Earlier, Burt Compton wrote:

Any ideas as to why the very low number
of contestants (12) at the recent
Standard Class National Soaring Contest
in California?

That puzzled me, too. It was a fun contest to crew
at, but I was sort of disappointed that more contestants
didn't show up to fill out the grid. Here are my thoughts
on the topic, in no particular order:

I believe that, with only a couple or three exceptions,
everyone who had a good shot at winning it showed up,
so the low turnout didn't affect the standings much
at all. Regulars of r.a.s are invited to argue among
themselves who the exceptions are.

To a substantial degree, competition soaring is driven
by disposable income, and to some extent disposable
income from investments. Right now, the economy is
a bit soft, and many pilots who depend on their stock
portfolios to underwrite their contest campaigns are
feeling the pinch.

Looking at the calendar, I see that the Standards was
the last Nationals on the 2003 docket. It could be
that everyone was just 'Nationaled-out' by the time
the standards came around. What with competition from
15-Meter, 18-Meter, Sports, and Big Sports (formerly
Open) classes, it could be that there is just a glut
of National slots.

Thanks, and best regards to all

Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com