Class Structure
There are two classes of yacht in the PPP/PFI Challenge, the Beneteau 40.7 Class and the Oceanis 37 Class.
The Beneteau 40.7s are the larger and faster of the two classes of yachts and are designed for teams with more experience. They come with racing sails and spinnakers and Britannia will provide a professional skipper and first mate on each of these yachts.
The Oceanis 37s are smaller and slightly slower than the Beneteau 40.7s. They are a less technical yacht to sail, primarily due to the fact that they do not carry spinnakers and also due to the fact that their sails are smaller and are therefore easier to handle. Britannia will provide a professional skipper on each Oceanis 37. The Oceanis yachts are a new to the regatta this year, and will replace the previously used Bavairas. All Oceanis 37's will be brand new.
Handicap System
BOTH classes will race from level ratings. This means that there are, in effect, no IRC handicaps to apply to the finishing times of the yachts. This means that for the Oceanis 37's and now for the Beneteau 40.7s, the first across the line wins. This system is easier to understand and will make the racing far more enjoyable and straightforward.
Race Structure
There are 6 races scheduled during the regatta. Friday morning is reserved for the skippers' briefing, safety briefings and race training. The first 2 races will take place on Friday afternoon. The final 4 races will take place on Saturday.
The Beneteau 40.7s constitute Class 1 and the Oceanis 37s constitute Class 2. Class 1 will race seperately to Class 2 and will start first.
The start sequence for each class will be 5 minutes long, with a 5 minute warning, 4 minute, 1 minute and the a 'go' signal. Races will usually take 60-70 minutes each.
Points Scoring System and Discard
The Low Points Scoring System will apply to the regatta. This means that a team will score 1 point for 1st place, 2 points for 2nd place etc. The winning team will be the team with the lowest number of points.
In the event that two or more teams in the same class are tied on equal points, the team with the best results will be deemed the winner - i.e. Team 1 and Team 2 both have 4 points. Team 1 scored 2 x 2nd places and Team 2 scored a 1st and a 3rd. Team 2 will win on the basis of their 1st place.
If 5 or more races are completed, each team will be allowed to discard their worst result.
