All gliders could fly the class with a handicap as is done
now but team members would only be selected from those pilots flying a
true Club Class glider.

The trouble with this system is that few top-caliber US pilots are
going to leave the good glider at home and fly a nationals in a
borrowed standard cirrus. Our team will then be picked from a very
small group of "specialists." The result is unlikely to be teams that
do well at worlds. If you want teams that do well at worlds, you have
to pick from the largest possible group of pilots.

Of course, it all depends what we want. If we want to create a place
where a small group of dedicated club class specialists can get to the
worlds relatively easily, then this limitation will do splendidly. If
we want a selection system that send the best possible team, then I
don't see any reason for the idea.

John Cochrane (Who is very, very unlikely to spend two precious weeks
flying a standard cirrus when I have an ASW27 sitting pathetically
unused!)