Putting on and then removing a rigging apron takes valuable time, time that you might not be able to afford in a high-speed relight from an early off-field landing in a competition.

Wait...those aren't allowed anymore. Living in the past. How many on this group recall those "exciting" dashes back to the contest, throwing the glider together as fast as possible, and relaunching, hoping to do better the second time? The rapid assembly was sometimes made easier by taking some shortcuts in the derigging process at the landout site. We once hauled our 1-26 back without installing the spar hold down bolts on the trailer by parking someone in the back of the station wagon to to make sure the wings didn't slide off the trailer during the 10 mile drive back to the contest site. A long time ago.

Chip Bearden