Tim Mara wrote:
we don't need another class...we just need to fix the one we
have.....

I proposed years ago that we modify the Sports class "more or less"
to the
very successful European Club Class (they actually have two versions
there
for standard class gliders and 15 meter gliders called the "racing
class)
My (and others) suggestion was to eliminate gliders from the Sports
class
that already had a "competitive" class of their own....
Doing this I suggested the sports class would 'disallow" any "current

production" competition glider or variation thereof, from Sports
class
competition.
Meaning..if you have a "racing" glider that is of a series currently
being
produced you'd have to fly it in the respective class it was designed
for
(15M, Standard, open and yes, world class) . If you have a glider
that has
been surpassed by more competitive models from the manufacturer,then
it
could be handicapped and allowed into sports class... The main idea
with
this was to allow closer handicapping and allow older gliders (lower
cost)
to fly with their pilots competitively and let them fly in called
tasks
rather than having to design new scoring systems to meet the broadest
array
of handicaps.
The other change to sports class I suggested was that no one would be

allowed to fly in a sports class "National" contest, that had not
participated in a Sports class regional contest within the preceding
3
years, thus keeping the class "pure" .....since it seems pilots who
otherwise snub their noses at sports class seem to rush top attend
only when
there is a title at stake....and then of course as we see it today,
show up
in droves to fly their latest ship...
I never got any flack from these proposals except of course from
those who
were already fling the latest and greatest ships......but even most
of them
admitted in the past it would be beneficial to promoting the sports
class
and would allow owners on lesser budgets with older gliders a place
to
compete where they could more or less evenly match themselves and
their
ships and bring more into the sport or glider racing..which can't be
bad for
any of us...
anyway.my 2c are there again.....
tim

--
Wings & Wheels
www.wingsandwheels.com


Can't argue with any of that, Tim, but where are you going to draw the
line? The V1's and 20's are still quite potent machines. How about the
Genesis, its out of production. I do like your proposal to only allow
real sports pilots to compete, but then it wouldn't be all that hard to
log a sports regionals every 3 years just to keep ones options open.
What I see is a lot of local pilots will fly sports nats when they are
close and the other nationals when they are close. That's what I do and
kind-a like it that way.

JJ