Guys, this has nothing to do with anybody blindly following anybody else. It's all about trying to keep participation up at local contests. Participants do not appreciate being in the chair all weekend!
This was discussed at length on the NSRCA list in May 09, [link=http://lists.nsrca.org/pipermail/nsrca-discussion/]do a search[/link]
Here's a snippet from one post that sums it up pretty well:
This started when I suggested to the sequence committee that we need to shorten the masters pattern. Flying it is fine, but I think we need to take into account the guys who have to sit and judge it. I heard several guys in FAI judging this weekend about how long a sequence it is.
Which wouldn't be near as bad except for the fact Masters is usually the largest class at most contests. I think we need to consider the length of time in the judges chair for those that have to judge it as well.
Me personally, I think the shorter sequence is fine. I find it more challenging than what we have been flying given all the point rolls...there’s a big difference flying the M with 3/4 roll versus 3 of 4. Rev Cuban 8 from the top is about as challenging a "shape" maneuver there is. Plenty of rolling elements when you consider the entry and exit rolls.
I do agree though from the Nat’s perspective, it’s not ideal. So do we focus on one contest or consider ALL the contests held across the country and consider those stuck in the chair? I bet there are some out there who are competitive enough fly FAI but choose Master's simply to avoid having to judge it!