Handicaps for the 2026 Season

Setting Handicaps

The Table below shows the Portsmouth Yardstick Numbers (PNs) the Sailing Team has decided to use for the coming racing season. Setting handicaps to allow different designs of boat to race against each other fairly is not easy so we have followed the best practice as recommended by the RYA.

We start by looking at the RYA's annually published list of "baseline PNs", recognizing they are based on results submitted from clubs across the country, including many whose sailing conditions are quite different to those in Chichester Harbour. Boats competing on flat inland water around courses with very short legs will perform differently to those sailing in a large estuary with long legs, strong currents and sometimes choppy water.

The RYA therefore recommend that clubs use data both from their own results and from other clubs who race in similar conditions to adjust the national baseline PNs, as we have done for many years. The tool that the RYA provides for clubs to submit their race results, PY Online, allows us to compare data with the 7 other clubs in Chichester Harbour that run handicap races. For each class we consider the quality of the data available (a reflection of the number of such boats competing), as described below the table. Inevitably, the process is not an exact science. The relative performance of particular classes varies, of course, according to conditions; furthermore, certain boats/classes may choose not to compete in particular conditions or types of races so their data is then skewed.

In the table, the first column lists the classes and is followed by the PNs used last season. The next two columns show PNs computed from the results for 2022 to 2025 seasons, first for WWSC alone and then with the other Chichester Harbour clubs included. Then the RYA national baseline PNs published both this and last year are given (not all classes are included in RYA's list). Greyed cells indicate that data is unavailable. Finally, the Sailing Team's agreed WWSC PNs for use this season (in Green) are shown.

If a boat uses different rigs within a series, (e.g. Laser switching between full, radial and/or 4.7 or Aero switching between 5, 6 and/or 7), the lowest PN of the rigs is applied throughout the series.

2026 Handicaps Table

How the data is used to set WWSC PNs

1. For popular WW classes, PN midway between WWSC & Chichester Harbour values: 2000, ILCA 4/6/7, Topper.
2. For less popular WW classes but popular elsewhere in the harbour, Chichester Harbour value: RS Aero 5/6/7, RS Feva XL.
3. When there are few of the class racing within the harbour, the RYA PN if published, otherwise PN based upon recent performance: Contender, Devon Yawl, Lightning, Lymington Scow, Optimist, Osprey, Pico Race, RS 200, RS 800, Supernova old hull, Topper 4.2, Wayfarer.
4. For classes racing only at WW within the harbour & not listed by the RYA, PN based upon recent performance: Cornish Coble, RS Zest.
5. In all cases, changes from previous year are moderated to reduce dramatic moves (i.e. changes limited to ±10).

Last updated 17:41 on 1 March 2026