Set up a pursuit race

A pursuit race starts boats at staggered times based on their handicap, so the slowest class starts on the first gun and the first boat across the finish wins. In Dockside, pursuit is a scoring type, not an event type. You choose an event type first, then set the scoring type to Pursuit.

This article builds on Create an event. It covers the fields that are specific to a pursuit race.

Access. You need the Official or Admin permission on the club that will run the event.

Set up the pursuit race

1. Go to your club's page and select Create Event.
2. Fill in Event Name and Event Organiser.
3. Choose the Event Type. Pursuit works with Open, Series, and Regatta events. It is not available for Training or Social events.
4. In the Competition Setup section, set Scoring Type to Pursuit.

The Pursuit configuration section then appears, headed with this summary:

Pursuit races stagger class start times so the slowest class starts on the first gun. The first boat across the finish wins.

Configure the pursuit

In the Pursuit configuration section, set:

• Target duration (minutes) — how long you expect the slowest class to take. Faster classes start later, by the difference in their handicaps. You can type a value or choose one of the quick options: 45, 60, 75, 90, or 120.
• Rounding interval — how precisely each start time is rounded. Choose 30 seconds, which is standard for dinghies, or 60 seconds, which is common for keelboats and gives more margin at the start.
• Reference PN (optional) — leave this blank to use the highest Portsmouth Number (PN) in your fleet, so the slowest boat starts on the gun. This follows the RYA standard. To set a fixed reference instead, enter a value.

Under Anticipated classes, Dockside shows the message Save the event first to preview start times. The per-class start times appear once the event exists, so create the event first, then open it to review them.

Choose the handicap type

Set the Handicap Type to the handicap system your fleet uses, for example UK PY. Dockside needs this to work out each class's start delay from its handicap.

A pursuit race does not have a Classes section. Any class can enter, so you do not pick a class list when you create the event.

Create the event

Set the Registration & Access options and the Race Schedule, then select Create Event. Dockside creates the event as a draft. Open it again to see the anticipated start times, then publish it: select Edit Event, open the Basic tab, set Status to Published, and select Save.