On Tuesday, June 11, 2013 5:21:42 PM UTC-4, wrote:

Most all sailplanes that are in the experimental category are certified "air racing", the meat of the meal is in the limitations issued at the time of the certification. If the DAR is nice he will give you in the limitations an operating area of the continental United States. If he does not do this he will give you a practice area, usually a 300 mile radius from your home base then you will have to submit a Program letter each year.

I would add that I can legally fly my experimental glider in badge attempts and practice for badge attempts. Racing and race practice are allowed, but they are not required.

It is also possible to change the center of my 300 mile radius, but to do so the FAA wants to come to my airport and reinspect the glider based on current regulations. Due to budget cutbacks, the FAA guy could not get travel money this year, so we settled on a Program Letter that bases the glider at my local airport, 700 miles from the former owner's base of operations. I will try to do an identical Program Letter in 2014. That way I can avoid the possible repercussions of an overly zealous FAA inspection.

It's good to know this because the FAA guy did not know about the Practice for Badge Attempts loophole. I found that myself by reading the documents carefully.