On Thursday, July 17, 2014 6:51:21 PM UTC-7, wrote:
Thanks Walt -



I have one clarifying question. Your proposal is essentially for co-located, but separate Standard and 15M nationals. If there are fewer than the requisite number of Standard Class pilots for a Nationals should the Standard Class be cancelled or combined with 15m and if combined would that be with or without a handicap?

Actually, it was not made clear in my reply whether the STD and 15M Nats were scored as separate Nationals while being co-located. I suppose one could do that, but it doesn't seem necessary. If the STDs and 15M were scored separately, differences in ranking outcome for STD pilots would probably be negligible and it's not clear to me if would make difference. On weak survival days, I don't see completion ratios being much different between STD and 15M ships. In fact, I implicitly intended that there would be one Nationals scoring pool for both STD and 15M ships for simplicity. My recommendation was that I was "ok" with not handicapping STDs, because there will still be a 1st place, 2nd and third trophy for the highest placing STDs. Perhaps one could handicap all ships in the STD/15M scoring pool, but as I noted, this is probably not popular right now. The final cumulative points for the STD class could be modified later in the U.S. Team Selection process to normalize performance difference.




I like the idea of offering standard class gliders the ability to fly Club on one coast or 15m combined on the other coast and agree that many Std pilots would likely elect to fly against 15m, but that could change over time if more top pilots get excited about Club or if team selection criteria change. The flexibility for Std pilots to fly one class or the other to suit their locale is a key to helping Club attract top pilots but it could also deplete the attendance at the Std/15m contest and make it hard to get 10 std class gliders to sign up, thereby threatening the viability of a separate class.

At some point (perhaps in the not too distant future), one may not get 10 STD class gliders to sign up with the 15M Nats. But, does it really matter? If we declare that the STD champion is the BEST STD performance in the co-located 15M Nats, so be it. When the number of signed up STDs drops too low (see 2014 rules 5.2.1.1 regarding minimal entries for a valid National Championship), say five entries, then that's the end of the STD Class National Championship era. Even if we decided to not award a STD Class National Champion, the new U.S. Team Selection rules could be flexible enough to accept one or two stellar performing pilots for future World Gliding Contests.

Further on down the road, the Club Class may build in popularity, and you're right, that may pull down entries in the co-located STD/15M Nats. But still, one can select STD Class entries from the Club Class pool in future World Championships.





Just trying to think through the consequences, implications and potential options.



- Andy, 9B