Author: Robyn Earley
This year's Boat of the Year championship brings an exciting revamp designed to make competition fairer, more inclusive, and more accessible than ever before. Here's what's changed:
Tiered Scoring: Events assigned 1, 2, or 3 points based on significance
Cox-Sprague System: Points normalized by fleet size — fair across all classes.
Category Awards: Special recognition for Junior, Grand Master, and Female Helms.
More Events: Expanded NBYA-sanctioned races — more ways to qualify.
The Cox-Sprague system assigns points based on a boat's finishing position relative to fleet size, normalizing results across fleets of different sizes. This means a strong finish in a small fleet is weighed fairly against a strong finish in a large one.
Scoring is based on class results. Only PHRF divisions are eligible. Separate rankings are maintained for Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker boats.
Championship is open to a wide range of racers — here's everything you need to know to be eligible and qualify for end-of-season honors.
Who Qualifies? Boats with active PHRF certificates racing in any NBYA BOTY-sanctioned event.
Minimum Points A minimum of 8 points is required to qualify for the championship.
Category Winners Top qualifying Junior Helm (<25), Grand Master Helm (>75), and Female Helm. Awards are self-declared — review the NOR for details.
Races are weighted by their significance to the championship — the more prestigious the event, the more points on the line. Plan your season around these races to maximize your score. Races are weighted by their significance to the championship — the more prestigious the event, the more points on the line. Plan your season around these races to maximize your score.
We want YOU to participate! Get excited with leaderboard updates throughout the sailing season.