John,

Furthermore, the FAI clases are also "specialists
BB wrote:
All gliders could fly the class with a handicap as is done
now but team members would only be selected from those pilots flying a
true Club Class glider.

The trouble with this system is that few top-caliber US pilots are
going to leave the good glider at home and fly a nationals in a
borrowed standard cirrus. Our team will then be picked from a very
small group of "specialists." The result is unlikely to be teams that
do well at worlds. If you want teams that do well at worlds, you have
to pick from the largest possible group of pilots.

But you and your ASW27 already have a shot at the 15m National
Championship, and the corresponding chance for a slot on the US Team in
15m competition. Are you saying you and your ASW27 want *two* chances,
one as a 15m "specialist" and another as a SC entrant, as opposed to
zero for the pure SC "specialist"? And while I"m at it, what is the
difference between the 15m (or Std, 18m, Open, or World Class)
"specialist" and the SC "specialist"?

In 2005 there were only 23 entries at the Std Class Nats, a "small
group" in anyone's estimation. What's the difference between this
situation and one where 23 SC "specialists" compete for a team slot?

A logical extension of your "more pilots are better" argument would be
to combine the Std, 15m, 18m & Open classes into one contest. The Std
& 15m ships would have no chance of winning, but what the heck - there
would be more top-notch pilots to pick from. When the Open & 18m
pilots are selected for the worlds, they can go to all the world meets
and just borrow the appropriate glider for each event.

Of course, it all depends what we want. If we want to create a place
where a small group of dedicated club class specialists can get to the
worlds relatively easily, then this limitation will do splendidly. If
we want a selection system that send the best possible team, then I
don't see any reason for the idea.

What I want to create is a place where SC pilots have a chance to
compete with other SC pilots for the SC National Championship, just
like 15m pilots compete against other 15m pilots for the 15m National
Championship - is that too much to ask?

Frank(who is very, very unlikely to ever be able to afford an ASW27)

John Cochrane (Who is very, very unlikely to spend two precious weeks
flying a standard cirrus when I have an ASW27 sitting pathetically
unused!)