On Thursday, November 24, 2016 at 10:07:51 AM UTC+1, Bruce Hoult wrote:
On Wednesday, November 23, 2016 at 11:25:53 PM UTC+3, Jonathan St. Cloud wrote:
Was looking over the entry sheet for WGC 2017. The open class seem dominated by 21 meter ships. Only two 23 meters (new generation open class) and four EB29. Nary a Nimbus 4 or ASW-22. Shame these beautifully ladies of the sky are not competitive with even the 21 meter birds. There is nothing like flying a 26.5 meter bird, they will stay in the sky on a breath of hot air. Their shape I find so much more alluring than the stubby wings of 21 meters or less.

As you allude, it depends on the conditions. The 25+ meter ships win easily if the lift is weaker than 1 knot. If you've got 2+ knots then 19m is superior, purely on polar, let alone manoeuvrability. And in stonking ridge or wave conditions 15m or less lets you have a higher Vne...

Not just Vne, the 15m polar at high speed is much better than the Open ships.