Attention US Standard Class Pilots

Sports class contests (at the Regional level this year) can have
multiple sports rules classes organized by handicap, pilot experience
and other ideas. From the2012 rule changes document on the SSA web
site:

5.7 Competition Classes
5.7.1 The gliders eligible to compete are described in Rule 6.12.
5.7.2 A competition can include more than one handicapped class
5.7.2.1 Entries to a competition class can be restricted based on
criteria specified by the contest organizers on the application for
sanction form. Possible criteria include (but are not limited to)
maximum wingspan or a handicap range (or a combination).
5.7.2.2 The handicap ranges of competition classes may overlap.
5.7.2.3 Competition classes can be labeled, promoted and tasked to
appeal to pilots by skill level rather than or in addition to
limitation on gliders.

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As a technical qualification, these handicapped classes can be "FAI"
classes, run under the FAI regional rules, not just "sports" classes
run under sports rules. That means tasking, minimum time, water, and
general philosophy of FAI class races. Think of them as FAI classes
mixed with handicaps, or reaching out to older FAI gliders with
handicaps, not necessarily as "sports" classes. This also replaces the
idea of mixing two FAI classes with 2% handicaps. The standard
nationals proposal essentially implements the same idea at nationals.

You can also have mulitple "sports" classes, for example splitting by
glider performance or by pilot skill, and using the sports class
regional rules in each case.

John Cochrane