Not replying to anyone in particular here.
I think it is sad to see the direction in which the masters is going. It should be a competition that firstly displays the entrants skill in building the model & his ability to fly it well without autopilot gyros. Fair enough to have the non builder competition as before.
It is now going to be the person with the deepest pockets combined with less skill who is likely to win. I personally see no incentive to try & compete under these conditions.
No doubt its popularity will decline as a result & another alternative will appear.