"Something is keeping pilots from racing in droves" from up-thread.

First off, I have no dog in this fight. I have never entered a competition and, likely, never will. I can't comment on the safety aspect and how that would impact my decision to race. I did fly in the back seat with KS once at a regional and found the whole thing to be an awesome experience and not the least bit worrying from a safety standpoint. I even thought, "I should give this racing thing a shot." Then, the real reason I don't race woke me from my fantasy. I simply don't have the time or the money to dedicate a week to when the whole thing (or a significant portion thereof) might be a washout. I submit that the cost in both time and money is what keeps the droves of glider pilots at their home airports, not safety. That may convince people to stop racing but I doubt it impacts their decision on whether or not to start. Sorry for the thread drift.