How the scoring works
The arithmetic, rule by rule
Hornsheet follows the scoring system of the Racing Rules of Sailing (Appendix A) and the two common PHRF formulas. Your notice of race and sailing instructions can change any of it, and they win: set Hornsheet to match them.
1. Elapsed time
Finish clock time minus start clock time. A finish that reads earlier than the start is taken as after midnight (24 hours are added).
2. Corrected time
PHRF time-on-distance. The rating is in seconds per nautical mile. Corrected time = elapsed time − rating × course distance. A boat rated 132 sailing 6.2 miles has 818.4 seconds taken off.
PHRF time-on-time. Corrected time = elapsed time × A ÷ (B + rating). A = 650 and B = 550 are widely quoted starting values; many fleets use a different B for heavy or light air (480 and 600 are common). Set the values your fleet uses.
One-design. No handicap: corrected time is elapsed time.
Corrected times are rounded to the nearest whole second. Boats with the same corrected second are tied.
3. Race scores (low point)
First place scores 1 point, second 2, and so on (RRS A4). Tied boats share the points for the places they tie for, equally (A7): two boats tied for 2nd score 2.5 each.
DNC, DNS, OCS, NSC, DNF, RET, DSQ, UFD, BFD and DNE score one more than the number of boats entered in the series (A5.2). If your instructions use A5.3, every letter except DNC instead scores one more than the number of boats that came to the starting area for that race (every boat in the race not scored DNC). An empty finish is DNC.
4. Series score and exclusions
The series score is the total of a boat's race scores minus its excluded scores (A2). Hornsheet excludes the worst N scores once at least M races are scored; you set N and M. RRS A2.1 excludes each boat's single worst score unless the notice of race or sailing instructions say otherwise. A DNE can never be excluded (rule 90.3(b)); the next worst score is excluded instead. Where two scores are equally worst, Hornsheet marks the earlier race as the excluded one (the total is the same either way).
5. Series ties
Boats level on points are separated by A8.1: each boat's race scores are listed best to worst, excluded scores left out, and the first difference decides. If they are still level, A8.2 looks at the last race, then the one before, and so on, using excluded scores too. The sheet marks which rule settled the tie. Boats still level after both share the place.
6. What Hornsheet does not do
Redress (RDG), scoring penalties (SCP, ZFP), different handicaps for different courses, separate starts per class and protest hearings are not in this version. Score those by hand, and tell us if your club needs them.
Sources
- World Sailing, The Racing Rules of Sailing, Appendix A (Scoring) and rule 90.3.
- RYA, Club racing: scoring guidance.
- US Sailing, PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet).
- WindCheck Magazine, Time on distance vs. time on time.
Hornsheet is an independent tool and is not endorsed by World Sailing, US Sailing, the RYA or any PHRF fleet. "PHRF" and "Performance Handicap Racing Fleet" are names protected for US Sailing and the regional fleets it sanctions; Hornsheet uses them only to describe the ratings and formulas it accepts. Ratings come from your fleet's handicapper, never from Hornsheet.