PHRF Number?

[Dale Genther]

Our 1955 36 ft. S&S sloop has the numbers 11654 on the mainsail. I've been trying to find out what these number are. I thought they might be PHRF numbers so I e-mailed the person at US Sailing in charge of such things twice and never got any kind of a response out of her (don't you love people who are responsible for something yet they won't even dignify a relative question with any a response). Assuming they are PHRF numbers, does anybody know of a resource where I can research old PHRF numbers myself to find out what the boats rating might have been.

[Ian McColgin]

No. The PHRF handicap would be quite different. That's a fleet or class number on the sail, and is fine for identifying your boat in any race, which is the purpose. You need to contact the rating authority, usually through your local yacht club, to get a PHRF rating.

[rbgarr]

The sail number has nothing to do with PHRF or a rating system. It's a number either selected by previous owners for racing numbers or assigned by some organizing authority or club where they applied for them.

Getting a PHRF number would cost $35 here http://tinyurl.com/3dazqg

If you can find out if there are any sistership S&S boats like yours elsewhere in the country you may be able to fudge one. The Register of Wooden boats Online (see WB home page) or S&S themselves may be able to help you find other owners.

[Hwyl]

It's extremely unlikely to be a PHRF number, scroll around more in the US sailing site, you may find a similar boat (I tried but my computer is too slow to load PDF's) try calling directly. I'm a huge critic of the organisation, but they will respond sooner or (more likely) later...

Have you called S&S

Edited Good comments cross posted while I was waiting to download PDF's

[Dale Genther]

I just went on the US Sailing website and found that they assign a 5 digit number to boats as part of their off shore sailing program. The number assigned is partially determined by the geographic location. Since I have a 5 digit number I assumed that US sailing had assigned it and would be able to tell me something about the meaning of the number as far as rating, class, fleet, etc. But they have not responded to my requests for info. at all. So I was hoping to research it myself.

[Figment]

Really, it'll be a lot easier to have a local official measure the boat and assign a new rating.

[Dale Genther]

Figment- That is what I'm having done now. But I was hoping to have a rating number with some "history" behind it. The local offical tends to assign low numbers to any boat that is unique or one of a kind (as our is), primarily because that are used to dealing with fiberglass chlorox bottles and not a classic wooden boats.

[elf]

you certainly can go here and get some guidance - maybe even about the sail number

http://www.phrfne.org/

[Concordia...41]

Even though you've applied for a PHRF certificate through your local authority, do your own research.

When we go out with a new boat, we Google the boat type, length, and PHRF.

Our local folks are pretty fond of low numbers, and we've found it especially helpful to have in hand copies of other ratings we've found. And if the number comes back really low, we're already ready with, "Well here's a PHRF rating for a similar boat from the This & Such Sailing Club" ;) They still tend to average the numbers and subtract 20, but what the heck. :rolleyes:

- M

(Proud holder of a 294 PHRF for a 1974 Portager 22' :D:D:D)

Heck, if I can't get in the silver with that, I ought'a just stay home :o

[Figment]

Yeesh, with a 294 you oughta just go out and get in everyone's way. Those seconds cost them more than they cost you.

[Concordia...41]

Yeesh, with a 294 you oughta just go out and get in everyone's way. Those seconds cost them more than they cost you.

Well, I try not to really be in the way :o

Honest to goodness, I was about to sell the boat this spring but sent in my renewal - with a couple of amendments (net change = zero / -6 seconds for a roller furling headsail and +6 for going up to a 155).

Anyway, the dang thing comes back and I'd gone from 243 to 294. :D The boat hasn't been back in the water, but the For Sale sign is down ;).

[Don Z.]

http://www.ussailing.org/offshore/SailNoSys.asp

Looks like your number was assigned by US Sailing directly...

[Dale Genther]

Don, I had looked at the same chart you did and came to the same conclusion. That is why I e-mailed Donna Leary (twice) for info. But she never responds or even acknowledges my request, which really pisses me off.

[peb]

Don, I had looked at the same chart you did and came to the same conclusion. That is why I e-mailed Donna Leary (twice) for info. But she never responds or even acknowledges my request, which really pisses me off.

I would not rush to judgement. I few years ago, I requested a sail number for my boat and it Ms Leary responded and was very helpful. I have heard that she is very overworked at US Sailing. She might just be on vacation and they don't have a backup.

[Dale Genther]

My first e-mail request to her was over a month ago, so unless she has spent the last five weeks on vacation.....

[rbgarr]

It's not the best practice to not respond to e-mail but this is the season for the major USSailing championships and all the organizing that goes with that and I can attest that she is way overloaded even in the best of times.

Have you tried contacting USSailing through your local PHRF measurer to see if he/she can get a response? My guess is that your request to her to do research (a low priority?) might be better done through 'channels'.

(Are you a member of USSailing? That may also have a bearing.)

Good luck.

[Ted Hoppe]

What ever happened to your PHRF rating?

[Dale Genther]

I had the local people assign a number 188 for racing locally, I think. Anyway, I havn't done any racing on my own boat so getting the official number has moved down my priority list.

rbgarr - I was a member. Did not renew because of the lack of response.

[hm0316]

The number on your mainsail is most likely the "sail number" given to your boat at some time in the past by the USYRU. Judging from the number, it was most likely granted by the United States Yacht Racing Union (the USYRU), which was the predecessor name of what is now USSailing. Also, judging from the number, it was probably applied for some time after the boat was built. This would be a unique number and should still be good for racing identification in most USSailing sanctioned events. This assumes that the sail in question belonged to your boat and didn't come from another boat. Also, I believe it used to be possible to transfer numbers to another boat so it would be worth checking to see if it still applies to your particular boat.

I would suggest you call rather than e-mailing USSailing. You never know whether someone actually gets an e-mail. I have found the people there to be very helpful, although I don't always agree with some of the policy decisions they make.

hm0316

[Dale Genther]

hm0316 - The number with the number is for my boat. The sail was made in 1987, the year is on it and the boat name at that time is on the bag. You are correct in your assumption that the number was assigned a while after the boat was buit (1955). In the early seventies S&S drew a new sailplan for the owner. It had a higher aspect rig than the original and the mast was changed from spruce to aluminum. Therefore the number would have been from the seventies or later.