At Buffalo ORC, we embrace the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) system to deliver fair and thrilling sailboat racing on Lake Erie. ORC offers a wide range of scoring methods to suit different race types and fleet needs. We consistently choose Performance Curve Scoring (PCS) with Constructed Course for its unmatched accuracy and adaptability to our dynamic racing conditions.

We opt for PCS Constructed Course because it delivers the most accurate and equitable results for Buffalo’s diverse racing environment. PCS generates a performance curve for each boat, using the ORC Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) to calculate precise time allowances based on wind speeds (4–24 knots), wind angles, and the specific course layout. With Constructed Course, we tailor the course model to each race’s actual legs—whether windward/leeward or mixed—ensuring handicaps reflect real-time conditions.

Unlike simpler methods like Single Number or Triple Number scoring, PCS accounts for a boat’s unique strengths across conditions, avoiding the one-size-fits-all approach of PHRF or less dynamic ORC options. It outperforms Performance Line Scoring by incorporating detailed course data and surpasses WRS in practicality, as it doesn’t rely on uncertain weather forecasts. Our analysis of local races shows PCS Constructed Course consistently aligns predicted elapsed times with actual finish times, far outperforming generalized handicaps. This precision ensures fair competition, rewarding skill and strategy, and makes every race a true test of sailing prowess.

Our PCS Course Builder Tool

Buffalo ORC’s PCS Course Builder Tool, developed in-house, ensures transparent and accurate race scoring. This public tool lets you select a “Pace Boat” from your fleet, input the course (leg distances and bearings), and choose the race’s start and finish times to define the weather data. It then generates the Constructed Course model for the ORC Scoring Program using BUFN6 wind data. This approach creates precise handicaps tailored specifically to each unique race, making scoring accurate and fair.

Try it yourself! Visit the PCS Course Builder Tool and see how weather data shapes accurate ORC race scores. Buffalo ORC, where science powers competition.