FAI, soaring and Olympic Games

SNIP-
To promote our sport we need to be positive, and to
exploit technology and
creativity to present it to viewers as the exciting,
challenging and
adrenalin pumping sport that it is.
SNIP

Without sounding too snide, I would think submarine
racers might say the same thing about there sport...and
it could very well be true. But translating that to
outsiders is a different issue. Face it, if most
soaring pilots are not interested in watching sailplane
races...I suspect the general TV viewing population
might find it a tough sale.

OK, maybe it isn't an olympic sport, but tossing toilet paper rolls
out of a glider and trying to hit a target seems like an excellent
way to "exploit technology and creativity," and is certainly exciting
and fun to watch.

Of course, there are SOME cheaters, who soak it in water and freeze it
right before throwing it out the window...NOT VERY SPORTING!!!
But an excellent way to get the observers at the target excited...

:PPPPPP

Mark

In article ,
Stewart Kissel wrote:
SNIP-
To promote our sport we need to be positive, and to
exploit technology and
creativity to present it to viewers as the exciting,
challenging and
adrenalin pumping sport that it is.
SNIP

Without sounding too snide, I would think submarine
racers might say the same thing about there sport...and
it could very well be true. But translating that to
outsiders is a different issue. Face it, if most
soaring pilots are not interested in watching sailplane
races...I suspect the general TV viewing population
might find it a tough sale.







--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA

So why do we have to have a one design contest for the Olympics?

Why not just make it a handicapped contest using the current fleet?

"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...

So why do we have to have a one design contest for the Olympics?

That's exactly my point and it sounds like you and Eric at least agree

Why not just make it a handicapped contest using the current fleet?

Here we have a minor disagreement. Eric and I are saying that no
handicapping is required. We (the sport of soaring) just define 15m as a
monoclass and Standard as a monoclass.

There, now we're ready. Olympics 2008 will include 2 sailplane racing
classes - Standard and 15 Meter.
Oops, forgot rules. Same as for the World's I suppose?

But then we're back to having to have the latest (most expensive) design to
be competitive. I always thought that one of the reasons to have an Olympic
contest was to test the pilots, not the plane or the pocket book. Having a
handicapped contest would open it up to more than just those who could
afford the latest designs.


"For Example John Smith" wrote in message
...

"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...

So why do we have to have a one design contest for the Olympics?

That's exactly my point and it sounds like you and Eric at least agree

Why not just make it a handicapped contest using the current fleet?

Here we have a minor disagreement. Eric and I are saying that no
handicapping is required. We (the sport of soaring) just define 15m as a
monoclass and Standard as a monoclass.

There, now we're ready. Olympics 2008 will include 2 sailplane racing
classes - Standard and 15 Meter.
Oops, forgot rules. Same as for the World's I suppose?

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:07:47 -0700, "Gary Boggs"
wrote:

But then we're back to having to have the latest (most expensive) design to
be competitive. I always thought that one of the reasons to have an Olympic
contest was to test the pilots, not the plane or the pocket book. Having a
handicapped contest would open it up to more than just those who could
afford the latest designs.

Showjumping also uses pretty expensive designs - these horses are
easily twice as expensive as the most expensive glider, and here also
the "pilot" is only doing half of the job. Yet the sport seems to
work...


Bye
Andreas

Part of the appeal of showjumping is that it IS elitist. I think this is
one of the biggest obstacles to growth in our sport. Many people think that
you have to be rich to fly or compete in sailplanes and it keeps them away
from our sport. When they find out that they can join a club and soar
relatively reasonably, they are very surprised. One of the original goals
of the World Class was that the sailplane be "reasonably" priced and I agree
with that. I see having Soaring as an Olympic sport being an avenue for
getting more exposure and more people thinking about becoming involved in
Soaring. I think our sport suffers from underexposure. I think it would
benefit us all if a few thousand more sailplanes were built and sold world
wide every year.

Gary Boggs

"Andreas Maurer" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 14:07:47 -0700, "Gary Boggs"
wrote:

But then we're back to having to have the latest (most expensive) design
to
be competitive. I always thought that one of the reasons to have an
Olympic
contest was to test the pilots, not the plane or the pocket book. Having
a
handicapped contest would open it up to more than just those who could
afford the latest designs.

Showjumping also uses pretty expensive designs - these horses are
easily twice as expensive as the most expensive glider, and here also
the "pilot" is only doing half of the job. Yet the sport seems to
work...


Bye
Andreas

Maybe I'm failing in making the argument, but what I'm trying to say is that
a) the differences in performance between modern ships are tiny (no
handicapping required)
b) the annual incremental advance is small
c) the population of modern ships is large (enough)
Therefore, there's no need to design & build a WC ship--we already have two
designs that qualify--15M and Standard.

Brent
"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...
But then we're back to having to have the latest (most expensive) design
to
be competitive. I always thought that one of the reasons to have an
Olympic
contest was to test the pilots, not the plane or the pocket book. Having
a
handicapped contest would open it up to more than just those who could
afford the latest designs.


"For Example John Smith" wrote in message
...

"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...

So why do we have to have a one design contest for the Olympics?

That's exactly my point and it sounds like you and Eric at least agree

Why not just make it a handicapped contest using the current fleet?

Here we have a minor disagreement. Eric and I are saying that no
handicapping is required. We (the sport of soaring) just define 15m as
a
monoclass and Standard as a monoclass.

There, now we're ready. Olympics 2008 will include 2 sailplane racing
classes - Standard and 15 Meter.
Oops, forgot rules. Same as for the World's I suppose?

For a reason or another the current classes hev yet to make it to Olympics.
Moreover. I don't believe that they'll ever make it.

Monoclasses are preferred in sailing because that made it possible to gain
large presence in Olympics.


"For Example John Smith" wrote in message
...
Maybe I'm failing in making the argument, but what I'm trying to say is
that
a) the differences in performance between modern ships are tiny (no
handicapping required)
b) the annual incremental advance is small
c) the population of modern ships is large (enough)
Therefore, there's no need to design & build a WC ship--we already have
two
designs that qualify--15M and Standard.

Brent
"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...
But then we're back to having to have the latest (most expensive) design
to
be competitive. I always thought that one of the reasons to have an
Olympic
contest was to test the pilots, not the plane or the pocket book.
Having
a
handicapped contest would open it up to more than just those who could
afford the latest designs.


"For Example John Smith" wrote in message
...

"Gary Boggs" wrote in message
...

So why do we have to have a one design contest for the Olympics?

That's exactly my point and it sounds like you and Eric at least agree

Why not just make it a handicapped contest using the current fleet?

Here we have a minor disagreement. Eric and I are saying that no
handicapping is required. We (the sport of soaring) just define 15m
as
a
monoclass and Standard as a monoclass.

There, now we're ready. Olympics 2008 will include 2 sailplane racing
classes - Standard and 15 Meter.
Oops, forgot rules. Same as for the World's I suppose?

For Example John Smith wrote:

There, now we're ready. Olympics 2008 will include 2 sailplane racing
classes - Standard and 15 Meter.
Oops, forgot rules. Same as for the World's I suppose?

Allow a small delay for rules. Say, till Olympics 2009 ;-) ?

--
Denis

R. Parce que ça rompt le cours normal de la conversation !!!
Q. Pourquoi ne faut-il pas répondre au-dessus de la question ?