New Class for US Nationals

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