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Portsmouth Number for Princess?


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Hey John, 

Not sure what you mean by a Portsmouth number. If you mean a Registration number, that is issued by the State. Yours will be NH something.

In Massachusetts it's handled by the Environmental Police. They came to measure and give me a Hull ID Number. Then I went to Boston to pay taxes and reg fees. Hope that helps. Look for me if you get out to the Atlantic this summer. Portsmouth is right up the coast.

Norm

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Portsmouth numbers are established based on performance of the boat in organized races with other boats that have established Portsmouth numbers.  Anything else is a SWAG.  Having scored many races of boats with such ratings  I could guess but that's all it would be.  A better method would be to look at the numbers established for boats of similar potential which you can find for almost all of them here:

http://www.ussailing.org/portsmouth/tables2008.asp 

A Sea Pearl is about 97 and around a closed course in light to moderate winds, a Sea Pearl should be rated faster than the P22.  I'm guessing about 100.

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Yes, exactly, I meant the Portsmouth yardstick.  Thanks Tom.

        http://www.ussailing.org/portsmouth/

I joined a club as a racing member a couple of years ago and routinely place, commensurate with skill level, IQ and overall energy, somewhere near the bottom.  The most similar boats usually racing in the same (open) class are a Hunter 23 and Tanzer 22.  The skippers are really good sailors, but up until now I was under the impression that the boat also had something to do with it.  However, I just found out my boat was assigned a 96.3, similar to the Hunter.  Unfortunately I have just enough ego that I can't suppress the wishful thought that the low-key rig, or at least the name "Princess", might warrant a higher number for the Princess. 

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The skippers are really good sailors, but up until now I was under the impression that the boat also had something to do with it. 

And you were correct.  Handicap racing will never be totally fair.  Ratings will never be totally accurate.  And even if they are a good average for all boats concerned, boat designs are better or worse under different weather conditions.  The only truly fair racing is one-design.  You can race in bath tubs. As long as everyone agrees on the brand to sail, it is a race of skill.  For the record, I like Kohler.  ;) 

I can't help with your question, just had to get that off my chest.

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Portsmouth numbers are for open boats.  You will need to look for PHRF numbers for the Princess.  Officail measurers can give you a starting PHRF number.  There probably isnt one and it would be different for various parts of the country.

Partly true Joe, in that most keelboats race under PHRF and most small open boats race under Portsmouth ratings.  However, long ago someone made a conversion formula for PHRF to Portsmouth and vice-versa.  Some of these numbers were arrived at by actual fleet racing performance but most of them come from the formula.

Take a gander at the site I listed and you will find Portsmouth numbers for just about any keelboat racing now or back quite a ways in the USA.  Hundreds of them.

The main difference in these numbers is that PHRF is based on time on distance and Portsmouth is based on time on time.  Each method had its advocates and detractors depending on how their boat fares under each.  As Dave said, none are really fair and none will ever be.

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