USA 2010 Competition Rules Committee Minutes Posted

On Dec 16, 8:19*pm, Andy wrote:
On Dec 16, 3:48*pm, Frank wrote:

On Dec 14, 9:51*am, "John Godfrey (QT)"
wrote:

http://www.ssa.org/files/member/2010...e%20Meeting%20....

John Godfrey (QT)

Anyone care to provide a good explanation of the new 'long landout vs
early finisher' scoring rule?

TA

If I recall correctly this is a recurring topic of where to set max
distance points versus min speed points. *It was polled again this
year.

You may remember a rule change a few years ago increased max distance
points to 600 from 400 so that an outlanding was less likely to mean
the end of your contest. The result was that speed points became
compressed because finishers frequently post speeds that are less than
60% of the winners speed.

The 2011 change allows competitors who fly long tasks but just miss
getting home to score more points than competitors who fly the
shortest possible task just to get home. It changes the long-held
philosophy that every speed finisher should get more points than any
landout. It will primarily apply in cases where there were
exceptionally long landout flights along with significantly under time
finishers.

I think I got that right.

9B

That is correct. The only exception occurs when only one person
finishes and they are a "min distancer." In that case the finisher
gets the gold, but its a very chancy strategy to bet on being the only
finisher.

On the weight / handicap issue(s), the RC continues to try an find
"fairness" solutions to problems that all have their base in the
decreasing number of competitors and the need to to avoid contests
with classes made up of only 3 or 4 ships. It is not an easy task and
all the solutions found so far are imperfect. Ongoing thoughtful
discussion is really helpful.

John Godfrey (QT)
Rules Committee