Race Courses & Formats
Racing Mark Locations
The race courses at PDSC comprise a combination of fixed and temporary buoys. The approximate position of the buoys is shown on the chart below.
As our fleet of boats comprise multiple different classes, we race using the Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) handicap system. Each boat is allocated a handicap according to the latest published figures by the RYA.
Handicap Racing
In a handicap race, all boats start at the same time and the time when each boat finishes is recorded. After the race, the race management team enter the finish times into the software and a corrected time is calculated based on each boats PY to produce a ranked finishing order.
For the majority of the race series, the fleet is split into fast, medium or slow handicap classes based on the boat PY.
- Fast Handcap – PY less than 1060
- Medium Handicap – PY between 1060 and 1290
- Slow Handcap – PY greater than 1290
Pursuit Racing
In a pursuit race, the start times for each boat are calculated based on their PY with the slowest boats starting first and the fastest boat last. At the end of the prescribed time limit, the boat in the lead is the winner.