Cruisers to Racers: CCA Class Racing 1973-1977 (Part 4)

MEASUREMENT RULE HANDICAPPING - THE WEIGHT FACTOR

Reference has been made to the difficulty of properly weighing sailboats under the CCA Measurement Rule [or any measurement rule requiring boat displacement for that matter]. The measurement rule of the Cruising Club of America was a formula for correcting the waterline length of a boat to obtain a rated length. It took into consideration the principle factors which affect the potential speed of a sailboat - waterline length, sail area, type and depth of keel, and its displacement or weight, for example. In 1975 there was concern in the VSC regarding how boat weights were being done in the LCRC as is revealed in this letter to Steele Griswold of the LCRC.

"Dear Steele,
It has been reported to us that two irregularities in weighing systems for ratings have occurred. One concerns the use of a non-sealed scale which apparently has a wide scattering of results and the other has to do with a hydraulic scale which has reproduceable results but apparently is not calibrated.

This was discussed at a regular meeting of the Valcour Sailing Club on the 28th of May and the following decisions were made:
  1. The use of conventional scales shall be limited to sealed scales and no weight obtained on a non-sealed scale shall be considered valid for rating purposes.
  2. No weighting system shall be used for rating other than a sealed scale unless it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of all measurers that this system has been calibrated over a range of weights, that the results over this range are comparable with the results on sealed scales, and that these results are reproduceable.
The Valcour Sailing Club is most concerned, inasmuch as no single source of weight information is available, that weights obtained for rating purposes are, in fact, true weights. The use of uncalibrated weighing systems and unsealed scales presents an error factor which will completely ruin the rating structure and totally invalidate all certificates.

It is the opinion of this Club that any rating certificates issued on uncalibrated weighing system results or on weights on unsealed scales should be invalidated and the practice is using uncalibrated weighing systems and unsealed scales should cease immediately.

Our representatives on the LCRC have been instructed to insist upon these provisions at the next meeting of the LCRC committee.

Sincerely yours,

David B. McDowell, M.D., Commodore"


Several observations, which are of historical importance in the sense of some institutional memory, are reflected in this concern for accuracy of boat weight. First is the fact that any measurement rule, whether it be CCA, Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC), or International Offshore Rating (IOR), or several others used from time to time, involves some expense to the boat owner if the boat's physical characteristics are to be determined with a reasonable degree of accuracy. In order to achieve some confidence in the measurement rule, all skippers must be convinced that all competitors are fairly rated in terms of the data being used to "crank out" the ratings. The ultimate test of that confidence is for a skipper, who has lost a race by a few seconds over a lengthy course, to feel that he or she was beaten by superior sailing and not by an unfair rating. Second is the idea that a measurement rule rates the boat and not the boat/skipper combination as in the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) system. This fact can lead to complications induced by "designed to rule" boat design and rapid obsolescence of boats not designed to that rule. Finally, racing committeees need to be aware of the effect the rating method can have on the enthusiasm of its racing members.

There can be within the Club's racing fleet a divergence of interests in the type of competition as is reflected on the national scale between quasi-professional "hot shots" and the more laid back club racer who cannot or will not afford the latest technology in boats and gear. There seems to be no reason why the Club cannot provide both categories of racing - as well as that third category variously referred to as "working sails" or "cruising class."


THE VALCOUR RULE

While the CCA measurement rule was being used in the racing fleet, there was a need for a less demanding rule for the "Working Sails" or Cruising Class in the Club. Since the CCA rule, as we have seen, required careful weighing and measuring of the boat, there were many skippers who did not want to go to that much trouble for a few informal club races. To answer this need, the "Valcour Rule" was devised in the mid-seventies to allow quick handicapping of boats in the working sails class. The following appeared in the 1976 Yearbook.

"Working Sails - A class organized for boats lacking spinnakers and full race gear. Working-sails classes will be handicapped according to the Valcour Rule as follows. Under this rule, rated length equals one-half the sum of L.O.A. [length overall] and L.W.L. [length at waterline]. One foot is subtracted from the rating for a solid propeller. There is no penalty for jibs up to 120 percent There is a 0.5 foot penalty for jibs over 120 percent but not more than 150 percent of the foretriangle. For jibs over 150 percent, the penalty is 0.7 percent" [RdF - a check with the 1975 Yearbook would indicate that the penalty for jibs over 150 percent of J was 0.7 ft and not .7 percent as indicated. Also, the headsail penalty was not cumulative.]

The simplicity of the "Valcour Rule" is obvious. A boat rated the average of its two lengths: length overall and length at waterline. Generally, this data were available from most boat manufacturer's pamphlet or other listings. Since working jibs rarely exceeded 120 percent of "J" (foretriangle base), the only other question was whether or not the boat had an exposed propeller - folding props on cruisers of that time must have been rare. The only handicapping rule that is more simple is that of the one-design class as given in the VSC yearbook for 1976: "If there are three or more boats of the same class, they may elect to race as a one-design class without handicap."


CRUSING ACTIVITIES OF THE VSC

With the expansion of social activities in the Club made possible by the leasing of the clubhouse, there was an expansion of the scheduled cruises in the mid-seventies. A separate cruise committeee was established to coordinate these formally scheduled cruises. From the 1976 yearbook, this:
"In addition to the two long cruises, there will be shorter overnight and day cruises with raft-ups in the Valcour- Plattsburgh area. These will be scheduled on non-racing weekends as desired by the membership." Scheduled that year was the "Willsboro Bay Cruise" of June 26th & 27th and the "Labor Day Cruise to Westport." Apparently, the longest cruise ever scheduled for members of the Valcour Sailing Club was the 1977 cruise to Whitehall. First mentioned at an executive meeting on December 16, 1976, "Norm Lawrance announced a cruise to Whitehall to leave June 25th and return before July 4th (1977). Three boats are going so far." From the Club's 1977 records is this listing:


VSC 1977 Cruise to Whitehall [RdF--Hearing that that cruise was an eventful one, I asked Alice Connors in 1986 if she could provide a brief anecdote from memory. She obliged with the following.]

"The Valcour Sailing Club is not much into cruising these days, but during the last week of June in 1977, several members participated in a memorable one. The cruise began for some of us late on Friday afternoon in a wild southerly beat to Sloop Cove on Valcour from Dock & Coal (leaving Dock & Coal in a big south wind is an adventure in itself). The anchors had just hit the bottom when a whopper of a thunderstorm hit. After it passed, a quiet night was spent in a dead calm.

"The next morning we formed a loose caravan with the new arrivals and motored south toward Partridge Harbor. It was so calm that it was easy to see a strange shape in the water crossing our path at a right angle when we were about one-half mile east of Pumpkin Reef. Most members of the crews (Jim still scoffs) of Esperance and Starfinder say it had to be Chaousarou (not the McDowell's boat but Champy).

"We arrived in Partridge late in the afternoon after we had finally had a chance to sail. Partridge may be the best anchorage on the lake. It has such a narrow entrance, it is quite hard to find. Once in, one finds a smallish harbor with room for very few boats unless the boats are tied stern to the trees with anchors off the bow. We did this and rafted to each other; it is a great arrangement.

"We spent two nights at Partridge. On Sunday most people went on an unusual ride up to Otter Creek to Vergennes. The rest of us spent the day swimming and fishing. There was a walleye dinner on Esperance that night. (Peter cleaned the fish and Alice cooked).

"On Monday we cruised to Buoy 39 Marina, passing Ft. Ticonderoga in the process. It is a great sight from the Lake.

"On Tuesday we motored to Whitehall. The southernmost part of the lake is reminiscent of the river in the film "The African Queen." It is quite an adventure to come bow-to-bow, as we did, with a barge in such a narrow, shallow waterway in the pouring rain. On Tuesday night we tied our boats to the dock of Whitehall and went to the Skene Manor for dinner. They claim there is a person buried behind the bar in this place. It was a terrific time.

"The next day we headed home. Some of us stayed at Crown Point while others opted to sail with the full moon all the way back to Valcour or Dock & Coal. Most of us still think the Whitehall Cruise was one of the best events the club has ever organized. It would be great to try it again. Who knows? Champy might put in an appearance for some new members. Alice Connors"

About the same time of the Whitehall Cruise, there appeared to be growing interest in this activity in the Valcour Sailing Club. In a bulletin dated June 24, 1977, a provision was made for giving "Cruising Awards" which stated that in order "to make our cruising events more interesting, awards will be given to each skipper who participates in a club sponsored cruise covering a distance of 100 or more miles and in which at least three boats participate. An award for each cruise will also be given for the best logbook and the best photograph taken."


THE NAUTICAL WHITE ELEPHANT GRAB BAG

One reference is made, in the records of the VSC for 1976, of a "nautical white elephant grab bag" which was held in conjunction with a combination cocktail hour and general membership meeting. In this announcement, Commodore Wayne Twining said that "our comradeship should be evident twelve months of the year, not merely during the sailing season." This vignette of Club activity is an illustration of some of the creative thinking that went into making Club activities in the off season more interesting for the members.

"Every member and guest is requested to dig into their closet of Nautical Misfits and extract one item of little or no value and bring said item with them for deposit into a grab bag. Each item should be of nautical significance and gift wrapped neatly in a brown paper bag (one item per couple). Only those who bring a gift are eligible to take a gift in return. We are out to prove that it is really better to give than receive."


SERIES RACING 1976

Social and cruising activities appeared to have an impact on the Club's series racing in 1976. Since the active core of the Valcour Sailing Club changes very little from year to year, memories of a "burn-out" racing schedule can be followed by a shift of emphasis in the following year to less emphasis on racing and more activity in socializing and cruising. The mood of the Club at the end of the 1976 season is reflected in these minutes of a December meeting.

"Discussed awarding of club trophies: Two of the 5-race series were cancelled. George Stump is the only member of the racing class to race the 3-race minimum. However, since he didn't submit a racing certificate, he is disqualified from contention. Twining moved we waive the original rules and judge by participation only. (Passed) "Since Dave McDowell and Bill Rowe were tied on points for 2nd place, the tie was broken by using the lowest corrected time for Race #4, in which they both sailed.

"Organization for club races was discussed. There is discontent with the present division for boats into racing and working sails classes. Boats in working sails cannot fly spinnakers even though they have them, yet they cannot compete with sleeker boats in racing class. After considerable discussion, everyone agreed to the proposals made by Peter Hornby that all boats race in a single class and that the club develop a single club rule on which all boats would be handicapped. Although it would not be perfectly fair, it would allow all boats to race together.

"Factors to be considered in the handicap rule were brought up - Length Over All, Length Water Line, weight to length (ratio), main luff (size), solid prop vs. folding prop. A committeee will be appointed to develop the rule. [RdF - note that this discussion occurred after the Valcour Rule had been used for the Working Sail Class as outlined in the 1976 Yearbook. In the next section, we will see the MORC rule initially adopted by the VSC, but the Club would yield to the LCRC's choice of PHRF in that same year.]

"Members also agreed to have a Wednesday night series for all club boats. In order to free captains from the task of finding a crew, it was agreed that boats carry only a main and headsail, with no sail changes allowed. Races could start off Crab Island, halfway between the Turtle and Dock & Coal."

"The cost of running the club was discussed. Last year (1976) we spent $200 on the committeee boat. The consensus was that we get rid of it, since it is seldom used, and presents costly headaches. At the general meeting in January, we'll vote on whether to sell it (or not). Bill Empsall suggested we write to each of the stockholders and ask them to donate their share in the boat to the Club."

"Bill Empsall suggested we put less emphasis on the search for a clubhouse and concentrate on other activities. However, he suggested that the club have a committeee to investigate likely properties. Sites mentioned were the Yacht Club, Valcour Campsite, Prays, an old warehouse near Dock & Coal.


HANDICAPPING FOCUS OF DISCUSSIONS

Among many of the active racers the subject of handicapping was becoming a major focus in the late 1970's. At a January, 1977 LCRC meeting, it was observed that "because the USYRU is working on a new club race handicapping system to be available for 1978, possibilities for the 1977 LCRC handicapping system were discussed. Should the LCRC 1) continue with CCA, 2) change to MORC, or 3) use MORC time tables with CCA ratings?" It was decided to continue use of a modified CCA rating system for one more year. In January of 1978, the Valcour Sailing Club voted to adopt the MORC rule as its primary rule for handicapping and recommended to the LCRC that they also race under MORC, with boats over thirty feet using the IOR rule. A month later it was learned that the "Lake Champlain Yacht Club and the Mallets Bay Boat Club may attempt to unite insofar as their handicap system (is concerned) and that this system might well be Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF). In this case there would be sufficient votes in the LCRC to have LCRC race PHRF. It was the opinion of the Executive committeee that Valcour Sailing Club should continue to race MORC as originally planned but would have no objection to scoring LCRC races under PHRF."

In March, 1978, it was noted that the "MBBC and LCYC have both voted to use PHRF for their clubs and presumably will want to use this for LCRC competition as well. A Lake Champlain PHRF will be organized with one handicapper from each club. This organization will supply PHRF handicaps to the individual clubs and to the LCRC... While VSC will run its races under MORC the figures for PHRF will be calculated as well to help Lake Champlain PHRF." In October of 1978, "after lengthy discussion as to the pros and cons for MORC vs PHRF, a decision was made on the basis of what would be best for our Club. A motion was made by Dave Gorman that for next year we race under PHRF. The motion passed with the majority present voting in favor of the motion. Briefly, the pros for using PHRF were the simplicity of the system, the cost factor, and the ease (in) obtaining information ratings for new boats. The cons against MORC were the fact that boats would have to be weighed and measured and the great expense this would be both for the club and the individual members."


PARTING SHOTS ON CCA CLASS RACING

The middle seventies in the Valcour Sailing Club were years of experimentation and diversification, both in boats sailed and programs added on and off the water. With more club members opting for cruiser-racer yachts in the 24 to 30 foot size, cruising activities, involving families, were enjoyed. This led to the 'great clubhouse experiment' of 1975 with its on-shore social activities centered about the Fifth Hole Cottage. Racing activity, judging from the records, seemed to decline somewhat in 1976 and 1977. Certainly the intensity of racing, as exemplified at the height of one-design competition in 1971, is not reflected in the race schedule or in minutes of the meetings. Much of the effort of the members was diffused into a variety of on-shore activities and more laid back offshore racing and cruising.

The influence of the Lake Champlain Racing Conference remained, however. A few of the VSC club racers were also very active in the LCRC despite the distractions of other Club events and trends. In 1974, Harry Walcoff dominated the LCRC Class C in Wiki Wiki followed by Valcour VI and Barefoot. In Class D, Nimue' was the overall winner. In the following year, Barefoot was the Class C overall winner with no other VSC boats showing. In 1976, Valcour VI, Impulsive, and Wiki Wiki ranked 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in class C while Dave's Old Boat and Williwaw II ranked 2nd and 4th in Class D. In 1977, Impulsive was the overall Class C champion while Williwaw, Wildfire, and Dave's Old Boat ranked 2nd, 4th, and 5th in Class D. In Class A & B during those years, the Vermont clubs were dominating the races with little or no participation by VSC club boats except for Crisis which finished 4th overall in Class B in 1976 and 1977. For the committeed racers, the lure of competition was often in the more challenging LCRC races.

The late 1970's was a time of much technical innovation in sailing on the national scene. The striving for higher performance in a class of boats to be dubbed the "racer-cruiser" was reflected in new low-stretch fibers in the making of sails and cordage, generally lighter displacement of hulls, and a simplification of cabin appointments below deck. At about the same time, the development of the Pacific Handicap Racing Fleet rule in southern California, which sought to rate actual performance of competing boats, provided a more egalitarian approach to yacht racing than had been the case with the measurement rules, and its resulting "designed-to-rule" boats, which often led to quick obsolescence of older boat designs. Clearly, the PHRF handicapping system was more suitable for club racing in that it permitted a greater variety of designs, both old and new, to race as a single club fleet. The Valcour Sailing Club, in the late seventies, reflected an adjustment to this national trend. In the process, the distinction between LCRC racing, particularly in Class A & B, and Club racing, would be more pronounced in the eighties than it had ever been in the past.

The Valcour Sailing Club, which had begun as a group of "spray in the face" centerboard boats in the sixties, moved up to small keel boats in the early seventies, was now again moving up from the small cruiser-racers of the middle seventies to the newer, exciting, higher-tech higher-performance racer-cruiser. But there remained a core of cruiser/club racers in the Club who enjoyed the local competition and camaraderie that could be found in the Club without a need to strive for the "cutting edge" of performance which the latest technology could provide - at a cost. The Club was maturing in its ability to serve both the "club" racer and the "flat-out" racer.

René du Fort June 1986, revised 6/2001