Laser 2 vs Laser 1 - which is faster?

[Mechoption]

I'm thoroughly confused because the US Portsmouth numbers list the Laser 1 as faster then a Laser 2 ?!??!?!?!?! http://www.ussailing.org/portsmouth/

BUT, the UK Portsmouth numbers list the Laser 2 as faster than a Laser 1 !!?!?!? http://www.rya.org.uk/KnowledgeBase/technical/pys.htm

I'm sailing my a$$ off here in my Laser 1 because I'm expected to beat Laser 2's on the water !? How does the US handicap system have such a major flaw?

Cheers,

 

[etchells707]

I've never looked at the portsmouth ratings, but having owned both Laser and Laser 2 (but never having raced the latter), I have a hard time believing the Laser rating should be lower than the Laser 2. I think our friends in the UK (where I believe there is a much bigger contingent of Laser2 sailors) have the right numbers.

 

[John Gilmour]

Portsmouth numbers are not perfect since they are based on the races that are submitted. If a few bad sailors race Laser 2s in some Portsmouth races, that will make the boat seem slower than it is. I have sailed a Thistle in Portsmouth handicap races, and I'm sure the numbers are wrong. The Portsmouth numbers give the Thistle too much advantage in light wind and not enough in strong winds.

Here is a suggestion: make sure that the people running the races submit the results so that they are incorporated in the next Portsmouth calculations.

 

[Merrily]

I have sailed a Thistle in Portsmouth handicap races, and I'm sure the numbers are wrong. The Portsmouth numbers give the Thistle too much advantage in light wind and not enough in strong winds.

Here is a suggestion: make sure that the people running the races submit the results so that they are incorporated in the next Portsmouth calculations.

I think the Portsmouth numbers are based on the Thistle, that is, everything is compared to the Thistle. So can it be possible that the Thistle numbers are wrong?

 

[John Gilmour]

Right! The Thistle numbers are correct by definition. So all the other boats are rated incorrectly.

 

[Wavedancer]

In the same vein, the ('basic') US Portsmouth handicap for the Laser Radial is 96.7 and for the Laser 4.7 it's 95.5 (lower is faster).
Figure that...

 

[Steven]

downwind definately the L>> is faster due to spinaker, as with on a reach with the chute and someone on the wire. Upwind it is about a tie, thus on a typical triangle with a sausage the L>> would finish ahead with equal qualified crews.

I had both types.

 

[Mechoption]

In the same vein, the ('basic') US Portsmouth handicap for the Laser Radial is 96.7 and for the Laser 4.7 it's 95.5 (lower is faster).
Figure that...

LOL, how can the US Portsmouth numbers authors sleep at night Can the authors even sail ??

 

[computeroman2]

I think the US Portsmouth numbers come from info sent in by racers. There are only two large races that I know of (CORK and newport regatta) where L2's race in the U.S. therefore even if people sent in numbers from those regattas (which I don't think gets done) there isn't much basis. The UK numbers are closer to correct.