Setting the Multi-Fleet strategy (HMS, SHRS...)

Overview

ezRegatta PRO allows a great deal of customization in how your larger, multiple-fleet regatta is run and scored. For the sake of simplicity and ease of use, however, several common options have been provided as presets.

1. Start with the "Scoring Method" selection and pick the preset that corresponds to the type of regatta you are running. Details of the settings used for each of these options are provided below. If they work for your regatta you can proceed straight to the Racing tab or to the Skippers tab to set the skipper ranking if that drives initial fleet assignment in your regatta. If you want to check the settings you can tap the "Fleet Management" button which is enabled for all options other than "One Fleet"
2. If you picked the Custom option you will be taken directly to the Fleet Management page, but you can also tap the "Fleet Management" button to view and adjust settings for managing how fleets are set up initially, in a seeding or qualification stage, and in a final or championship stage. It also sets the way throwouts (discards) are handled. A detailed explanation of these options is provided in the "Customizing Your Regatta Settings" document.

Preset Definitions

HMS:

• This preset follows HMS 2022 which is copyright by the Model Yachting Association in the UK.
• Initial seeding race (race 1) fleets are set manually, meaning that the order of skippers can be set in the skippers tab to a rough ranking and the initial fleets will be set to distribute the top skippers evenly across the fleets. 
• Fleets will be named A Fleet, B Fleet etc. 
• Should you run more than one seeding race (not HMS 2022 compliant) the fleet assignments will remain static. 
• The number of fleets will be set to limit the largest fleet size to 24, but this can be adjusted in the Fleet Management page as needed by course conditions.
• No throwouts will be used for seeding purposes
• The seeding race(s) will be included in calculating overall regatta throowouts
• The seeding races are not included in breaking overall regatta ties.
• After seeding is completed (Race 1, all heats) the finish seeding button on the racing page is tapped and the Final series fleets are set up based on the seeding race(s) scores.
• The first (Race 2) fleets are set to ensure all skippers who place the same in their seed are in the same fleet. This means that the number of boats in all but the lowest fleet is a multiple of the number of seeding fleets. This complies with HMS 2022 Race 2 tables in the vast majority of cases, but the racing page has an option to adjust fleet sizes if necessary.
• Subsequent fleets (Race 3+) follow HMS 2022 and generally even out the fleets after taking account of promotions.
• The number of fleets is set as for seeding.
• 4 Promotions are selected by default

SHRS:

• This preset follows the "Simple Heat Racing System – version 2021-3" published by various Australian, New Zealand and Croatian authorities.
• In the initial qualification series, initial fleet assignments are set manually, meaning that the order of skippers can be set in the skippers tab to a rough ranking and the initial fleets will be set to distribute the top skippers evenly across the fleets.
• Fleets in qualifying are named "Heat 1", Heat 2" as they have no ranking implied.
• Subsequent fleet assignments are set using the "Cyclic" methodology according to SHRS tables where the heat winner stays in the same fleet, the next finisher moves to the next fleet etc.
• The number of fleets will be set to limit the largest fleet size to 24, but this can be adjusted in the Fleet Management page as needed by course conditions.
• Special throwouts will be used for qualification purposes with 1 after 4 races, a second after 6 races and a third after 16 races plus one fore every 8 races after that. To see or adjust these, select a different option and then select the "Special Throwouts..." option again to pop up the throwout editor.
• Qualifying races are included in overall regatta throwouts.
• Qualifying races are included in calculation of tie-breaks (they do not comply with some SHRS documents that require tie-breaks be calculated only using races where the two skippers sailed the same heat. This can be adjusted using redress if needed)
• After the "End Seeding/Qualifying" button is tapped, fleets are reset by overall score with any withdrawn boats (WDN) being placed in the lowest fleet.
• Fleets are named "Gold", "Silver" etc.
• Fleets remain static for the final series
• Regatta scores are sorted by fleet so it is possible (likely) that the last Gold skipper has more points that the winner of the Silver fleet.

Odd/Even

• This is a single stage system with no seeding or qualification required.
• Fleets in qualifying are named "Heat 1", Heat 2" as they have no ranking implied.
• Initial race fleets are set manually, meaning that the order of skippers can be set in the skippers tab to a rough ranking and the initial fleets will be set to distribute the top skippers evenly across the fleets.
• The following race fleet assignments are a special case of the "Cyclic" method where odd finishing places a placed in heat 1 and even finishers in heat 2. 
• The number of fleets is set to 2
• Note: If the number of fleets is set to 3 or more, the fleet assignments follow the SHRS cyclic method.

Gold/Silver

• In the initial qualification series, initial fleet assignments are set manually, meaning that the order of skippers can be set in the skippers tab to a rough ranking and the initial fleets will be set to distribute the top skippers evenly across the fleets.
• Fleets in qualifying are named "Heat 1", Heat 2" as they have no ranking implied.
• Subsequent fleet assignments are set using the "Cyclic" methodology where the heat winner stays in the same fleet, the next finisher moves to the next fleet etc.
• The number of fleets will be set to limit the largest fleet size to 24, but this can be adjusted in the Fleet Management page as needed by course conditions.
• The same throwouts as set for the regatta as a whole will be used for qualification purposes.
• Qualifying races are included in overall regatta throwouts.
• Qualifying races are included in calculation of tie-breaks
• After the "End Seeding/Qualifying" button is tapped, fleets are reset by overall score.
• Fleets are named "Gold", "Silver" etc.
• Fleets remain static for the final series
• Regatta scores are sorted by fleet so it is possible (likely) that the last Gold skipper has more points that the winner of the Silver fleet.

TwoOfThree

• This is virtually the same as the "OneFleet" strategy for single fleet scoring. It is used when a regatta is split into fleets that sail against each other in rotation - known by some as the "cesspool" system.
• The skippers are split into 3 fleets outside ezRegatta and 2 fleets compete together in a rotation of 3 races so that all skippers have raced twice.
• In ezRegatta all skippers are included in every race, but after the skippers participating in each race have been scored, the remaining skippers can be scored with a "BYE" which effectively scores them with 0 points. 
• As long as each sequence of 3 races is completed, the zero point scores do not affect the final scores in the regatta, as all skippers should have the same number of 0's.