In regard to the Commonwealth Contest 2025, there are two more significant changes than the RSGB HFCC summary of the rule changes suggest!  These are in the scoring – see 8a and 8b.

8(a) Each QSO with a station in the same continent scores 5 points

8(b) Each QSO with a station in a different continent scores 10 points

Looking at these two, they have major implications.  

Most QSOs that UK stations have are in another continent (VE in particular), for which they will get 10 points instead of five. This gives their scoring a major boost as, unless the conditions are truly terrible (!), those in the UK will work heaps of VE stations.  

The most populated part of VE is the same distance away from Australia as ZL – but there are relatively few stations in ZL competing compared to the large number of VE stations.

Separating the various parts of the UK into different call areas will give Australians some more points/bonuses, but my first thought is this will be easily overtaken by the assistance offered to the assistance offered to the UK by Rule 8b, particularly if the conditions are relatively poor for the longer distances.

Anyhow we shall see what happens!

HNY and kind regards to all CC participants and organizers.

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/VL6T