How to get more boats on the water by Rooster Sailing

We are all keen to increase numbers on the water, give all participants something to work harder for. Sometimes it appears that the event is designed for the winners, who get the encouragement to work harder to stay at the top. In sailing we do not have many ways to measure our performance around the course apart from finishing position. In other sports such as running, each competitor can take solace in measuring their performance against their previous time. Their overall position can be irrelevant, but they are keen as ever to improve every time they race which helps drive them on. I wonder if this is why we struggle to convert sailors into racers as they find themselves with little to show for their efforts and decide to take up other more self motivating sports. This press release is not about how they could improve their sailing by using the latest DVD releases, but how we can help to stimulate sailors competitive juices and measure peoples improvement as they develop their sailing ability with a handicap system that has proved immensely popular.

This handicap system is called the PRATT system. Personalised Rating Against Time Taken - there is lots of interesting detail - and the best part is playing the joker.

This system has been developed by Gary Smith (07711 576585) of Eastbourne Sovereign Sailing Club. Gary developed it for sailors in Lasers. His club racing went from 4 boats on a Wednesday evening to 20. The objective of the racing is to make sailing as cheap as possible, so it's Jungle Rules.

Jungle Rules: Which means you can choose your rig depending on the conditions and still count for the overall prize. So sailors can use a 4.7, Radial, Standard or Rooster 8.1 Rig to give them the best PY adjusted time around the course.

The 'normal' handicapper produces the PY adjusted finishing times (which incidentally are still used to produce the fleet champion) and hands them over to the PRATT system co-ordinator known as the 'PRATT meister' . Each finishing time is then adjusted by the PRATT handicap number. For example, there is a sailor at Eastbourne who is sailing a boat that cost him £70. He would never normally win a club race as his boat is a shed, but he is given a -6 minute (-360 seconds adjustment) PRATT handicap which means if he finishes within 6 minutes of a zero handicap sailor on corrected time, he beats them. The PRATT Meiser adjusts all the official PY adjusted finishing times and adds or subtracts the PRATT handicap to give the overall PRATT handicap finishing positions.

These PRATT handicap finishing positions and overall points are proudly posted alongside each boats PRATT handicap on a magnetic board together with the sailors name and picture. I am sure this helps competitors get to know each other and extends bar hours after racing.

Instead of giving the PRATT race winner 1 point, he/she is given the points of the number of entries for that race. So for example, with 15 entries, 1st (after PRATT handicap) gets 15 points, 2nd gets 14, 3rd gets 13 etc till last who gets 1 point . So the Winner of the race or series (with discards) is the one with the most points. Fortunately or unfortunately depending how you finished, there is an automatic adjustment to your PRATT handicap after that race score has been finalised. The first three boats in the race have their handicap increased by 1 minute (making it harder to win next time) and the last three have 1 minute subtracted from their handicap. Adjustments in PRATT handicap are indicated on the PRATT Notice Board in readiness for the next weeks race. Everybody is happy; the good sailors have their egos massaged by seeing their name on the PRATT board with the largest handicap number, and the beginners or those sailing a plank see their name on the board with some great scores.

The last two rules probably make it for me: In cycling you have the yellow jersey to show who is leading overall, well in the PRATT system at Eastbourne Sovereign, they have the PRATT Leaders Bib which has to be worn by the overall PRATT leader. Its a tatty old Rooster Pink Bib that is now tired and in need of replacement and it is handed over ceremoniously in the bar should the overall PRATT leader change after the latest scores are calculated. Another way to keep bar and galley takings up! Lastly - and this is the exciting part, during the series you can play one joker. To play it you have to sign on and put a 'J' next to your name to double that race's PRATT score. It can make or break your series and adds some spice to the racing when you see that your arch rival has signed on with the Joker. Apparently someone has scored as much as 30 points on a well played joker and as little as 2 when played badly. It is all nail biting stuff - but isn't this what club sailors and sailing club evening socials are all about?

Rooster are keen to help promote the PRATT system so we are devising a PRATT Pack. The PRATT Packs will include a PRATT Leaders Top, templates for making your own PRATT Notice Board, the latest version of the PRATT Handicap XL spreadsheet to help you calculate your leader and of course the latest suggested PRATT Rules. You can always make house rules to suit yourself. If you are interested in running your own PRATT System, please contact Rooster Newsletter or check out Steve's Blog for the latest ideas and suggested adjustments.

Instruction Manual courtesy of Gary Smith, Tel 07711 576585, Email