On Tuesday, April 13, 2021 at 11:50:01 AM UTC-7, wrote:
My point is: In that competition situation, it was less risky for the motorgliders to go up into the hills than
it was for the pure gliders. So much so that the pure gliders just didn't go there. The motorgliders gained
a distinct competitive advantage. I am not a particularly serious race guy, so doesn't bother me much.
I do get a bit tired of the "motorgliders have no competitive advantage in racing" refrain.

You must have never flown against anyone such as some of the top 10 US racing pilots I flew with back in the 1980's - 1990's. Many would fly their ASW-20, Ventus, etc. deep into tiger country with no hope of a safe landing if no lift was found. On many occasions, I would choose that time to find a different route.

Once at Minden, I was an early starter and got as far south as some high terrain, but couldn't get high enough to clear it safely. After hanging out on a ridge for close to an hour, "the mob" showed up, all a few hundred feet below me. Off they went into the high ground. I followed because I now felt that they would either mark lift, or at least one would land somewhere without breaking their ship, marking a spot for me :-) Several landed in some tiny meadows and amazingly without damage. I completed the task!

5Z