At 05:24 12 August 2016, Sean wrote:
Actually a Grand Prix format for soaring at the Olympics would
be much
more=
fun and understandable than sailing is to the average Joe. I
have
compete=
d in both sports, and ran/competed in a Grand Prix recently.

Of course sailing (unlike US rules soaring, for example) does
have the
conc=
ept of a "leader" at every mark and the finish, but the sailing,
wind
shift=
s and tactics are very hard to follow. Much harder than
sailplane Grand
Pr=
ix would be. Plus the concept of flying at 180 mph is more
exciting than
a=
boat moving at 8 mph...

The beloved turn area - timed task and the concept of starting
anytime one
=
wishes would immediately turn off the vast majority of
spectators....oh,
wa=
it a minute....maybe we should try the one or no turn HAT.
Now that would
=
just be some riveting viewing!

It's no wonder the sport of soaring is declining. If you think
about it,
i=
t's been in decline since about the same time we moved away
from racing
tas=
ks. Hmmm. Today it's hard to explain soaring rules
(especially the
unique=
and highly complex US rules) to people who are pilots, even
soaring
pilots=
!

Oh, and finally, the 4 hours required to complete the scores
each day
(well=
, night really, often late night)! I'm surprised the big TV
networks
aren'=
t beating down the doors for the rights to all that sports
excitement!

A bunch of gliders randomly flying around 30 mile radius turn
areas (or a
H=
AT task) Is not a race at all. When the gliders finish spectators
would
ha=
ve no idea what happened! Add in handicaps, etc....BOOM!
Oh the ratings!

Soaring in the Olympics? Not with the current Jon racing
mindset and
rules=
.. No chance. Maybe sailplane Grand Prix would work. That
would be
really=
fun actually!

Anyway, thanks for the chuckle. This idea is really, really
funny!
Especi=
ally when you assume it's US rules soaring that your proposing
as an
Olympi=
c sport!

Sean


"Seamanship is two dimensional Airmanship at 10 Knots"