating. Claim is that Portsmouth only rates the boats - but anybody who knows about Portsmouth knows that the numbers are indeed affected by the crews sailing the boats. Also, anybody who's sailed Portsmouth knows you need the wind corrections to make it work better - no wind corrections in XS.

Even though Portsmouth rates both monos and multis, I doubt that the numbers are going to provide for fair boats on the same course racing, especially with out the wind corrections. Maybe after a few years of data is processed in US Sailing (so this would be a good thing to gather that data). But the differences in how monos and multis react to different wind speeds will make this useless without wind corrections.

And the goal of removing the politcal aspect of PHRF rating boards will only be replaced by the politics of members voting on ratings changes. And the one thing that PHRF does well, which to capture that different designs perform differently in different venues due to the design's strengths and weaknesses is lost with their "simpler system".

The following link is to their ratings page, where they state right up front they are not a ratings organization. But they will have a system to vote changes in ratings. Which makes them an organization that maintains ratings. Which is it? Do they think their voting will go to US Sailing to change the PNs, or will they maintain their pile of converted ratings, thus undermining the original concept of their rating system a bit? Will they re-vote on ratings and adjust when US Sailing posts the yearly updates?

XS Racing Ratings Page

On last quibble - their site looks like they stole Sailing Anarchy lock, stock, and barrel.

The whole thing comes off as an attempt to create a new org because they were banned from existing orgs, and creating a new site because they get criticized on SA for being capsize-happy (and ripping off the format of that site).

Although that all sounds very negative, I wish them luck. An org that caters to the hotter boats might bring about some excitement. But I think the things they are proposing display a lack of experience with the very type of thing they are trying to create.

Suggest interested sailors bring their ideas and suggestions to the US SAILING AGM, Newport, RI. The Multihull Council meeting is at 9:00 AM Nov. 18, and is open to everyone.
I happen to race in a Friday night series, 12 weekends, run by the Seattle Yacht Club, with Anthony's Homeport Rest. They use PHRF, but do not score the multihull's in the overall results. Usually about 50 boats, all types, 16ft to 70ft. Five starts, based on PHRF, with the multihulls starting last. Fun to pass all the boats when the wind is up. The Lake Washington Course is about six miles long, and takes about one hour, with the best Catamaran time of about 30 minutes.

Caleb Tarleton
Hobie 17 6446
US SAILING Multihull Council

Kieth, wow, that clears things up a bit. I never looked at it that way. Good points.

But what if it works? Wouldnt we be shooting it down to early to critize and say it wont work?

Maybe its time we open up to "other" options. Sometimes what seems like a fluke, can turn into something good.

Like I said, me, myself would not mind a phrf number. If that is what it will take me to sail against other sail boats, by all means I am up for the challenge. Only the end results and collected data will prove if the system trully works or not.

You already have a PHRF rating (from the conversion formula) and you can already race against other boats using a PHRF rating if you so choose. Many established mono races are opening up to multis and beach cats. On the Chesapeake we've been slowly opening up venues for beach cat starts. I've raced in four this year. It was a total gas racing with the 200 boat fleet in this year's NASS Annapolis to Oxford race, for instance. From that experience I've thought a little about what it would take to do head's up racing combining sport boats and multis, or even just be on the same course, and what things might endanger being asked back.

Acceptance to these races means overcoming years of pre-conceived notions about beach cats and multi-hulls in general. So far I think we've proven ourselves worthy. But it doesn't take much to undermine that, I think in many circumstances you're one or two incidents away from being banned on safety reasons.

There are those that feel that the record of the R-33 so far is undermining things in that regard, and point to the effective banning of the design or modifications to rules to specify stability requirements from the Great Lakes region and West Coast as proof. Fear is that if pushed too far multi hull participation itself might be endangered. The results so far have been to blame crews and start a new racing organization.

Anyway, my points weren't made simply to try to shoot down what they are trying to do. I'm not convinced their simple approach to handicaping will keep people happy. You only need to have scored a series or two to see that, IMO. I believe the three things you can discuss that will get people riled up is politics, religion, and sailboat racing handicap systems. Just witness discussions about whether Texel or Portsmouth is the way to go... And I'm not convinced that the sport boats will show up en mass, as they already have a spot in the show and won't care to be pummeled by high-performance multis.

If it turns out to be a multhull enabler, awesome. Visibility for the sport is a great thing. Like I said, I wish them luck, and I don't bring these things up to disuade people from joining in. But maybe somebody adds them into the thought process. I hope their motives are pure. Sometimes a new body helps, other times it merely splinters what you have and weakens both.

Once again, I ask, is there any other group or organization which has PROMOTED and EXECUTED a better, more inclusive style of racing? As we all know, there will never be a perfect way to rate dissimiliar boats, just can't be done. What we need here on the west coast is to get the boats out racing. However that gets done is fine with me. ORCA has had at least 30+ years to do so and although they are mostly extremely intelligent and affable blokes, their racing fleets are in steady decline. Only 2 or 3 boats race ORCA in my area, although there are many, many boats which would qualify. Afterburner vs. one F-boat is more of a sightseeing tour than a race. So, if you gots a better organization then have at it, if your only answer is to sit on the sideline taking potshots at a sincere effort to increase participation, then reconsider, we need all the help we can get.

Even if I'd had the time to elaborate, I couldn't have said it better. Thanks.

Mitch et al, there is no reason why y'all cannot work within established groups to achieve your goals. In fact, it is prolly best, since the established groups have the advantage of name recognition...

sea ya
tami

But the existing organizations have all proven themselves 100% unwilling and or unable to achieve the goal of promoting the sport, especially here in California, where there is a rotting cat or F-boat in every backyard and virtually no one races. So, if their efforts have consistently failed, for whatever reasons, doesn't it make sense to attack the problem in a different manner?

Just so's you know, I am pals with Randy R. and have been lucky enough to drive a 33 quite a bit, so you could say I have some interest in seeing xs succeed. But let's return to the original point, which is to get a big pile o' boats together and race. I could really care less who organizes it, and I can tell you that Randy's primary interest is in only one thing; going fast. He's really only happy when he's about 10 feet up in the air going 20+ knots. We all know that half of any given fleet (the back half) is going to cry about ratings, so I'll volunteer to come in last place. As long as I get to see a bunch of fast boats squealing down the beach I'll be stoked. And as to mixed fleets, I can say from much personal experience, lots of modern monos will shock the bananas outta you with how fast they can go. Many's the time when I sat in stunned bewilderment as I was eating a fire hose on a short-handed multi, and there's some carbon "lead mine" pacing us for hour after hour while their crew appears to be casually sipping martinis in matching polo shirts. So who's gonna show up? Come on people! Roll call time...