mark homer
Was at a presentation by IRC at Kip Marina on monday where Mike Urwin made case for RYA s new NHC personal performance racing system (in hope it gets more bums on water with top end cross over to IRC ) .To be run in Tandem with Rating systems . .
there were at least 4 sonata owners there for various vested reasons , quick chat after and it transpired that there was a thought this could used in tandem with Sonata one design racing , thus giving everyone in the fleet something to race for and keep fleets enthused .
Whilst ideal for series racing , I reckon would even be good for nationals etc , giving EVERYONE a chance at winning something . Lots of classess I know try to do something like this , Dart 18s for eg and they still get whopping turnouts at nationals etc
Jist a thought .
http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/news/Pages/Puttingthepiecestogether.aspx
mark homer
My Company Odyssey will sponsor a prize for the echo winner of weds night sonata racing if the company name is published alongside echo sonata results etc and in any press releases .
Hopefully east patch may adopt NHC rather than Echo , from the sound of it echo perhaps needs a bit of arbitary fudging – but whatever .
I think running tandem racing results without prizes is merely academic and otherwise a waste of time , Praps the prestigeous Odyssey Award 
will turn out to be the one to win
Whilst as you say nhc system is to get more cruisey types of boats racing etc , does not mean that it cannot be used to good effect elswhere , I imagine it will develope by sheer scale of boats using into THE performance handicapping system ,
Im new to Sonatas cant deny , but would hate to see current influx and wave of enthuiasm to dwindle and die , though the class has stood test of time it has had its ups and downs .
Peter Booth
Thanks for that Mark – will see what we can do for you.
Peter Booth
Hi Mark,
We should use every tool that is avaiable to us to get more boats out competing. In the Sonata class I believe we buy Sonatas to compete against as similar a boat as possible and sail one design but we should not ignore the interest of other owners who want to know that they are improving. To that end I think the class is very good and friendly at helping others to improve.
On the East Patch we are going to be running the Echo (Irish) system alongside our normal results this year but it will only be for the interest of those that wish to use it and prizes will not be given.
I think the main purpose of the NHC system is to try to get more cruiser racing from those boats
which are not racing now and tend to be the more cruisey type of boat and is more of interest to the South coast and not the Clyde/West of Scotland which has a good CYCA handicap system running in conjuction with IRC but we should be prepared to adopt and advance anything which gets those ‘bums on the water’ as you say.
Peter