Handicap Systems Comparison

A side-by-side comparison of all handicap systems supported by Sailboat Racing.

System	Full Name	Region	Boat Types	Maintained By
PY	Portsmouth Yardstick	UK (primary)	Dinghies, small keelboats	RYA
IRC	International Rating Certificate	International	Keelboats, offshore	RORC / UNCL
ASY	Australian Yardstick	Australia	Dinghies	Australian Sailing
CYCA	Cruising Yacht Club of Australia	Australia	Yachts	CYCA
ECHO	ECHO Handicap	UK	Keelboats	Various
NHC	National Handicap for Cruisers	UK	Cruisers, yachts	RYA
SCHRS	Small Catamaran Handicap Racing Scheme	International	Catamarans	SCHRS Committee
YTC	Yardstick Time Correction	Various	Yachts	Various
SRS	Swedish Rating System	Nordic (Sweden primary)	Keelboats, dinghies, multihulls	Swedish Sailing Federation

Choosing the Right System

Use PY. It's the standard for UK club racing and allows you to submit PY returns to the RYA.

Use ECHO or NHC depending on your fleet type and local conventions.

Use ASY for dinghies or CYCA for yacht racing.

Use SCHRS - it's designed specifically for small catamarans.

Use IRC - it's the most widely recognised international keelboat rating.

Use SRS. It's the standard across Swedish clubs and is also used in Finland and parts of Norway/Denmark.

Check with your national sailing authority or class association for their recommended system.