On Sep 23, 12:55*pm, "noel.wade" wrote:

Handicapped classes that specifically exclude certain aircraft _don't_
meet this requirement, though. *Excluding fancy aircraft does not
automatically limit you to less-experienced pilots or casual pilots.
And the aircraft you fly does not determine your skill level. *A rich
ex-Microsoftie near me is looking at buying a DG-1000 before he even
learns to fly; but do you really think that the aircraft will
automatically make him a better pilot the first time he flies a race?
Would he really be better off if he were shoved into some "expert
handicapped" class with only high-dollar aircraft in his first
competition? *By the same token, Karl S could probably take a Libelle
201 and stomp me in my DG-300 (even with appropriate handicaps)...
Also, your total-time or total number of competitions does not
determine your skill-level either!


--Noel

Hi Noel,

A good post, and if I could just add one piece of context here to
consider. The reason for establishing handicap "sub-classes" such as
the club class is that there is such a diverse range of performance
out there in gliders that it becomes impossible at some point to run a
"race" in the traditional sense. An extreme example that is oft-
cited is the "1-26 vs. Nimbus argument." It's pretty clear that on
a day with strong winds and widely spaced thermals, no amount of
handicapping will make the 1-26 even remotely capable of getting
around a course that might be a walk in the park for the Nimbus.
Even with turn areas and MATs, there are some days when the required
performance is more than the 1-26 can muster (not that some 1-26
drivers aren't game for the challenge).

On a similar note, there is a big difference in the tactics of flying
when you can more-or-less stay with the pack than when you can't.
It's reasonably well accepted that, on balance, flying with a good
gaggle will get you home faster than struggling on your own. So, if
you don't have a pretty good chance of staying in contact with others,
you're really not participating in the same game.

It all sort of boils down to what we are trying to achieve. If we're
having a "fun race" where the handicapping should work more often than
not, then it's probably okay to have a very wide range of ships. But
if you are looking for a race with a reasonably level playing field,
then I suspect that sub-classes based on a range of handicaps is the
only way to go.

P3