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Scoring DNS/DNC When Competitor Changes Division
Dan Bowman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Race Officer In Training
0
I have a hypothetical that I came upon while reviewing past years scoring while updating from D-PN to PY. (Edit: D-PN is the U.S. Portsmouth rating system that was abandoned by US Sailing but still in use, PY is the Portsmouth Yardstick rating system used by the RYA and proposed by USS to replace D-PN.)
A competitor is entered into an event of a dinghy fleet composed to three divisions; two one design divisions and one handicap division. The competitor is registered and competes in the handicap division on day one. At the end of day one, competitors of one of the one design divisions convince this competitor to bring out a different boat and race in one of the one design division as more competitors were showing up on day two of the event and the handicap fleet had plenty of competitors and would not be lessened by the switch. The competitor requests and receives permission from the OA & PRO to switch divisions with a different boat, knowing that they will be scored separately for each. The scorer scores the competitor as DNC for the first day of missed races in the one design division and DNC for the second day of missed races in the handicap division. All three divisions raced in the same race area with the same RC boats and PRO, three separate starts.
My question is this. According to Rule A10 with the specifics that I pulled from a US Sailing link below, a competitor that comes to the course and checks in with the same RC and then subsequently does not sail a race is DNS. What if that competitor switches fleet, are they DNS for the fleet they did not compete in but did the subsequent day? Is this an odd, very unlikely loophole of DNS versus DNC scoring?
It is minor but it would change scoring at this event because the competitor had a good first day and multiple boats in both divisions the competitor was entered in, did not race the entirety of the second day, a few did not show up at all. I thought more about it because there are individuals that switch boats in a summer long series in the same circumstances as above.
As I understand a DNS is a competitor who intended to race, ie sailed in the vicinity of the starting area, but subsequently dis not start. A DNC. Is a competitor is awarded to a competitor who has entered but does not 'take to the water'. When it is a series held over consecutive days scoring is the same for each. If it is a series of races held over an extended period, as is the case in Club racing, a DNS is scored as 1 more than number of boats which raced, or finished. The DNC is scored as 1 more than the number entered in the series. All of this would be covered/altered in NOR/SIs.
Created: 23-Feb-27 03:39
P
John Allan
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
National Judge
Regional Race Officer
1
The entity addressed by the RRS, is, for the most part, a boat. Appendix A deals with boats not competitors.
What has happened is that at the end of the first day, the OA/RC has accepted an entry by the competitor for a different boat in a different division.
The scoring you describe is correct.
As the boat entered in the Handicap Division never came to the starting area on Day 2, she is correctly scored DNC.
It would have been a different problem is it had been the same boat swapping divisions.
I think the answer in that case would be for the boat to be scored RET in the division she has withdrawn from
Bear in mind that for a regatta or short series, there is no scoring difference between DNC and DNS and RET, and for a long series, no difference between DNS and RET.
Created: 23-Feb-27 03:47
Steve Comen
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Regional Race Officer
0
Appendix A describes how each boat is scored, not each competitor. If a competitor races boat A on day 1 and boat B on day 2, then the scoring for boat A on day 2 will be DNC and the scoring for boat B on day 1 will be DNC.
BTW- the chart that you included is only correct if the NoR or SIs state that rule A5.3 will apply. Otherwise DNC and DNS are scored the same.
Created: 23-Feb-27 03:50
Robin Gray
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
Judge In Training
International Race Officer
National Race Officer
0
This chart is not correct even if A5.3 has been invoked by the NoR as a DNS, NSC, DNF, RET, OCS, UFD, BFD under A5.3 are not scored "Finisher plus 1" but the "number of boats that came to the starting area" plus 1
Created: 23-Feb-27 08:37
P
Angelo Guarino
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Regional Judge
Fleet Measurer
0
Robin, it’s not clearly stated one way or another, but it seems the scenario is posited as multi day regatta on consecutive days and there is no mention of A5.3. - Ang
Created: 23-Feb-27 11:57
Dan Bowman
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
Race Officer In Training
0
Updated post for clarification about ratings systems referenced in first paragraph.
A5.3 is not listed in either the NoR or SI. Thank you, this makes sense and I forgot that it is the boat and not the helms-person that is competing.
Created: 23-Feb-27 15:42
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What has happened is that at the end of the first day, the OA/RC has accepted an entry by the competitor for a different boat in a different division.
The scoring you describe is correct.
As the boat entered in the Handicap Division never came to the starting area on Day 2, she is correctly scored DNC.
It would have been a different problem is it had been the same boat swapping divisions.
I think the answer in that case would be for the boat to be scored RET in the division she has withdrawn from
Bear in mind that for a regatta or short series, there is no scoring difference between DNC and DNS and RET, and for a long series, no difference between DNS and RET.
BTW- the chart that you included is only correct if the NoR or SIs state that rule A5.3 will apply. Otherwise DNC and DNS are scored the same.
A5.3 is not listed in either the NoR or SI. Thank you, this makes sense and I forgot that it is the boat and not the helms-person that is competing.