JWGC USA update

I think you may be confused with my position. I have been stating simple statistical facts on US/SSA tasking and these facts are very comprehensive per my annual report on US tasking proportions.

The USA/SSA has, of late, held roughly 5% (less than 10 task total) assigned tasks annually. That percentage has been shrinking. In fact, assigned tasks are on a trajectory to be zero in 2-3 years in the USA/SSA. The recent Junior Worlds ran roughly 6 assigned tasks in 11 flying days!

The IGC task guidance is 50% timed area tasks and 50% assigned racing tasks for a given competition. On good days, assigned tasks! Area tasks are secondary, assigned are preferred! This ratio was on target per IGC guidance at the Junior Worlds, yes.

The USA/SSA, on the other hand runs almost 70% timed area tasks (average radius 19 miles!). Again, only 5% assigned racing tasks. This is NOTHING like the IGC in my view. The USA, instead, runs their own unique (TIMED) Modified Assigned Tasks (affectionately known by some as the HAT or "half assed task" ;-)) which ranges from the INFAMOUS zero (pure OLC task) to one turn (basically OLC) to the so called "long MAT. Rhe UsA/SSA runs as money or more one and zero turn MATs than assigned racing tasks! The long MAT is designed to eat up almost all of the minimum time but calling the right task length is very difficult to get right. They are often not long enough and require a good deal of decision making at the end of the assigned portion. The problem with the MAT vs the pure Assigned racing Task it is actually extremely complex. Pilot workload is significantly increased. It favors proficiency with flight computers and requires significant heads down time contemplating various TP combination scenarios. It's like a high stakes casino really. You must put all your "chips" on the best additional turnpoints to add before heading to the finish in order to eat up any remaining minimum time. The key moments of the task is usually not the assigned racing portion but is the small fraction of the total task that is left to pilots choice. You can become a hero or a zero in a heartbeat. MATs are very much about calculating timing and playing with the computer to calculate potential options with visable weather. Nothing like the IGC at all.

These unique USA/SSA tasks are all intended to reduce land outs but the unintended consequences are they destroy tactical racing and further isolate the USA from international competition.

I think some of the comments from our junior team reflect this concern.

Sean