I am still working through this episode, but think this is a good example of how to discuss gravel and tire selection in the various contexts that really matter and differ in this area. Guitar Ted in particular does his usual best to be specific and qualify his comments to be clear in context and considerations.
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-guitar-ted/babel-about-gravel-tires-tq-J8Y0BCMF/
I don’t really understand how so many people flat there, just use tubeless tires that are 40-42c and you’ll be ok.
I rode it last weekend on 32’s and flatted the rear. My mistake, hit a rock I missed. Switched it out for a 38 on the back the next day and it was fine. I watched some tape of the first section from two years ago. I counted almost 20 riders with mechanicals/flats in 5 min of footage. All on very benign trail. I think having 2000 riders on narrow trail makes it hard to pick lines, and the rain has totally wreaked havoc on some of the trails. Washed out a lot of the dirt and exposed a lot more rock. But who knows, I’ve now officially ridden gravel six times.
Yep I’m pretty sure I was at that one and it was absolute chaos for seemingly no reason lol. I’ve heard it’s like that every year though.
Unless you’re at the pointy end imo there’s not a real reason to use as small of tires as you can get away with, I think with 38c+ if you have tubeless and don’t just slam full speed into rocks I don’t see how it will be an issue, but then again people still seem to manage to have problems - I just don’t understand how.
I heard some serious noises on two occasions. One time the rider with me said I may have “burped” the tire, the second time a “rim strike” both sounded very disconcerting and I was convinced I had flatted but when I got back home my tire pressure was the same as when I left. Those tires are indestructible.
Mvp and wout use file tread for sand courses. Not quite slick but not nobly either
Not sure but are knobby tires not a little less aero? At least my knobbies on >25km/h make loud wind noises sssSsss sssSsss sssSsss. 
But may be irrelevant in comparison to other factors.
Seems unlikely 
Also, never again am I taking the “well pros do this race on 28mm slicks all the time, how bad could it be?” Answer - bad.
It really depends on where you come. For example, most gravel where I come from is flat and requires barely any technical skills, though you can find a couple rolling routes with steep descents on loose crushed granite.
It also depends on when you do it - BWR SD unfortunately happens after me being locked to a trainer for 6 months, so I really have no chance to wake up the handling skills before diving in. That significantly increases the technical demands on our Canadian winter bodies … like the first few crits, it is a bit of a disaster. October/November BWR:CA would be a completely different story as I would be at the tail end of my CX season and a hell of a lot more comfortable off road. Fingers crossed that the 3 recon days are enough to remember how to ride off-road 