2019 SSA Contest Rules Pilot Opinion Poll Now Open

Tim Taylor wrote:
The FAI scoring does not compress the scores, it spreads it out by a factor
other 2x for speed. It actually rewards flying faster most of the time.

Tim: I think this is a very basic misunderstanding. IGC scoring definitely does spread out the scores by a factor of 2x (so a pilot with 90% of the winner's speed gets 900 points under US rules and 800 under IGC rules). But the reward for flying faster doesn't change.

This is because under both systems finishers' scores are linear with speed - the speed difference you need to catch the pilots ahead of you on the scoresheet is identical. In a contest with a high percentage of completions, the final positions will be exactly the same under the two systems.

The actual effect of the "2x factor" is to make outlandings (especially short ones) less harmful - in effect, only 500 points are "up for grabs" each day (as compared to 1000 under US rules).



While there is much comments made about how pilots could could impact the
overall daily scores by flying slower or not finishing; in reality this is
only possible to know after the fact.

Not true for a pilot who is slow enough that he will finish close to two-thirds of the winner's speed. His team will have informed him of what that speed is.



... the white paper appears very biased and contains a great deal of
conjecture and inaccurate information.

Hopefully this means you will soon be providing the accurate story.



At the Pan American contest this year we saw significant changes in scores
due to pilots ability to fly fast than the gaggle.

I don't think there's any dispute that flying faster typically yields better scores.

The differences in scoring equations are interesting.

Perhaps the scoring program could score next year's contests both ways so the contestants could see how things work in the other system?

An important note: thanks to dogged work by our IGC delegate Rick Sheppe, the IGC rules are going to change to a much more sane scoring system, which is much like the existing US scoring system.

John Cochrane BB

On Tuesday, 8 October 2019 16:14:52 UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
An important note: thanks to dogged work by our IGC delegate Rick Sheppe, the IGC rules are going to change to a much more sane scoring system, which is much like the existing US scoring system.

John Cochrane BB

The FAI documents that I can are here

US proposal - https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...e_pointsv2.pdf

Fro the minutes of the 2019 Plenary

8.1.1 Year-2 Proposal
(USA)
Y2 SC3A 8.2 8.3 8.4 USA 2019
Calculation of Speed and Distance
Points
Text of the proposal (including Annex):
https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...2_sc3a_8.2_8.3
_8.4_usa_2019_calculation_of_speed_and_distance_po intsv2.pdf
Note: This proposal introduces a new additional scoring system in
Annex A that could be used by IGC competition organizers. The IGC
Plenary will reevaluate this new system in 2022 and will decide if the
current system could be removed from Annex A.
Adopted

John, do you know how the process within the FAI works? Will the new formula be used in the 2020 FAI Cat 1 and 2 events?

Thanks in advance

On Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at 7:39:48 PM UTC-4, Ron Gleason wrote:
On Tuesday, 8 October 2019 16:14:52 UTC-6, John Cochrane wrote:
An important note: thanks to dogged work by our IGC delegate Rick Sheppe, the IGC rules are going to change to a much more sane scoring system, which is much like the existing US scoring system.

John Cochrane BB

The FAI documents that I can are here

US proposal - https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...e_pointsv2.pdf

Fro the minutes of the 2019 Plenary

8.1.1 Year-2 Proposal
(USA)
Y2 SC3A 8.2 8.3 8.4 USA 2019
Calculation of Speed and Distance
Points
Text of the proposal (including Annex):
https://www.fai.org/sites/default/fi...2_sc3a_8.2_8.3
_8.4_usa_2019_calculation_of_speed_and_distance_po intsv2.pdf
Note: This proposal introduces a new additional scoring system in
Annex A that could be used by IGC competition organizers. The IGC
Plenary will reevaluate this new system in 2022 and will decide if the
current system could be removed from Annex A.
Adopted

John, do you know how the process within the FAI works? Will the new formula be used in the 2020 FAI Cat 1 and 2 events?

Thanks in advance

See also: https://www.fai.org/igc-documents "alternative scoring system". Looks like this is already available at organizers' option.

Rick is the guy...

best,
Evan

Since this is the US proposal, and since it takes the IGC scoring formula basically to a slightly improved version of the US scoring formula, I would hope the US takes the IGCs invitation to use the new formula in nationals contests. Naturally I've told members of the RC this opinion, enhanced by bribes in the form of beer. If you agree, let them know as well.

John Cochrane BB

On Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 7:40:59 PM UTC-4, Andy Blackburn wrote:
US contest pilots.

The 2019 SSA Contest Rules Pilot Opinion Poll is now open and will remain open through October 20, 2019. You must be on the SSA Pilot Ranking List to participate. We look forward to your input.

You can access the poll online at: http://www.adamsfive.com/a5soaring/survey/surveys.php

Rich Owen is running unopposed for re-election to the Rules Committee. Consequently, Rich will return to his RC seat for a four-year term. Congratulations Rich!

For the SSA Contest Rules Committee
Andy Blackburn, Chair
9B

As of 10/10 AM, half way through the polling period, we have 111 replies. That is well below the 180 or so we had last year.
The tools we are using, SSA contest pilots list service, SSA E-news service, and this forum Have been used to get the word out.
First seems to be blocked by many Spam filters.
Second is affected by Spam filters to some degree , and pilots opting out of E- news.
Last limited by viewership of this site.
We would appreciate folks getting the word out to their friends to increase awareness and participation.
For the RC
UH

Guys
Take the time to do the survey. Its easy, fast and pretty informative. Even if your not a real active racer anymore, there are issues related to racing which affect all of us in other matters; can you say “insurance rates�.

In addition, getting your opinion to the committee is essential if you have concern for how the racing side of soaring is going. If you don’t take the time to do the survey, you have no grounds to bitch and moan when changes are made.

Popping the survey notification up in the stack. One week to go.

US contest pilots.

The 2019 SSA Contest Rules Pilot Opinion Poll is now open and will remain open through October 20, 2019. You must be on the SSA Pilot Ranking List to participate. We look forward to your input.

You can access the poll online at: http://www.adamsfive.com/a5soaring/survey/surveys.php

For the SSA Contest Rules Committee
Andy Blackburn, Chair
9B

I can’t understand why you wouldn’t fly to FAI rules, everyone is still on a level playing field. These days at WC level a full team with a system for tracking other gliders is going to become standard I suspect.