Racing

Been watching olympic events of rowing, sailing, and so forth and wonder why no sailplane racing, or aerobatics?

On Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 7:18:27 PM UTC-4, Casey wrote:
Been watching olympic events of rowing, sailing, and so forth and wonder why no sailplane racing, or aerobatics?

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!ms...I/6zjbsOIwm4cJ

https://www.outsideonline.com/210456...place-olympics

On Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 7:28:00 PM UTC-4, Dan Daly wrote:
On Thursday, August 11, 2016 at 7:18:27 PM UTC-4, Casey wrote:
Been watching olympic events of rowing, sailing, and so forth and wonder why no sailplane racing, or aerobatics?

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!ms...I/6zjbsOIwm4cJ

OK. I dead horse. I was going to write a long come back, but I guess I will just go back to watching badminton.

This humorous look at Olympic sailing suggests gliding would be equally as confusing to regular folk:

http://www.foxsports.com/olympics/st...sailing-081016

CJ

Better sailing commentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gPjMvTmE2g

Actually a Grand Prix format for soaring at the Olympics would be much more fun and understandable than sailing is to the average Joe. I have competed in both sports, and ran/competed in a Grand Prix recently.

Of course sailing (unlike US rules soaring, for example) does have the concept of a "leader" at every mark and the finish, but the sailing, wind shifts and tactics are very hard to follow. Much harder than sailplane Grand Prix would be. Plus the concept of flying at 180 mph is more exciting than a boat moving at 8 mph...

The beloved turn area - timed task and the concept of starting anytime one wishes would immediately turn off the vast majority of spectators....oh, wait a minute....maybe we should try the one or no turn HAT. Now that would just be some riveting viewing!

It's no wonder the sport of soaring is declining. If you think about it, it's been in decline since about the same time we moved away from racing tasks. Hmmm. Today it's hard to explain soaring rules (especially the unique and highly complex US rules) to people who are pilots, even soaring pilots!

Oh, and finally, the 4 hours required to complete the scores each day (well, night really, often late night)! I'm surprised the big TV networks aren't beating down the doors for the rights to all that sports excitement!

A bunch of gliders randomly flying around 30 mile radius turn areas (or a HAT task) Is not a race at all. When the gliders finish spectators would have no idea what happened! Add in handicaps, etc....BOOM! Oh the ratings!

Soaring in the Olympics? Not with the current Jon racing mindset and rules.. No chance. Maybe sailplane Grand Prix would work. That would be really fun actually!

Anyway, thanks for the chuckle. This idea is really, really funny! Especially when you assume it's US rules soaring that your proposing as an Olympic sport!

Sean

At 05:24 12 August 2016, Sean wrote:
Actually a Grand Prix format for soaring at the Olympics would
be much
more=
fun and understandable than sailing is to the average Joe. I
have
compete=
d in both sports, and ran/competed in a Grand Prix recently.

Of course sailing (unlike US rules soaring, for example) does
have the
conc=
ept of a "leader" at every mark and the finish, but the sailing,
wind
shift=
s and tactics are very hard to follow. Much harder than
sailplane Grand
Pr=
ix would be. Plus the concept of flying at 180 mph is more
exciting than
a=
boat moving at 8 mph...

The beloved turn area - timed task and the concept of starting
anytime one
=
wishes would immediately turn off the vast majority of
spectators....oh,
wa=
it a minute....maybe we should try the one or no turn HAT.
Now that would
=
just be some riveting viewing!

It's no wonder the sport of soaring is declining. If you think
about it,
i=
t's been in decline since about the same time we moved away
from racing
tas=
ks. Hmmm. Today it's hard to explain soaring rules
(especially the
unique=
and highly complex US rules) to people who are pilots, even
soaring
pilots=
!

Oh, and finally, the 4 hours required to complete the scores
each day
(well=
, night really, often late night)! I'm surprised the big TV
networks
aren'=
t beating down the doors for the rights to all that sports
excitement!

A bunch of gliders randomly flying around 30 mile radius turn
areas (or a
H=
AT task) Is not a race at all. When the gliders finish spectators
would
ha=
ve no idea what happened! Add in handicaps, etc....BOOM!
Oh the ratings!

Soaring in the Olympics? Not with the current Jon racing
mindset and
rules=
.. No chance. Maybe sailplane Grand Prix would work. That
would be
really=
fun actually!

Anyway, thanks for the chuckle. This idea is really, really
funny!
Especi=
ally when you assume it's US rules soaring that your proposing
as an
Olympi=
c sport!

Sean


"Seamanship is two dimensional Airmanship at 10 Knots"

One other thing that works against Soaring as an Olympic event is the fact that worldwide, there are few participants compared to any of the other examples named. Millions of sailors, equestrians, and yes, climbers and surfers make up a visible market. Soaring, with at most a few hundred thousand pilots is too small and the cost to do a "first class" Grand Prix broadcast (New Zealand, Andes) would be prohibitive considering only a few countries could afford to send a team. Televising a soaring contest of any kind is massively more complex than showing sailing or any other sport, simply because of the distances, speeds and the third dimension of altitude.

I know how to add to a sailing race........have the boat start to sink if the wind stops ;-)

I will say that the Americas Cup became more interesting (to me) when they started using GPS positions to run a TV screen showing tracks and wind.