Why 1000pts (or not) on an FAI sailplane racing day?

I can see a lot of pilots with not even a clue about why they get this score, why the task does not mean a 1000pts today, why distance points means so much on daily score today, etc etc...

You have to dig up quite deep in the scoring system to understand how it works but also keep in mind why the scoring system is made like it is. The big "behind the scene" philosophy is -1 to technically reduce effect of any luck in the score (imagine a rainy front on the first km and only 2 or 3 people make it and then complete the task... 1000pts for them and only 20 for the outlanded?? Yes they have been lucky so scoring system must fix that!), -2 to take into account the type of flight of the day (is it more a distance task with quite some out landings or is it definitely a speed task with very high speed and not a big difference between best speed and worst one?) -3 to only produce 1000pts if the daily race is long enough (in time spend to achieve it AND in distance) as a too short/Speedy task is not the same amount of effort than a long and slow one (but still daily score is not important for the pilot, only difference in score with the other pilots is important at the end...) -4 to take into account the difference of level of the pilots making the task so to not allow a group of very good pilots among average ones to take a too much big lead in total scoreboard.

Getting 1000pts is an iterative task inside the scoring machine. Its has been designed to polish luck effect and gives an accurate result of who is best pilot of the championship.

Recently some changes were introduced by IGC to refine these calculations, notably introducing a minimum task distance to validate the day depending on the sailplane class flying (before it was for all classes 100km, it is not anymore, i.e. club class and 13.5m is 100km, other classes must do more) and a Completion factor has been also introduced taking into account that even if you have quite a lot of pilots making the minimum distance to validate the day, they must also do it in a comparable speed to the best pilot of the day or this mean something was very wrong on the task (i.e. luck occurs) and this factor will decrease the 1000pts basis of the day to limit luck effect...

Complicated? No! Complex? Yes, as is our sport during a race in an open area. So we can't get easy rules with black/white like football or tennis.

So basically : - 1000pts basis is ok today if : task is more than 3 hours (for best performer) AND 250km minimum length (club and 13.5m class) or 300km (20m and 15m/std), or 350km (Open and 18m class) - But it will not reach 1000pts if more than 20% of the pilots make less than minimum distance to validate the day (i.e. 100km for club and 13.5m class, 120km for 20m and 15m/Std, 140 for 18m and Open) - and also, if for all pilots making more than this minimum distance, at least 1/3rd are finishing with less than 66% of the speed of the best finisher (which means also outlanded pilots making more than minimum distance are included in this calculation) - Then speed points of the day will represent maximum 66% of the total daily score (Speed + Distance points) if and only if at least 66% of the pilots are making at least 66% of the best daily speed. If not, speed points will be reduced and distance points will grow...

Simple no? ;-)

You will ask me now, what is my score and what I have to do to best it? Just don't forget that if you do less than 66% of the best speed you will get no speed points ;-)

So fly fast and do your best in the air.

Go and visit www.soaringspot.com to investigate competitions results with a new eye now!

You'd like to dig up more deep into rules of IGC championships, go there.

Any question? contact me on Facebook through @benjaminneglais

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