Class mobility

The 57th Australian Multiclass Nationals are underway in Narromine.

They are running 4 classes: Open, 18m, 15m, and Std.

All four classes are handicapped. The entry rules seem to be:

a) You can enter Open Class if your wingspan is at least 18 meters.
b) You can enter 18m Class only if you use an 18m Class glider.
c) You can enter Open and 18m simultaneously if you meet both conditions (a) and (b), above.
d) You can enter 15m Class if your wingspan is = 15 meters.
e) You can enter Std Class if you use a Standard Class glider.
f) You can enter 15m and Std simultaneously if you meet both conditions
(d) and (e), above.

They have a total of 79 entries: 24 Open, 22 18m, 19 15m, and 12 Std.

The total number of pilots (and gliders) is 44.

Tasking is constrained to settiing two tasks each day: one for the
Open/18m classes and one for the 15m/Std classes. Presumably, the two
tasks must be different; otherwise pilots would be tempted to enter more
than two classes simutaneously!

So, the pilots flying flapped 15 meter span gliders and the pilots
flying gliders with long wings are disadvantaged - they are entered in
only one class.

Everyone else can set their sights on two different podia. As of today
(Task 9), the leaders in the Open and 18m classes are the same people,
in the same order, in places 1-8.

I wonder how they handle the national ranking list and team selection!

Yes but do they pay seperate entry fees and or tow fees for each class? Pretty interesting stuff

It's not intentionally so elaborate, it's just that we 'virtually' lump in standards to 15m and 18's into open to give 15/open valid classes.

On Wednesday, 5 December 2018 17:30:49 UTC, Pat Russell wrote:
The 57th Australian Multiclass Nationals are underway in Narromine.

They are running 4 classes: Open, 18m, 15m, and Std.

All four classes are handicapped. The entry rules seem to be:

a) You can enter Open Class if your wingspan is at least 18 meters.
b) You can enter 18m Class only if you use an 18m Class glider.
c) You can enter Open and 18m simultaneously if you meet both conditions (a) and (b), above.
d) You can enter 15m Class if your wingspan is = 15 meters.
e) You can enter Std Class if you use a Standard Class glider.
f) You can enter 15m and Std simultaneously if you meet both conditions
(d) and (e), above.

They have a total of 79 entries: 24 Open, 22 18m, 19 15m, and 12 Std.

The total number of pilots (and gliders) is 44.

Tasking is constrained to settiing two tasks each day: one for the
Open/18m classes and one for the 15m/Std classes. Presumably, the two
tasks must be different; otherwise pilots would be tempted to enter more
than two classes simutaneously!

So, the pilots flying flapped 15 meter span gliders and the pilots
flying gliders with long wings are disadvantaged - they are entered in
only one class.

Everyone else can set their sights on two different podia. As of today
(Task 9), the leaders in the Open and 18m classes are the same people,
in the same order, in places 1-8.

I wonder how they handle the national ranking list and team selection!

What Matt said.
Our rules require 8 per class minimum, there were not enough 15s or Opens so mixed classes with scoring also for 18 and Standard as they have the numbers.
Handicaps allow slighly older gliders to compete fairly. (1% for $150K) 😉
Tom
....

I see your point about undersubscribed classes, and I agree that all
comers should be welcomed.

But I don't see how the contest differs from a 2-class event. You seem
to have a handicapped Open class and a handicapped 15m class, with
appropriate tasking for each.

The prospect of giving two trophies to the winner for flying a glider
that happens to meet the definition of two FAI classes seems a bit
contrived to me.

Best of luck for the rest of the comp!

-Pat

The thinking is, why should standard class be compromised (with an expanded handicap range including 60kg/sqm JS3-15's) because of the lack of 15m glider entrants? I think it's a very reasonable compromise.

On Thursday, 6 December 2018 12:51:51 UTC, Pat Russell wrote:
I see your point about undersubscribed classes, and I agree that all
comers should be welcomed.

But I don't see how the contest differs from a 2-class event. You seem
to have a handicapped Open class and a handicapped 15m class, with
appropriate tasking for each.

The prospect of giving two trophies to the winner for flying a glider
that happens to meet the definition of two FAI classes seems a bit
contrived to me.

Best of luck for the rest of the comp!

-Pat

We did this in the UK in 2017 with great success. 15s and standards flew
the same task with standards scored at a handicap of 100 and 15s at 103.

There was a 15s champion, a Standards champion and a contest winner too.

Jim

Of interest to me is that it looks like only one person (Geoff Brown) chose to "span down" and is flying with his shorter span tips. Everyone else is flying with the longest span their plane can fly with. No ASG29s, JS3s, Ventus 2C or similar in 15 meter class. And the other JS1 is flying with his 21 meter tips on.

Also of interest to me is that all classes are handicapped.

Steve Leonard

On Thursday, December 6, 2018 at 9:31:11 AM UTC-8, Steve Leonard wrote:
Of interest to me is that it looks like only one person (Geoff Brown) chose to "span down" and is flying with his shorter span tips. Everyone else is flying with the longest span their plane can fly with. No ASG29s, JS3s, Ventus 2C or similar in 15 meter class. And the other JS1 is flying with his 21 meter tips on.

Also of interest to me is that all classes are handicapped.

Steve Leonard

Most of the JS1s are B models, 18m only.
All the LS8s are flying with baby wingtips. One D2C flying at 18m.
I like the feel of the 18m D2C full of water, but at high speed it doesn't go like something with flaps.
Jim

Do these "phantom" classes give more FAI ranking points to pilots (4 winners instead of 2)? I dont see any other reason for this.