At 16:30 07 October 2016, Tango Eight wrote:
Sean:

Adopting FAI rules might be the final nail for the sport in the US. Club
d=
oesn't replace Sports, so you lose participation there. There's no way to
c=
ombine standards with 15m under FAI rules, so now the standard class is
com=
pletely dead and gone for good. Guys with old ships racing in the
handicap=
ped "combined FAI class" (can't we just call it 15m, pretty please?) will
b=
e less inclined to race with 27s and V2s and come to think of it,
ASW-20Bs
=
and Cs, Ventus As and Bs and LS-6s don't fit *anywhere* in the FAI rules
sc=
heme of things, so those guys are either racing at parity with 27s
(aggrava=
ting!) or just SOL.

What this means is that your average regional race will now consist of
18m,=
a much smaller 15m class and a Club Class that might be 2/3 the size of
th=
e Sports class is replaces.

You need to get your head out of your 18m cockpit and think about the
less
=
well heeled trying to participate in the other classes. You need us.
With=
out us, your races either get a lot more expensive and a lot less
interesti=
ng socially or people just give up altogether.

It's pretty distressing seeing only 20 guys at a race that used to
regularl=
y host twice that number (New Castle). Incidentally, 8 of the 13 gliders
r=
acing in 15m were either standards or old 15m ships. I'm really pleased
th=
at BRSS was willing to work their tails off to host only 20 of us. Is it
r=
easonable to expect that they'll do it for 12?

I'd like to take the opportunity here to thank the RC for creating the
std
=
+ 15m combined class, because the racing in that class has been a great
dea=
l of fun. =20

best,
Evan Ludeman / T8

Evan, this is why we created Handicapped Distance Task. This enables
gliders with a wide range of handicaps to fly in the same class without
being disadvantaged. Jim