Fastnet race rules

[Mikthestik]

Given that multi hulls are faster than monohulls its not surprizing they are first past the post in the fastnet race. I have watched hours of video on racing and the fastnet in particular. In my opinion what makes racing dangerous is a combination of bad weather and the fact racers use as much sail as they dare. I can't find out what the IRC handycap formula is. I know there are about 12 racing classes in the race, but don't know if they are seperated by length sail area, displacement or a combination of all three.

 

[Mikthestik]

I found the attached doc of race times and handicaps. sorry cant upload it

 

[Mikthestik]

I found a doc of race times and handicaps, a JPK10.8 was the winner. Here is how I think the handicap was done. Pick any boat it does not even have to be competing, find its base speed and make that handicap 1. Then set other handicaps according to that boat for example.
Boat A Golden shamrock base speed = 1.88*LWL24.5^.5*SA382.25^.333/Disp7055^.25 =7.35 make this boat handicap 1
Boat B Contessa 32 = 7.05
Boat C Farr 40 = 10.68
Boat Time Corrercted time Handicap
A 5.1hrs 5.1 1
B 5.4hrs 5.16 0.959
C 3.7hrs 5.37 1.45
The boat which won the race would have had a handicap of 1.17 and to win the above race would need a finish time of about 4.2 hours. Note that first past the post is actually last, seems wrong somehow.

 

[CT249]

Just go to

https://www.rorcrating.com/

and you will find all the published information on the IRC rule that is used in the Fastnet. It's similar to your formula in some ways, but includes many more factors.

It's perfectly fair and correct if the first past the post boat is last if it's not sailed well or not performs well. Imagine a race between a Hobie 14, an F18 and an AC65 in which (hypothetically) the AC65 finishes in 5 hours, the F18 in 5 hours 1 second, and the Hobie 14 in 5 hours 2 seconds. Surely in that situation there's no way the Hobie deserves to lose on corrected time, and there's no way the AC65 would deserve to be anything but last on corrected time.