How Handicap Racing Levels the Field – A Beginner’s Guide to the Portsmouth Yardstick
At first glance, you’d think sailing races are won by whoever crosses the finish line first. Not always.
Thanks to the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap system, it’s possible for a slower boat to beat a faster one — not by speed alone, but by performance relative to the boat’s potential.
Which is good news for us. Because although we regularly come in last, we recently scored third overall in the series. Here's how.
What Is the Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) System?
The PY system gives every class of boat a number — the lower the number, the faster the boat is expected to be.
For example:
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A Laser might have a PY of 1100
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A Wayfarer might be 1107
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Our RS Toura is around 1230 (yes, that slow)
When everyone races together, their actual time is adjusted by the PY number, producing a corrected time. That’s what decides who wins.
So even if we cross the line behind a Phantom or an OK, we might beat them on corrected time — if we sailed our boat to its potential.
Why It Works
✅ Encourages mixed fleet racing
✅ Rewards good sailing, not just fast boats
✅ Lets newer sailors or heavier boats compete fairly
✅ Keeps the racing fun — even if you’re "less last"
🧭 Club Performance Number vs Personal Handicap – What’s the Difference?
(For use in a sailing club like UTSC)
| Feature | CPN (Club Performance Number) | Personal Handicap |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A club-calculated adjustment to a boat class’s Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) | A custom performance-based rating assigned to an individual sailor |
| Applied to | A boat class (e.g. all Lasers at UTSC) based on how they perform locally | An individual sailor, regardless of boat class |
| Purpose | Adjust for local conditions and club fleet averages | Level the playing field based on a sailor’s personal skill and experience |
| Basis for adjustment | Based on the historical results of all boats of the same class at the club | Based on individual race results over time |
| Who calculates it | The Sailing Committee or handicap officer using club race data | May be manually assigned by club or calculated by algorithm |
| Changes over time? | Yes – as club data improves, CPNs are updated | Yes – typically recalculated after a few races or events |
| Used when? | In standard handicap racing where boat class differences matter | In personal handicap series or fun events to encourage fair racing |
| Example use | Adjusting the RS Toura PY for Thames conditions | Giving a beginner a head start so they can compete against regulars |
| Fairness level | Adjusts for boat performance at your location | Adjusts for sailor performance, making things more personal/flexible |
🧩 How They Work Together at a Club
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The Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) is the national number
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The CPN is your club's version of the PY. This gives the RS Toura a better handicap based on the conditions
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A Personal Handicap goes a step further, adjusting for your own past results. So our own Personal Handicap increases our chances still further.
At UTSC, CPNs help tune the PYs for the River Thames and our unique sailing challenges (trees, bends, gusts).
A Personal Handicap might come in during a fun regatta or in a Wednesday evening pursuit race, helping newcomers compete with veterans.
Our Example
In a recent autumn series, Paul and I raced our RS Toura (not exactly a speed demon). We crossed the line behind everyone — every time — but because we improved our performance relative to our PY, we secured third overall.
It’s not about where you finish… it’s how well you race the boat you’re in.
📖 Learn more about handicap racing and the PY system at: https://pmrsailing.uk/Technical/Handicap.html
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