With the snow and wind recently, many boats simply weren't ready to get weighed and measured to get their full IRC rating in time for the first racing event of the year at Pwllheli Sailing Club and even those wanting the standard IRC rating found that it was just too windy to take such measurements as FL & P. With the glorious weather at the weekend, no-one wanted to avoid a competitive race to get a feel for their boat, especially those with recently purchased and previously unrated boats, unsure of whether they should race them or not. It was therefore a great help that we could all make use of the new NHC handicap that we had learned about just the previous week when Mike Urwin Technical Director - RORC Rating Office presented the IRC/NHC seminar. Test results were prepared by the Race Committee using the results from the Autumn Pwllheli Challenge series but we were all keen to see and learn how the new rating system worked on a live racing scenario.

It was a very cold Easter Weekend and the snow on the mountains of Snowdonia and mid Wales provided a majestic backdrop for the racing. The stiff Easterlies, gusting on the verge of force 7 at times, did discourage a few skippers but for those that ventured a great weekend was had. This was certainly evident when everyone returned to the club with beaming smiles on their faces, eager to look at the results.

So how did the new handicap system fair? Well, it certainly got people out on the water and by the smiles on their faces, I think they'll be hooked enough to apply for the full IRC handicap. For the boats that were already experienced racers with IRC applications in progress, they recognised that their subtle differences had been ironed out by the NHC handicap to give them the same handicap as a similar boat. If the racing had been more serious they would have wanted their extra 0.001 point to count, but then again that's what the full IRC rating is for. It is early days to see how the new handicap pan out, but for the purposes of this weekend, it was perfect - it provided a quick handicap that could be used by all and we all certainly enjoyed the weekend using it!

Pwllheli Sailing Club, the RYA's Welsh National Sailing Academy and Events Centre in Pwllheli, has incorporated the performance based NHC into the 2013 Racing Programme on a dual scoring basis with the resultant handicap being carried forward from series to series. The J cup Celtic Regatta in June will again be dual scored (IRC and NHC) but all competitors being set on their base figures at the start of the regatta.

We are confident that the ‘National Handicap for Cruisers’ will encourage new entrants to racing in Pwllheli.