HLSTC Club Championship scheme 2024

This is a summary of the main features of the scheme. As this is experimental, it will be kept under review, and minor changes may be made during the year.

1. No Fast and Slow Divisions – Single Competition

In a change from previous years, there is just one competition for the championship. The separation between Fast and Slow Fleets has become arbitrary and artificial, and it makes more sense to run a single combined competition. Up to five places will be awarded prizes.

2. Earn Championship points in each major series.

There are 16 main race series scheduled for 2024. In each series, we allocate championship points to the first 10 places - 25 for the series winner, then 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 and 2, down to 1 point for 10th place. But you need to sail in at least 30% of the races in the series, to qualify for any points. (The scale is reduced if the number of races and/or the number of active entries is below a certain level.) At the end of the year, everyone’s series points are totalled, and the highest scores indicate the winners.

3. One boat class per series entry.

This fits the way most people tend to sail: they use the same boat (or at least the same class) all the time. But you may wish to sail more than one class in a series (you’ve bought a different boat, for example, or your usual boat is damaged or unavailable, or perhaps you just like the variety). In this case the different boats will appear as separate entries in the results, just as if you were separate people; and at the end of the series, your best entry will be the one that can earn points for you. You don’t need to follow the same approach in every series; they’re all separate.

4. Racing Handicaps

The handicap (PN) for each class is published on the members’ website. If the published figures are updated during the year, the change will be applied at a date to be announced, normally with the start of a new series.

5. Classes with variants

If you sail a boat with more than one published configuration (like ILCA/Laser or Aero), you will need to declare which one you are using in a series, and the handicap for that selection will apply throughout the series. In a handicap series,if at any time you sail with a more powerful configuration, your selection will be changed to that one, and the series will be recalculated (unless you decide to start a separate entry using that variant). In a pursuit series, there is no option, and a separate entry will always be created, since it is not possible to recalculate the series.

6. Heavy weather

If weather conditions make it advisable, you are encouraged to change to a less powerful sail configuration, whether by reefing, where available, or by using smaller sails, or, in classes with variant configurations, by the use of a smaller rig. Whichever method applies, your handicap will remain the same, and your results shouldn’t be significantly affected, since other competitors are likely to be doing the same.