I need your help to post the race scores fast. To score you quickly, I need accurate information about your boat. When you first start racing with us you need to register. Once on the computer, you need to tell me of any changes to your handicap, particularly if you switch in or out of D Class. And you need to be current with your fees.
As we start our new year race fees become due. When scoring your first race this year, I check to see that you paid. This is quick and easy, if you are on the paid list our Secretary gives me. If not, things get more complicated. To keep this short, I will say just that it makes scoring a lot easier if you are on the paid list. The easier it is to score a race, the faster I can get results out. So please make my job easier and pay before racing.
Now we do not want anyone to miss a race because they forgot to pay race fees. If you do slip up and find the day before that you forgot, we still want you to race. But do not hold up the scoring. Put the check is in the mail, then call or e-mail to tell me. I will know not to bother looking for your fees till next week.
Once registered and on the scoring computer, we have you. The computer remembers, even if it was years ago. You do not need to reregister unless your handicap changes. Or if you switch in or out of D Class. Then you need to tell me. Do not expect the RC skipper to tell me, even if you tell him. That is not his job. More often than not, I am not told. I want to know before you race, so I only have to score you once per race.
If you have not raced with us before, or have a new boat, you need to register and get on the computer. Members need to do three things to register to race PHRF:
Pay your races fees, $35, before racing. You can race one buoy race for free as a trial race, but if you know you are going to race the series, why wait? Make it easy on us and pay early. You need to do this every year.
Get a handicap: see John Martens, our Handicapper. D Class boats need to see Kelly Coon to get a handicap. I can not score you without one. I can not give you a handicap or talk to John for you. Please see John before you race. You need only do this once, unless you change sails, props, boats, or the like. To keep your handicap you need to keep current your PHRF dues. PHRF will bill you annually.
Tell me, your scorer, which class you wish to sail in: your appropriate PHRF class or D Class. I will also need your name, sail number, and boat name. Again you need only do this once, unless you wish to change something: your handicap, class, boat ... If you do change classes at times, the computer will remember which class you last sailed in, even if you do not. When in doubt, call and tell me which class you want to sail in before you race.
Portsmouth racers if you are bringing out a new boat, see me before racing.Our registration process is pretty simple and basic. There is however a certain amount of information I need to score you in a race. Please make sure you are registered before racing.
Steve Worcester
Running a race can be a challenge, as you will discover when it is your turn to run one. It is not just starting the race that can be trying. Finishing is another opportunity to get things wrong. It is not always easy to identify boats you may never have seen before.
The racers, you, can help. First fly your class flag: a pennant of the color assigned to your class. It will give the RC some idea of who a mystery boat might be. That, and finishing first in class, might even get you a gun rather than a honk.
Then, rather than rounding the pin end and heading for home, go by the RC boat so that they can get a good look at you. If they are not busy, you might even talk to them. You do need to be sure to stay out of the way of boats that are finishing and not to distract the RC as they take finishers.
Lastly, note who finishes around you, particularly who finishes directly in front and directly after you. If we end up with an unidentified finish time, or there is a question about the results, we can usually resolve it fairly easily, as long as the skippers can tell me who finished around them.
Steve Worcester