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Pursuit Races (TOD): Setup (Create & Edit)

Create a pursuit race in a PHRF Time-on-Distance fleet and maintain its configuration

Pursuit races use staggered starts (slower boats start first; faster boats start later) so boats can finish close together. In RegattaHub, pursuit races are currently supported for TOD (PHRF Time on Distance) fleets.

Scope:

This article covers setup only (create/edit, timing guardrails, and course distance options). For publishing start times, exports, entering finishes, and publishing results, see Pursuit Races (TOD): Start Times & Results.

Important:

Pursuit races are single-class. Create a pursuit race under a TOD fleet (PHRF Time on Distance) and configure one to five course distance options. Start times are generated from each boat’s handicap and the selected distance.

Before You Begin

  • Confirm you have a TOD fleet: Pursuit races are supported for PHRF Time on Distance fleets. If your regatta doesn’t have a TOD fleet, create one in Circles & Fleets first.
  • Have entries and ratings ready: Start times are generated from each boat’s handicap profile. If ratings are missing, some boats may not get valid start times.
  • Plan your course distances: Course distance options are used to generate offsets. Choose realistic nautical-mile distances that match your race committee’s intended course options.

Need help configuring fleets? See Creating a Regatta: Fleets/Classes.

Open the Pursuit Races Admin Tab

  1. Open your regatta in the Admin Dashboard.
  2. Click the Pursuit Races tab.
  3. Click Create Pursuit Race to start a new pursuit race in the TOD fleet.
Admin Pursuit Races tab with Create Pursuit Race button
Create and manage pursuit races under the Pursuit Races tab.

Create a Pursuit Race

1) Set race details

  • Race Name: how the race will appear to admins and participants.
  • Date: scheduled date for the pursuit race.
  • First Start: the clock time the first boat starts (all other boats are offset from this).

2) Select the class (TOD fleet)

Pursuit races are single-class. Choose the TOD Fleet class so RegattaHub can use the PHRF Time on Distance handicap system.

Create pursuit race modal showing class selection and Create Pursuit Race button
Select the class (TOD) and create the pursuit race.

3) Configure timing guardrails

Timing guardrails control how start offsets are generated and displayed:

  • Rounding step (seconds): rounds offsets to a consistent increment (for example, 15 seconds). Larger steps make starts simpler to manage; smaller steps produce more precise offsets.
  • Minimum gap (seconds): adds an optional buffer between consecutive starts. This can reduce “stacked” starts when boats have similar handicaps.
Timing guardrails controls for rounding step and minimum gap
Use rounding step and minimum gap to control how aggressively boats are staggered off the line.

4) Configure course distance options

Add one to five course options to support different wind windows or shortened courses. Each option needs:

  • Course name (for example, “Short Course”, “Medium Course”).
  • Distance (nm) in nautical miles.

You’ll choose which course option is active and publish its start times in Pursuit Races (TOD): Start Times & Results.

Create race course distance options section
Add course options and set the distance (nm) used for start time generation.

Manage an Existing Pursuit Race

On the pursuit race card, use the action icons to manage your race:

  • Enter Finishes: enter finish times and publish results (covered in Start Times & Results).
  • View Start Times: generate, publish, and export start times (covered in Start Times & Results).
  • Edit Race: update race details, timing guardrails, and course options (covered below).
  • Delete Race: permanently removes the pursuit race (use with caution).
Pursuit race card with actions
Use the race card actions to view start times and edit the race.

Edit race details and course options

  • Use Edit Race to update the race name, date, first start time, and course options.
  • Changing a course name or distance will regenerate start times for saved options, so you may need to re-publish start times afterward.
Edit pursuit race modal showing Save Changes
Save Changes recalculates start times for distance options.
Edit pursuit race course options section showing Add course and delete option
Add or remove course options (up to five) and keep distances current.

Delete a pursuit race (use caution)

Deleting a pursuit race is intended for cleanup (for example, an accidentally created test race). If you delete a race that competitors are using, they will lose access to its start times and results.

Next Steps