PHRF Ratings

[magic Mike]

I have a Com-Pac Horizon Cat (20') I am looking for a PHRF or a Ports Smith rating for it. If you do not know of a Horizon Cat Rating do you know of any 20' Cat Boat (Gaff Rigged) that has a PHRF Rating or Ports Smith rating?

Thanks,
Mike Wingard

[GordMay]

The Horizon Cat started life as the Herreshoff America, designed by Halsey Herreshoff and built by Nowak and Williams. The Hutchins brothers of Com-Pac yachts bought the tooling and redesigned the boat to fit it into their family of shoal-draft cruising yachts. The hull form remained the same, but they added a shallow keel and centerboard, and modified the deck and rig.

The New England PHRF unofficially* rates the Herreshoff America “U360"
➥ PHRF New England - Handicapping - Base Handicaps

You might try searching or asking the Com-Pac Yacht Owners Association:
➥ Horizon Cat

Horizon Cat Performance Indicators by Com-Pac Yachts/The Hutchins Co.
D/L 198, SA/D 17.8, Comfort Ratio 12.0, CapsizeRatio 2.45, L/B 2.4

You might be interested in the CatBoat Sailing Manual
➥ http://www.tropicalboating.com/image...lingManual.pdf

* Official PHRF New England Handicaps are given to true cruiser/racer type boats. In general this means that the boat has the equipment required by the Offshore Racing Council Equipment for Category 4. A quick indication of likely conformance is if the boat has full lifelines and furniture inside. It must also have auxiliary power.

In cases where the boat is not a true cruiser/racer, an Unofficial Handicap may be given. This assists clubs that might allow a boat to race more informal races. These Unofficial Handicaps can never be used in a serious race. If the Notice of Race says that ORC Cat 4 equipment is required, the Unofficial Handicap is not acceptable.

Unofficial certificates have the word written on the certificate, usually in several places. The Valid List will show a "U" along with the handicap for Unofficial Handicaps. On the base handicap list, "U" follows the boat type designation for boats normally not eligible for an Official certificate.

I certainly admire your optimism & ambition.

[magic Mike]

I ahve always been entusiastic and I am certainly optimistic. I have raced a lot of boats. Several which I have owned. I have just never owned a CatBoat. There are not many Cat boats in the Mobile Bay Gulf Coast area. I don't want to race very often. However our yacht club has friendly Thursday night races. I think in would be fun to participate and I really beliieve the Catboats performance will suprise a lot of folks. We also have an annual race the "Dauphin Race" It starts at the upper portion of Mobile Bay and ends about 20 miles later at Dauphin Island. It is a large race with about 200 + boats of all sizes and types. It is a great day of fun. Most sail in it for the party like atmosphere. The race takes place in April. You have to have a rating to participate. I was hoping to have a rating by then. My serious racing days are long over. I just want to have fun. Thank you for your informative reply regarding ratings. Happy Sailing to you.

Magic Mike

[dixonwj]

There is a national catboat association. The Catboat Association, Inc.. They may be of help.

[daddle]

You local PHRF committee will assign you a rating. They presumably have access to the big book as well as god-like clairvoyance.