The Race Series.

In 2009, The Race Series will be held on scheduled Saturdays and will be subdivided into two segments as shown on the schedule.

An overall series winner will be declared. Winners will also be declared for each of the two segments.

Thanks to the generosity of Williams Soaring Center, the overall series winner will be recognized at the Annual WSC Oktoberfest and will receive a purse of $500 in credit for tows and rentals if qualifying flights are completed as described below.

Open to all Pilots that are REGISTERED for this contest.

In order to be REGISTERED for this contest, your name must be added to the Score Sheet by the Contest Director or by the FBO. To register you must be a current, paid-up member of the VSA, and have contest level experience. The Race Series is not intended to be a training or entry point of novice cross-country pilots. Check with The CD or FBO before attempting to fly a task that you wish to have scored.

Only one pilot needs to launch on a scheduled race day in order to have his flight scored.

Schedule.

See the schedule on the Events Notice on the Williams Today Pages.

Tasks.

A contestant may choose to fly any one of the authorized tasks and fly the turn points in either forward or reverse order.

Class.

The Race Series will consist of a single class.

Handicap.

The pilots raw score will be handicapped using the latest available SSA Sport Class. Pilots are allowed to carry water ballast, however pilots with water ballast will carry an additional 3 % handicap.

Scoring.

• The pilot who posts the fastest speed for the day (after the appropriate handicap has been applied will be awarded 1000 points for that day. Other pilots will receive a percentage of the 1000 points, based upon their own speed relative to the speed of the winner. Points will only be awarded for speed (no points will be awarded for "distance only" or for incomplete tasks).
• To allow for the increased challenge posed by longer tasks, bonus points will be added to total points scored for each flight as follows:
  100 points for each 200k task
  200 points for each 300k task or longer
• To allow the completion of tasks on a marginal day, special "s" tasks may be allowed at the discretion of the CD. If "s" tasks are to be allowed, the CD will make his determination and announce it not later than one hour following the first launch. Allowing the use of "s" tasks on a given day does not preclude a contestant from completing a standard task. All "s" tasks will be devalued as follows
  s100 task = 300 points penalty
  s200 task = 200 points penalty
  s300 task = 100 points penalty
  
• The CD may apply a penalty that he feels appropriate for any rule violation, unsafe flying or unsportsmanlike conduct.
  

Maximum number of flights: A contestant may "fly" any number of different courses on a single race day, but only one course will count for scoring. A contestant may re-fly a course as many times on a single day as desired, but only the highest-scoring flight on that course will be counted that day. The pilot should identify on the landing card the flight that will be scored. The total number of scored flights for each segment of the race series will be one less than the total scheduled race days, that is - If segment one of the series has 7 scheduled race days, each contestant may only use his best 6 flights to determine his final ranking in segment one. The same criteria apply to segment two. Thus, for the overall series the total number of scored flights will be two less than the total number of scheduled race days.

In order to qualify as the winner of the prize money, a pilot must have accumulated the most number of total points in the entire series, participated in both the first and second segment of the series, and meets the additional criteria of completing at least one triangle in each of the three groups: 100 km, 200 km, 300km. The "s" courses and the courses that are not closed triangles do not qualify.

Pilots may fly different gliders or may change configurations at their option, with an appropriate change in handicap as determined by the CD.

The start and finish gates will be one statute mile radius cylinders and 5,000 feet above the stated elevation of the gate turnpoint.
Gates are: Tree Farm, 3 sisters, and WSC.
Elevations respectively: 4200, 2000, and 68 feet.

Starting through the top of the gate is allowed.

Two minute rule applies to the start.

Time on course begins when exiting the start cylinder and ends at one mile from the finish point.

Distance flown is the published distance for each task. Speed is calculated as the published distance for the task divided by the 'time on course.

A pilot will be scored as having reached the turnpoint if at least one fix from his flight trace is located within a one statute mile radius of that turnpoint. The scoring distance will always be to the turnpoint itself regardless of where in the one mile cylinder the turn is made.

Tows and self-launches: CD coordinates with the FBO to get the max number of the contest ships in the air ASAP. Some limitations on launch sequence, tow location and altitude may be imposed, but you have the option of waiting for a later tow and not being a part of that first series of launches that bear limitations. Motorgliders will comply with the specified limitations if they launch during the first series of tows.

Landouts: Defined as- landing other than WSC or a motorglider engine start outside of 1 mile from WSC. If a pilot lands out he is done for the day and receives zero points - although he may continue to fly for fun. However, relights are allowed.

Relights (only allowed at WSC): Relights are allowed if it appears that no start was made. Relights will occur only after the last contestant has launched.

Claiming and submitting flights.

• Flight record/ log must be submitted/ posted in order to receive points. Only flights recorded by GPS flight recorder acceptable to the CD will be considered for scoring in the race series and the flight record/log must be submitted to the scorer in a media form that is acceptable to the CD.
  
• The Landing Card must list the specific course that is claimed on that date. The scorer will not try to guess which course you are claiming. The scorer may choose not to accept changes at anytime, and in any case, the Landing Card may not be changed after 24 hours after it is submitted.
  
• Flight logs and landing cards should be submitted the same day, but not later than the next morning va email.