Topic: TAR 27 - Pre-race Speculation: (No wishlists)

[Lemontail]

I'm still betting on Cyprus as my completely wild guess, but other countries mentioned seem to be likely too I guess.

Meanwhile with Japan, aren't there recent earthquakes there these days?

Apparently, Cape Town and Cyprus are the most likely the new countries would be visited for TAR27, and could be the first time since TAR20 had two previously unvisited countries.

As for Japan, there are no recent earthquakes at the past year.

Cape Town is not a country. You may mean Cape Verde.

[Loken]

Im thinking They'll have a South America Start and the route will go eastwards. They cant really go Africa because of Ebola and it was just visited So it can be skipped. They cant visit Mainland Asia since MERS so Indonesia is Likely, Oceania havent been featured since Tar 22 so it could be a possibility. If we're lucky, we'll see Canada too.
so like USA > South America > Europe > Asia > Oceania > North America

[clemsonbeav]

Not to diminish the critical nature of the areas/people affected by Ebola/MERS, but IMHO, I don't think the presence of a disease in small numbers of countries in a continent would necessarily mean that the entire continent would need to be taken off of the route.  Africa has 54 countries, and Asia has 48.  If, for instance, Alaska had a terrible outbreak of Disease X, I don't think people would stop travelling to Miami or Costa Rica, which are all on the same continent.

[Hysha]

Not to diminish the critical nature of the areas/people affected by Ebola/MERS, but IMHO, I don't think the presence of a disease in small numbers of countries in a continent would necessarily mean that the entire continent would need to be taken off of the route.  Africa has 54 countries, and Asia has 48.  If, for instance, Alaska had a terrible outbreak of Disease X, I don't think people would stop travelling to Miami or Costa Rica, which are all on the same continent.

This^

[claude_24hrs]

Not to diminish the critical nature of the areas/people affected by Ebola/MERS, but IMHO, I don't think the presence of a disease in small numbers of countries in a continent would necessarily mean that the entire continent would need to be taken off of the route.  Africa has 54 countries, and Asia has 48.  If, for instance, Alaska had a terrible outbreak of Disease X, I don't think people would stop travelling to Miami or Costa Rica, which are all on the same continent.

The only I think Taiwan is safe.

[Don Task]

I think they will do it like half teams with pre-existing rel and half teams put together by single applicants. I dont think there will be any love element in these 'artificial' teams. I didnt like how Phil was pushing teams into romance.

But it would be interesting to develop this idea of two complete strangers travelling around the world. I'd be fine with 5 - 6 blind teams... for example two very young and naďve ladies with no travel experience, 20-ish + 50-ish strange guys, two army veterans with big muscles, experienced pro traveller with someone who have never been outside the US... no love involved.

I think this is what Phil was talking about.

[Declive]

It's definitly a cool idea to mix up the teams.

[Marionete]

It one day they really want to do something crazy (TAR 30? All-Stars?), they can create a twist that teams must switch partners for a leg/every leg.

[north09]

It one day they really want to do something crazy (TAR 30? All-Stars?), they can create a twist that teams must switch partners for a leg/every leg.

The way the race is structured that could never work

[paradoxinee]

I want they do a season with all the returnee but not the same team. Not really blind-date if they cast the fellow racers who have friendships/relationship outside the race.
Like: Marie (23) and Katie (22) are friends, Christina and Azaria are married...

Anyway, back to the topic, Japan recently had earthquake, the big one in Tokyo and also Volcano in an island of Kagoshima prefecture. However, I think it is still very safe. But I don't think they will be back to Japan just after last season because Japan is very expensive.

[Hysha]

It one day they really want to do something crazy (TAR 30? All-Stars?), they can create a twist that teams must switch partners for a leg/every leg.

The way the race is structured that could never work

It could be possible for one leg, and it would be fun and interesting.

[Platrium]

I might have repeated saying that I think China will be visited soon, but did I mention Indonesia? I think it's fine there, now that I think that all the earthquake talk is probably just paranoia.

So I'm thinking that they might go:
USA --> Australia or NZ --> Indonesia --> China --> other countries in Europe --> USA
Or they might do:
China --> Indonesia --> somewhere around India? (Maldives, India, etc.) --> other countries in Europe and Africa --> USA
They could also do:
South America --> Australia or NZ --> Indonesia --> China --> other countries in Europe --> USA

If they will visit Cyprus (my wild guess), I think it'll make sense to put it before Europe.

[Philimination]

It one day they really want to do something crazy (TAR 30? All-Stars?), they can create a twist that teams must switch partners for a leg/every leg.

The way the race is structured that could never work

It could be possible for one leg, and it would be fun and interesting.

Yeah, but if they do it for one leg, wouldn't it make it painfully obvious that it would be an NEL?

[Marionete]

I want they do a season with all the returnee but not the same team. Not really blind-date if they cast the fellow racers who have friendships/relationship outside the race.
Like: Marie (23) and Katie (22) are friends, Christina and Azaria are married...

Anyway, back to the topic, Japan recently had earthquake, the big one in Tokyo and also Volcano in an island of Kagoshima prefecture. However, I think it is still very safe. But I don't think they will be back to Japan just after last season because Japan is very expensive.

Yeah, that would be pretty cool!

It one day they really want to do something crazy (TAR 30? All-Stars?), they can create a twist that teams must switch partners for a leg/every leg.

The way the race is structured that could never work

It could be possible for one leg, and it would be fun and interesting.

Yeah, but if they do it for one leg, wouldn't it make it painfully obvious that it would be an NEL?

Well, even if that happened, it would still make for an interesting twist that would likely amuse casuals and cause some confusion and panic between the teams.


This idea would overcomplicate the race, but let me lay it out. The teams coming into the race are AA, BB, CC, DD (that's 4 teams) and so on.

• Let's say they do a couple normal legs first and then we have 9 teams left.
• At the start of the third leg, before leaving the country, teams are instructed to go to *place*, where they find an HoO. The next day, after getting their clues, each team finds 2 leaflets inside their clue - one for each team member. The leaflet instructs that *name of a member in team AA* will have to pair up with *name of a member in team BB*. That way we have a new team - AB. The other leaflet for the same team would instruct to create a team AC, so that wouldn't cause teams to work in pairs (i.e. if we had teams AB and BA).
• Now when leg 3 ends, teams are instructed to keep on racing with the same partners (not their original ones) and that at the end of leg 4 their placements for both legs will be combined to eliminate a team.
• The elimination would work in such manner: though teams get placements with their switched partners, elimination would be based on original partners' placements. Say, the placements for leg 3 are: AB - 7th, AC - 8th, BD - 9th, and for leg 4: AC - 7th, BD - 8th, AB - 9th. The others have consistent placings in the top 6 for both legs. With such placings, team AA has 7 & 8, 7 & 9. Team BB has 7 & 9, 8 & 9. The average of team BB is higher, therefore, they are eliminated.
• Then the remaining 8 teams could return to their original partners and race a couple more legs together. At the start of leg 7, when we have 6 teams left, they could be rotated again to have new partners they didn't have before. Again, leg 7 is a KOR and at the end of leg 8 a team is eliminated (original, not switched partners).
• Then have leg 9 a NEL and get down to final 4 at the end of the 10th leg. Again, both with original partners.
  
• For the penultimate 11th leg the teams are rotated for the last time and at the end of this leg another team is eliminated and we have our final 3. If team EE have a 1st and a 4th with their switched partners, while team FF has a 2nd and a 3rd (that makes both teams' averages equal at 2.5), team EE would be eliminated because they possess the lowest possible placing - 4th.
  
  • OR they could use the same tiebreaker (which I haven't mentioned yet) as with those KOR legs: if 2 teams have equal averages, we sum up the amount of time they arrived after the 1st team. If that still creates a tie (unlikely), we could add the amount of time the teams were behind the 1st team with their original partners. Furthermore, add the times with other switched partners.
    
  • OR they could use the same tiebreaker (which I haven't mentioned yet) as with those KOR legs: if 2 teams have equal averages, we look at their averages with original partners. If there's still a tie, we include the averages with other switched partners.
  
  These tiebreakers could be mixed up to avoid a consistant tie. If nothing can be done to solve the tie (rather impossible, but probably possible), then the leg becomes a NEL.

[BritishTARFan]

What about single people enter the race / 20 people / 10 teams

At the Sl people are told their team members at the start of that leg
Whoever comes last is eliminated
During the Pitstip teams are muddled up again
Whatever two people come last will be eliminated
And so on....

[Marionete]

Yeah, perhaps that is a better idea
It's much easier to understand. And CBS seems to like bringing in singles, so that twist would be great. (TAR 30 pls)

[wishicouldrun]

That may not work depending on the time difference between arrival of teams. You can have many hours between first and last arrivals which may affect the rest periods of the teams.
Also, I've hoped for a US leg (yes, I know St Thomas is US) but a full leg at the starting line city. NEL leg so teams get chance to leave the US.

[fossil-racer]

What about single people enter the race / 20 people / 10 teams

At the Sl people are told their team members at the start of that leg
Whoever comes last is eliminated
During the Pitstip teams are muddled up again
Whatever two people come last will be eliminated
And so on....

I had this idea since season 22
No seriously its risky

[BritishTARFan]

But it's not a set 12 hours so they can have a 48 hour Pitstop if they want so unless they were really far behind it would be fine

[Hysha]

Just for one leg it can be like:

At the start of the leg, the teams receive a note telling them that they will mix with other teams, and they have to wait to his new partner (They have a list with the new teams), so each member have to wait till his new partner arrive and make their way.
Each new team will make the leg like if it was with his original partner. They make the RB, the Detour, etc...
Before go to the Pit Stop, they have to stop in some point to wait to his original partner. When both member of the original team arrive to this point, they can make their way to the Pit Stop.

Btw, I like the idea of BritishTarFan, but I don't know if people would like our ideas. xD

[Declive]

I just want this to start NOW! 

[asar]

I will be travelling to Czech 13th July so see you there Phil.

[Hysha]

I just want this to start NOW! 

Yes please 

[TARloveit]

At this rate, I think we may have a July start

[georgiapeach]

^^NOT