United States Performance Handicap Racing Fleet

Performance Handicap Racing Fleet Committee

The United States Performance Handicap Racing Fleet Committee (USPHRF) is a technical rule committee of US SAILING that promotes performance handicap racing for monohull and multihull sailing yachts applying the PHRF^® rule. The Committee researches, develops, and distributes guidelines for performance handicapping using systematically applied empirical methodology to determine estimates of speed potential. The Committee maintains a database of critical dimensions for production boats and a database of handicaps assigned by local and regional fleets associated with USPHRF. It publishes these data, periodic bulletins, and handicapping guidelines that are mailed to member fleets associated with US SAILING. Three subcommittees have special tasks. The Executive Subcommittee deals with management and evaluates application of the rule. The Technical Subcommittee updates the procedures and methodology for performance handicapping. The National Appeal Subcommittee hears appeals of handicaps forwarded from associated local and regional fleets.
 

Three Online Tools for PHRF Sailors

NEW NEW NEW Three online tools for Performance Handicap Racing Fleet sailors. Launched by the United States Performance Handicap Racing Fleet Committee (USPHRF), working in concert with US SAILING's Offshore Office, these tools include two databases—which contain handicap ranges and critical rig and hull dimensions for many production boats raced throughout the U.S.—in addition to an analysis tool that allows sailors and handicappers to develop a picture of how a given boat performs in relation to its handicap.

The first database, High/Low/Mean PHRF Handicaps as determined by USPHRF Affiliated Fleets, lists the high, low, and average PHRF handicaps for over 4,100 production boats that are raced in the U.S. under this handicapping system. The figures are the reported handicaps from affiliated fleets sent to USPHRF for the period running from March 1995 to March 2007.

The second database, Critical Dimensions of Boats for Handicapping, lists critical hull and rig dimensions for over 5,000 boats. This information was supplied by USPHRF affiliated fleets, boat manufacturers, naval architects, and other individuals who have made contributions to this database.

The third is a Graphic Display of Imputed Handicaps as an Analysis Tool that allows sailors and handicappers to develop a picture of whether a given boat is sailing well above its handicap, within expectations, or well below its handicap. By plugging fleet data into a spreadsheet for a series of races, handicappers can develop a picture of how a given boat is performing by calculating an imputed handicap and tracking that in a graph format.

USPHRF National Appeal Process
(97k PDF Acrobat file)