On Monday, 20 April 2020 20:53:51 UTC+3, Roy B. wrote:
Hello Kristian:

You wrote,
"You can fly as fast with modern 18m class glider as anything else".

Perhaps you can fly as fast - But I am not sure that you can fly as far. But the same statement can be made about speed in a 15m glider compared to an 18m glider in strong conditions.

But, to your point, I've wondered why someone would pay all that extra money for an EB-29 if they can get the same performance from an 18m glider costing very much less?

The fact of too many classes is a separate problem - not a reason to exclude a deserving new class. Perhaps some existing classes should be discontinued or consolidated.

ROY

If you look at current world records, these are all flown in exceptional weather (Argentinian wave or Namibian desert thermals) where long wings are really not an advantage. Yes you can fly longer with EB-29 in European weak day, but then you are not flying a record.

Discontinuing class is more or less unprecedented in FAI history (which is a shame).

In my opinion, the 15m/Open is simple way of doing things. 13.5m is just historical burden of massively failed class that should have no record category or competition class.

I would actually like to acknowledge records made with pure glider. Now there is a difference.