Just to clear up some misconceptions with regards to the IGC Club class definition. From the current FAI sporting code (http://www.fai.org/igc-documents):

START QUOTE

FAI Sporting Code
Section 3 – Gliding
CLASS D (gliders)
including Class DM (motorgliders)
....
Chapter 6
GLIDER CLASSES and
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS
....
6.2 HANDICAPPING
The purpose of handicapping shall be to equalise the performance of competing gliders as far as possible. The handicap values used shall be directly proportional to the expected cross-country speeds of gliders in typical soaring conditions for the competition concerned.

If handicapping is to be used, it shall be applied directly to the speed or distance achieved: for finishers, to the speed only, for non-finishers, to the distance only. Competitors completing the task shall not be given less than full distance points, and competitors not completing the task shall not
be given more than full distance points. Any list of handicaps proposed for a competition must be approved by the IGC.
....
6.5.8 Club Class
The purpose of the Club Class is to preserve the value of older high performance gliders, to provide inexpensive but high quality international championships, and to enable pilots who do not have access to gliders of the highest standard of performance to take part in contests at the highest levels.
a. ENTRY The only limitation on entry of a glider into a Club Class competition is that it is within the agreed range of handicap factors for the competition.
b. BALLAST Disposable ballast is not permitted.
c. SCORING Championship scoring formulas shall include handicap factors.
d. WING LOADING Wing loading shall not exceed 38 kg/m2.
....
FAI Sporting Code
Annex A to Section 3 – Gliding
RULES FOR WORLD AND CONTINENTAL
SOARING CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS D (gliders)
Including Class DM (motorgliders)
....
1.3 CHAMPIONSHIP CLASSES
1.3.1 The Championships shall consist of the one or more classes as described in the main body of Section 3 of the Sporting Code, Chapter 6, and as listed in the Local Procedures.
....
4.2 MAXIMUM TAKE OFF MASS
4.2.1 The following Maximum Take Off Mass (MTOM) shall be enforced:
....
d. Club Class – No ballast permitted and MTOM limited to the lowest of:
1. Maximum wing loading 38 Kg/m2
2. Maximum certified Take Off Mass without water according to Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS).
....
8.2 COMMON RULES
....
8.2.4 Handicaps
Handicapping shall be used in the Club Class and may be used in the 20 metre Multi-seat Class in Continental Championships only. Organisers shall state in the Local Procedures if Handicapping is to be used in the 20 metre Multi-seat Class.
a. Handicaps shall be taken from the valid IGC Handicap list or any other list approved by the IGC Bureau for the specific Championships.
b. The Organisers shall publish a list of all competitors with their handicaps before the beginning of the Championships.
c. Handicaps shall be applied according to 8.3.2.
....
Appendix 3
IGC Handicap Lists
The IGC Handicap Committee is responsible for the evaluation, review and publication of glider handicaps. The IGC Handicap lists consists of:

IGC Club Class Handicap List
IGC 20 metre Multi-seat Class Handicap list

The handicaps for each class are published on the FAI website.
http://www.fai.org/fai-documents

Effective date for changes to the handicap list is April 1st each year.

General rules for the IGC Club Class:
Only Single Seat Gliders with a handicap index of 1,09 or lower are eligible.
Retrofitting a glider with retractable landing gear increases the Handicap by 0.02.
Retrofitting a glider with winglets increases the Handicap by 0.01.
The pilot is responsible for providing documentation to prove that his glider will be operated within the legal weight limits.
The handicap is based on the performance at a stated glider reference weight, which is based on a typical empty weight plus 110 kg. Where a glider is flown at a higher weight by necessity, the handicap will be increased by 0.005 for each 10 kg or part thereof that the glider exceeds the base handicap weight.

General rules for the IGC 20 metre Multi-seat Class Handicap list:
To be determined.

END QUOTE

The current official handicap range used by the IGC is 0.96 to 1.09 (see http://www.fai.org/downloads/igc/IGC...bClassList_V1). The last handicap range change was in 2006/2007, when the top limit was moved up from 1,07 to 1,09. This led to the addition of ASW 20 WL (15m), Discus 1, ASW 24 WL/24B WL, DG 400 (15m), SZD 55 and ASW 20 (15m) to the official IGC Club class handicap list.

Now the not so obvious actual implementation of the Club class: Have a look at

Section 3 - 6.5.8 Club Class - a. ENTRY The only limitation on entry of a glider into a Club Class competition is that it is within the agreed range of handicap factors for the competition.

and then at

Annex A to Section 3 - 8.2.4 Handicaps
Handicapping shall be used in the Club Class ...

a. Handicaps shall be taken from the valid IGC Handicap list or any other list approved by the IGC Bureau for the specific Championships.
b. The Organisers shall publish a list of all competitors with their handicaps before the beginning of the Championships.

So yes, the official IGC Club Class handicap range is 0.96 to 1.09 but if the glider of your choice is ostensibly within that range but not on the official IGC Handicap list you are out of luck for a Category 1 event (Worlds/Continentals)... Unless the IGC has approved a different list for the particular you want to fly in...

This is the case for the 2012 Club Class WGC in Argentina this January, see http://www.fai.org/downloads/igc/IGC...ap_list_ARG_V2. They did not change the handicap range but did add the Std. Astir G102 & SZD-51 Junior to allow these gliders types to participate (even decent Club Class gliders are of limited supply in Argentina).

This illustrates the point that unless the glider of your choice is by name on an approved IGC Club Class handicap list (general or event specific) it won't matter if it falls within the predefined range, it won't be allowed to participate in an FAI/IGC Category 1 event.

The IGC maintains a very short handicap list that only includes the most common glider types in that handicap range, 51 total but in reality only some 15 or so truly different glider types. The current list is, as mentioned, Eurocentric with not a single non-European type on it.

At the 3 previous South American Continental Championships in Argentina 8.2..4 a. was used to approve the Argentine Handicap system to run 3 handicapped classes of distinct handicap ranges, have a look at the results from the last one this past January:

Standard Class - http://igcrankings.fai.org/CompPage.php?compid=1436
15m Class - http://igcrankings.fai.org/CompPage.php?compid=1437
Open Class - http://igcrankings.fai.org/CompPage.php?compid=1438

As you can see the glider list for Std/15m looked more like a Club Class list, this was a fully sanctioned FAI/IGC Continental Championship (Category 1) to which the full FAI/IGC sporting code (competition rules) applied.

Markus Graeber
IGC Delegate - Colombia