"I am proud to announce that the attendees at this year's Annual Board of Delegates Meeting voted unanimously for PHRF of the Chesapeake, Inc. to become a Founding Member of the National Sailing Center & Hall of Fame," said President Michael W. Dale. "We are delighted to become a part of this most worthy endeavor."
Since 1976, PHRF of the Chesapeake has been actively involved in bringing affordable racing handicaps based on the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet system to the average sailboat racer. The organization began after a Chesapeake sailor named Auzzie Jackson visited Southern California, where he learned about a popular handicapping system used in the area--the Pacific Handicap Racing Fleet system, which rated boats based on observations of actual performance instead of measurement or design information. The system proved to be inexpensive, easy to administer and produced ratings quickly.
Auzzie Jackson and Fred Williams created the first Chesapeake PHRF system, which quickly spread through the Southern Bay and the Northern Bay as well.
Today PHRF is a nationwide standard for cruising class sailboat racing, and the PHRF of the Chesapeake fleet continues today as the largest handicap racing fleet on the Chesapeake Bay.
