A short bit on GAP 2011

Some of you will have noticed that since summer 2011, FS comes with an additional scoring formula: GAP2011. Unfortunately, there is no documentation around that explains what changes were made from GAP2008 to GAP2011. We’re working on improving the documentation for FS, which includes a complete explanation of the current GAP implementation, but until we’re done with that, here  in short, the changes implemented in 2011:

1. Altitude bonus in stopped tasks: we take the position at the time the task was stopped, calculate altitude over goal, then assume a 2:1 glide (default, can be changed) to determine a bonus distance. If that one is bigger than the best distance the pilot reached previously, we use the bonus distance, otherwise the best distance as before.
2. Devaluation of tasks with no pilot in goal: If no pilot reaches goal, the task is devalued by an additional factor, default (as set by the CIVL plenary in 2011) is 80%
3. Devaluation of stopped tasks: Stopped tasks are devalued by an additional factor, default (as set by the CIVL plenary in 2011) is 70%. This is not combined with change 2, so even a stopped task with no pilot in goal is devalued only by factor 70%.

The 2011 CIVL plenary decided to apply those changes to all FAI Category-1 paragliding events. That usually means they’ll also be applied to most FAI-2 events, since scorers/meet directors tend to just apply the same rules there. They do not apply to Hang Gliding competitions, but of course organizers of FAI-2 events are free to use those settings as well.

I hope this helps in the short term – we’ll be coming up with a more in-depth documentation of GAP later this year.

Joerg