"FAI Combined" Class?

Hey all - I've been seeing this terminology around, such as for next month's Region 10, but it doesn't line up with the current rules - can anyone clarify what this means?

On Friday, July 26, 2019 at 1:06:39 PM UTC-4, wrote:
Hey all - I've been seeing this terminology around, such as for next month's Region 10, but it doesn't line up with the current rules - can anyone clarify what this means?

Regional organizers have a lot of flexibility in setting up classes based upon entries.
The "FAI handicapped class" is a handicapped class that may accompany another class such as Sports. This is commonly used when there are not enough ships for a Std or 15M so they get combined and handicapped to allow ships to be competitive.
UH

Basically it means there are not enough Standard class or 15m class pilots to hold seperate classes. So they combine and then handicap them to make it fair. Sorta of a sports class limited to modern day 15m span ships.

CH

Thanks for the responses - the confusion is caused by the terminology, since the rules refer to "FAI Handicapped". With the ever-present angst over the handicaps themselves!

The term is pretty flexible. At R11 FAI Class is regularly used to denote basically a Sports Class competition that permits water ballast.

As an aside, this year R11 also included by waiver a handicapped distance “California Grand Prix� task. I think it was universally viewed as a fun format by the participants.

Andy Blackburn
9B

Regardless of handicaps.....I still say about 90% is the nut behind the stick, and go from there. A good pilot in a decent ship will likely be near the top anyway.....
Weather or geographic may skew handicaps a bit.....but they're usually pretty decent.