New Class for US Nationals

On Thursday, November 8, 2012 4:05:49 PM UTC-8, Mike C wrote:

Reverting the entire contest to "Modern", if 12 Modern pilots do not show up, seems
counter productive though.

Mike

Would you suggest they just go home or some other solution? Seems to me that 12 at a Nationals is a decent threshold for splitting out a separate class.

9B

On Thursday, November 8, 2012 4:31:37 PM UTC-8, wrote:
On Thursday, November 8, 2012 4:05:49 PM UTC-8, Mike C wrote:



Reverting the entire contest to "Modern", if 12 Modern pilots do not show up, seems

counter productive though.



Mike



Would you suggest they just go home or some other solution? Seems to me that 12 at a Nationals is a decent threshold for splitting out a separate class.



9B

Oops - I take it back.

On Nov 7, 2:21*pm, wrote:
The US Rules Subcommittee has added Club Class as a national championship class starting in 2013. *The plan is to co locate with Sports.
Generally described, subject to usual wordsmithing and refinement, Club will be gliders with a handicap of .898(similar to what Worlds does except letting in LS-6 and Ventus 1) and all lower performance gliders. This means we extend beyond what WGC does on the low end to let everybody be able to play. No water ballast will be used.
"Modern" Sports will allow anybody to be in this class but handicap limit will be .940. Gliders below that performance may enter but will not receive the full handicap benefit and tasking considerations will not reflect their performance. *No water ballast will be used.
This concept allows common std ships like Discus etc and ships like 20's to decide which class they would like to enter.
The rules will provide for assigned tasks in both Modern Sports and Club, subject to task setter evaluation of the fleet in the class.
If we do not get 12 in Club and Modern Sports, the contest reverts to traditional Sports only.
Final numbers and rules text will be a few weeks away using the normal rules process.
Final approval will be at the SSA BOD *winter meeting in February.
It is expected that the US Team committee will use Club results going forward to select the Club team. This has not yet been confirmed by the USTC.
We are making this announcement in advance to allow affected pilots more time to plan.
If we waited through the full process, it would be only 3 months from approval to the race.
Full details of the proposed rules will be available as part of the Rules Change Summary due to be published on 12/22/12.
This will require re doing entries after the rule becomes effective. Thanks to Karl and Iris for putting up with this extra work. It would be helpful to them if you advise what class you intend to fly in.
For the Rules Committee
UH
RC Chair

A few years late but still great!

The Ventus and LS-6 should not be included. They would have a significant advantage at sites like Parowan and Mifflin. They are competitive in the Handicapped FAI class and therefore are not being left without a home. Thank you for creating this class, but please reconsider whether including those gliders make sense.

2C

On Nov 8, 7:21*pm, Kevin Christner wrote:
The Ventus and LS-6 should not be included. They would have a significant advantage at sites like Parowan and Mifflin. *They are competitive in the Handicapped FAI class and therefore are not being left without a home. *Thank you for creating this class, but please reconsider whether including those gliders make sense.

2C

There is no national Handicapped FAI class.
Standards may have some limited handicapping next year. 15 meter will
not.
We may have one in the future, but we don't have one yet.

John Cochrane

On Wednesday, 7 November 2012 12:21:57 UTC-7, wrote:
The US Rules Subcommittee has added Club Class as a national championship class starting in 2013. The plan is to co locate with Sports.

Generally described, subject to usual wordsmithing and refinement, Club will be gliders with a handicap of .898(similar to what Worlds does except letting in LS-6 and Ventus 1) and all lower performance gliders. This means we extend beyond what WGC does on the low end to let everybody be able to play. No water ballast will be used.

"Modern" Sports will allow anybody to be in this class but handicap limit will be .940. Gliders below that performance may enter but will not receive the full handicap benefit and tasking considerations will not reflect their performance. No water ballast will be used.

This concept allows common std ships like Discus etc and ships like 20's to decide which class they would like to enter.

The rules will provide for assigned tasks in both Modern Sports and Club, subject to task setter evaluation of the fleet in the class.

If we do not get 12 in Club and Modern Sports, the contest reverts to traditional Sports only.

Final numbers and rules text will be a few weeks away using the normal rules process.

Final approval will be at the SSA BOD winter meeting in February.

It is expected that the US Team committee will use Club results going forward to select the Club team. This has not yet been confirmed by the USTC.

We are making this announcement in advance to allow affected pilots more time to plan.

If we waited through the full process, it would be only 3 months from approval to the race.

Full details of the proposed rules will be available as part of the Rules Change Summary due to be published on 12/22/12.

This will require re doing entries after the rule becomes effective. Thanks to Karl and Iris for putting up with this extra work. It would be helpful to them if you advise what class you intend to fly in.

For the Rules Committee

UH

RC Chair

Thanks RC! I believe this is a good move and with the priority on participation should increase participation.

Ron Gleason

Here's my 2 cents worth of comments on this subject:

1. IGC Club Class is intended to allow racing between gliders within a
narrow range of handicaps. The reason for the narrow range is to
allow handicapped competition to work across all types of tasks, in
particular, assigned speed tasks. Increasing the range of handicaps
puts the gliders at the low end of the list at a disadvantage (despite
the "better" handicap) when assigned tasks are called on days with
significant wind.

2. Viewing Club Class as an appendage to Sports Class pretty much
guarantees assigned speed tasks will almost never be called, which
sort of defeats the purpose.

Having owned, and occasionally raced, a DG-101, DG-303, Ventus B, and
LAK-17A, I can say the Ventus (15M) was far closer in overall
capability to the LAK-17A (15M) than to the DG-101. An IGC-style Club
Class, with assigned speed tasks, where I could actually feel
competitive in a Std Cirrus or DG-100, would draw me back into
racing. An MAT and TAT laden subset of Sports Class, not so much...

Marc

Sounds good, now I can fly the Cherokee onto the US Club Class team! Assuming of course that the USTC adopts the winner of this new class for team selection instead of sticking with their current list.

Will the same Modern/Club split apply to regional Sports Class contests, assuming there are enough entries?

I'm looking forward to the full list of Rule changes for next year, including Std. Class Nationals handicapping and if there will be a 13.5 Meter Nationals. Then I'll be able to plan out the rest of my Summer.

On Friday, November 9, 2012 4:12:53 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote:
Sounds good, now I can fly the Cherokee onto the US Club Class team! Assuming of course that the USTC adopts the winner of this new class for team selection instead of sticking with their current list. Will the same Modern/Club split apply to regional Sports Class contests, assuming there are enough entries? I'm looking forward to the full list of Rule changes for next year, including Std. Class Nationals handicapping and if there will be a 13.5 Meter Nationals. Then I'll be able to plan out the rest of my Summer.

Organizers in regionals can split groups in whatever way works best for their entries. That's how we had a 2 seat class in R2N. Yes they could follow Modern/Club.
Don't hold your calendar for 13.5 Nationals. Club is only new class for 2013.
UH

On Friday, November 9, 2012 3:42:28 PM UTC-6, wrote:
On Friday, November 9, 2012 4:12:53 PM UTC-5, Tony wrote: Sounds good, now I can fly the Cherokee onto the US Club Class team! Assuming of course that the USTC adopts the winner of this new class for team selection instead of sticking with their current list. Will the same Modern/Club split apply to regional Sports Class contests, assuming there are enough entries? I'm looking forward to the full list of Rule changes for next year, including Std. Class Nationals handicapping and if there will be a 13.5 Meter Nationals. Then I'll be able to plan out the rest of my Summer. Organizers in regionals can split groups in whatever way works best for their entries. That's how we had a 2 seat class in R2N. Yes they could follow Modern/Club. Don't hold your calendar for 13.5 Nationals. Club is only new class for 2013. UH

oh duh I knew that about splitting up regionals...

Figured as much on 13.5 meter. Maybe I just need to borrow a 1-26

Would consider flying the Cirrus in Std. Class nats if they'll be handicapped, even if i have to fly at .95 instead of 1.