In all flying - you get the opportunity to set your own risk thresholds.

So - from the outside racing may look dangerous.
From the inside it sometimes looks/is dangerous.

The question is - what do you DO.

I am not particularly serious racing pilot - but have competed in a few
regional contests. My observation is that - things that people do
regularly, and without injury or harm may appear dangerous to the
uninitiated or uninformed. Once you have developed the skill and
experience - one has a more objective view of the risk. Some things are
inherently more dangerous, but in general a well informed and skilled
racing flight is seldom deliberately dangerous. It is hard to win a
contest with a broken glider. So - Racing certainly raises your skill
level, if you do it right. It will also lower your risk of injury etc.
by exposing you to an intense learning environment, some of the best
pilots and lots of motivation to push your own skills development.

What better environment for developing XC skills - there is a competent
daily weather forecast, task planning for the best use if the
conditions, retrieve and Search and Rescue is laid on and alert. Lots of
willing help if you land out. Objective information on how good your
decisions are in comparison to the other pilots.

There is nothing to compare with seeing a task on the briefing board
that is a full 50% further than you have ever flown XC, and completing
it safely... Conversely, watching a world champion go past 500 feet
above you when you thought you had a safe final glide is a learning
experience too. (I will give you a clue - it was not him who outlanded
4km short)

Sure - it may take a while before you and the rest of the gaggle is
comfortable. But it is not intrinsically dangerous. If everyone is
flying proficiently there is no higher risk than the twirly birding over
the field on a lazy afternoon.



--
Bruce Greeff
T59D #1771