Flying style

Pilots grouped by how alike their flying was.

Analysis computed

The groups are flying style, and not score. The spread of ranks in each group shows where that style paid and where it did not.

Group A — Fast gliders

8 pilots · ranks 1–15 · median 4.5 · middle half 2.8–6.3

High — Glide speed between climbs group median P85 in this field (66.8 kilometres per hour) · usually a strength
High — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P83 in this field (1.7 metres per second)
Low — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P18 in this field (12 percent)
High — Glide L/D against the field median group median P82 in this field (1.21 ratio) · usually a strength

1. Harrison Rowntree
2. Hughbert Alexander
3. Rohan Holtkamp (most typical of this group)
4. Ollie Chitty
5. Adam Stevens
6. Steve Blenkinsop
7. Sam Prest
15. Bruce Atkinson

Group B — Outclimbed in company

7 pilots · ranks 8–25 · median 11 · middle half 9.5–22

Low — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P11 in this field (48 percent) · usually costly
High — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P88 in this field (96 percent)
Low — Share of the height gain made outside thermals group median P15 in this field (3 percent)
Low — Climb rate at thermal exit group median P19 in this field (0.2 metres per second)

8. Neale Halsall (most typical of this group)
9. Mitch Butler
10. Peter Adriaans
11. James Wynd
21. Dean Bayly
23. Mark Divito
25. Steve Norman

Group C — Smooth circlers

5 pilots · ranks 16–20 · median 18 · middle half 17–19

Low — How round and consistent the circles were group median P8 in this field (0.13 ratio)
High — Gliding wide of the optimal course line group median P89 in this field (38 percent)
High — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P88 in this field (37.39 ratio)
High — Climbing faster than the pilots sharing the thermal group median P85 in this field (74 percent) · usually a strength

16. Tony Cross
17. Tushar Pokle
18. Todd Wisewould
19. Pete Bolton (most typical of this group)
20. Neil Hooke

Group D — Conservative final gliders

4 pilots · ranks 12–27 · median 19.5 · middle half 12.8–26.3

Low — Final glide committed to when leaving the last climb group median P10 in this field (1.09 ratio)
Low — Climbs joined on another pilot's marker group median P13 in this field (3 percent)
High — Share of race time spent hunting for the next climb group median P85 in this field (42 percent) · usually costly
Low — Distance covered between climbs group median P17 in this field (1.5 kilometres) · usually costly

12. James Atkinson
13. Randall Clotworthy
26. Dave Moore (most typical of this group)
27. Andy Schmidt

Group E — Low leavers

3 pilots · ranks 14–24 · median 22 · middle half 18–23

Low — How much of the thermal the pilot climbed before leaving it group median P4 in this field (51 percent)
Low — How low the pilot gets between climbs group median P4 in this field (12 percent)
High — Low saves dug out from the bottom of the band group median P93 in this field (2.0 count)
Low — Glide speed between climbs group median P8 in this field (43.9 kilometres per hour) · usually costly

14. Keith Lavers (most typical of this group)
22. Michael Free
24. Jason Carman

Not clustered: 28. Anthony Meechan — only 9 of 21 metrics available (needs ≥ 60%).

27 pilots on 21 behavioural metrics formed 5 groups.