On Dec 24, 9:01*am, ZL wrote:
RookieStar wrote:
I've seen and read some of the soaring/cross country bibles and tons of
articles including the racing rules on the SSA site, *but I still
haven't found a book, one book, that directly explains all that one
needs to know about sailplane racing, from tarmac tie down positioning
to in-flight tactics based on the type of task you are flying....

I've asked a number racers some rather basic questions and was
surprised at the amount of head scratching? *

I've done a lot of racing in other sports and *due to the fact that I
was able to read and bone up on most all the fundamentals early I was
able to work on skills and implement strategies sooner which helped me
weave my way into the fleet quicker. *More enjoyment.

Once again I find myself the low time RookieStar looking for the Idiots
Guide to Sailplane Racing in my pursuit towards anything but DFL.

Where's that book?

Not exactly a book, and not 100% up to date, but try this:http://sailplane-racing.org/Articles...llustrated.pdf

Really it comes down to good cross country soaring skills. Yes, there
are the logistical concerns, which
the SRA guide go into, but you need the flying skills first. The best
books for that are the ones by Moffat,
Reichmann, and Byars. They can be hard to find though. You'll get
pointers in there that you
wouldn't think of, like Reichmann recommending running every day to
improve your circulation so you're
sharper in the cockpit.

It really does help to have a mentor as well; they can sharpen up your
logistical practices on the ground and can
fly with you and give you feedback on your judgment. Ultimately
that's what all this comes down to -- the ability
to fly well in a variety of conditions, both personal and
atmospheric. This really is a sport, so just like any other
sport you need a good coach.