[CQ-Contest] WRTC-2014 Selection Areas

[Dan Street]

Given the recent flurry of postings, I want to present some additional
facts...

1)  This is the first WRTC that divided the geographical lines so finely as
to allow W0s to compete with only other W0s.  In the past, W0s have
competed with at least the W5s (and guess who emerged on top).  So we
thought we were doing something that W0s would appreciate.  Same for
southern OC, SE AF, and countless other examples.  It's a lot of extra work
to do so, thus future WRTC organizers might not be so precise.

2)  The activity generated by such clubs as the MWA and Grand Mesa led to
enough logs being submitted in major contests that we thought W0 deserved a
Team Leader slot at all.  Clubs are a great catalyst to boosting contest
activity.

3)  In WRTC-2010, one Team Leader was unable to find a Team Mate in his own
Selection Area and had to drop out as a result.  We chose to open up the
selection to anyone anywhere in order to prevent such a scenario for 2014.
Only a handful of TLs chose a TM outside their Selection Area, despite the
much deeper pool of possible TMs that they could have chosen from.

4)  Specifically, Alex, KU1CW did well to honor his NA-10 group by first
choosing another W0.  However, when that individual declined the
invitation, Alex expanded his search.  Can you fault him for selecting his
cousin, a guy who almost qualified for a TL slot in EU1?  It's easy to
criticize someone without knowing the facts.

5)  Just to clarify for the casual reader, entrants in major contests had
their scores only compared against scores in their own Selection Area.  So,
making the Top Ten World is completely irrelevant to the calculation.
Dividing the world into more Selection Areas than ever before gave more
operators a chance than ever before.

We have a very strong field of competitors for 2014, so the selection
criteria must have worked to some small degree.  If the criteria weren't
perfect, then we wish the next organizers well in getting closer to
perfection.

73, Dan, K1TO
Director, WRTC-2014