CARIBBEAN SAILING ASSOCIATION

Photo by Todd Van Sickle

The Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) is delighted to announce the launch of the CSA Multihull Rule. The rule was used successfully in 2014 under the name ‘Multihull Ratings’ and after being extensively tested against results from previous regattas and being satisfied with the results, the CSA is officially adopting the rule as its official multihull rule.

The rating system for multihulls was conceived to adapt the well established Texel Rating system to the local requirements of multihull racing in the Caribbean.  The formulas and calculations used in the rating system are based on those used successfully for the Texel Rating and its derivatives such as Multihull Dynamics, Multi 2000, Swedish Rating System and OMR among others.  Therefore rather than reinventing a new rule the Texel Rating System has been adjusted to achieve four key objectives; bring the method of sail area calculation in line with what is already in use by the CSA Monohull Rule; accommodate yachts with different sizes and types of daggerboards; accommodate yachts that use foils to reduce their wetted surface area; and simplify the formula to directly produce time correction factors that will assist regatta organisers to process results.

Development of the rule was carried out by CSA measurer Stuart Knaggs. Of the rule development he says “I was assisted by fellow measurer Alfred Koolen, Paul Miller of Regatta Guru and Nico Boon of the Texel Rating System. It has been found to return tighter corrected times that reflect yacht potential better than comparable systems.  Development of the rule will continue to adapt over time to address new innovations in yacht design.”

With the expected increase in numbers of boats in the region for 2015 as well as the inclusion of the Multihull Rule chief measurer Jeffrey Chen sees an important objective for the year to be recruitment of new measurers. Chen says “for the sport to continue to grow and our rule to continue to be the most accurate measurement of boat performance in our waters, we need to continually bring new talent into the team to challenge what we do as a group and ensure we are reviewing and assessing any potential impact on the rule calculation of new technology on an ongoing basis as we have done for more than fifty years.”

Jeffrey encourages anyone interested in training to become a measurer to contact the secretariat on secretariat@caribbean-sailing.com in the first instance.

As the international regatta season kicks off tomorrow with the Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series, all boats are encouraged to ensure they have made arrangements to update their rating in readiness for the season. Contact details for measurers on each island can be found at www.caribbean-sailing.com along with details of both the monohull and multihull rating rules.