If you were doing a long race, would you choose tyres that were heavier but less prone to puncture and take the overall time penalty of riding a 'slower tyre', or choose ones that were lighter with less sidewall protection for more overall speed but risk the potential time penalty of changing a tube or two if you punctured?
Rocky course in places, so definite potential for pinch flats.
How quick can you change a tube?
2 mins?
5 mins?
How much slower are your tougher tyres?
How much mincing will you do on lighter tyres?
Pinch flats are caused by too low a tyre pressure or user error...
Go tubeless - never had a puncture issue, no pinches and can run whatever you want in terms of tyre profile to match the terrain.
If you were doing a long race, would you choose tyres that were heavier but less prone to puncture and take the overall time penalty of riding a 'slower tyre'
Whatever you choose, it'll be a compromise
FWIW, I seem to be light on tyres - if not actually too light myself - so I can live with things like Conti Race Kings for everything
If you constantly rip tyres, I'd err on the heavier side for long races
Couple of mins for tube change with the lighter tyres I would be using. Last time I did this race I got a pinch flat from mistiming hopping a water bar.
Will definitely mince more on one descent, but the rest of the course doesn't really warrant 'big' tyres IMO.
Not been enamoured with tubeless after my Lapierre coming with tubeless Hutchison Cougar and Cobras fitted, both have failed on a number of occasions even with the gloop inside. Are they just crappy ones? I've never punctured as much with anything else even when running tubes.
I'm trying to decide between using Panaracer fire XC Pro, or Maxxis Advantage LUST (but with tubes for the wheels on the bike I'm using). Never used the Advantages before, but they seem much heavier....
Not been enamoured with tubeless after my Lapierre coming with tubeless Hutchison Cougar and Cobras fitted, both have failed on a number of occasions even with the gloop inside. Are they just crappy ones? I've never punctured as much with anything else even when running tubes.
What rims you running them on?
I've got the same said tyres, have run them on Stans 355's and Spesh Roval Traverse's and I love these tyres! No good for winter sure, but for spring summer they're ace, and I've not had so much as a slight burp or loss in pressure once, with some sealant inside. I expect I probably run them at higher pressures than yourself though, generally close to 40psi out back and about 35psi up front (I'm 12 stone) to get the grip I need and reduce rolling resistance. Softer is more comfortable, but oddly less grippy and of course slower...
Mboy, The rims are the off the peg ones on the Zesty 514, Shimano XT WHM778. Was running them at about 25-30 psi, I'm 9st.
Go tougher tyres IMO. Years ago I used Specialized Evil Twin DH tyres on my Kona Muni Mula for 2 or three years and never had a puncture in that time. Long group rides out were always punctuated by other people getting flats. Always ran fat sturdy tyres ever since, although I do generally prefer the larger volumed tyre anyway the reliability is definitely worth a little more weight.
Mboy, The rims are the off the peg ones on the Zesty 514, Shimano XT WHM778. Was running them at about 25-30 psi, I'm 9st.
Just double checking but you have added gloop yourself? There won't be any in there as standard.
I've been running tubeless (proper UST) with gloop and have never noticed loss of air while I've been out on the bike in around 2 years of use. Looking closely I can see at least 12 sealed holes in the rear tyre alone though! (XT rims, Rubber Queen UST and Bontrager Super Juice gloop).
Go proper UST x
Mboy, The rims are the off the peg ones on the Zesty 514, Shimano XT WHM778. Was running them at about 25-30 psi, I'm 9st.
TRUST me on this, try upping the pressures a bit. Say 5psi either end to start, see how that goes, then perhaps try a bit more even...
These tyres require more pressure to work well than I'm used to, but once I upped the pressure a bit I was very impressed! They're my default race tyre combo now as they're soooooo quick yet grippy, and fairly tough to boot. And like I said I'm 12 stone, and not particularly easy on kit either. Definitely don't work so well at lower pressures for sure though...
Houns, XT wheels and the Hutch tyres are both proper UST, a bit of sealant always helps though, and the Hutchinson tyres do have slightly thinner walls than say a Michelin UST tyre.
Sorry scan read it. Yes needs some liquid in the tyres and have read bad things about hutch tyres
I did add the gloop myself after a few punctures on the rear (abandoned tubeless for tubes on the back now) and burps on the front. Thanks for the advice on the Hutchisons Mboy 
Anyhoo, back to the original question. Should I use the Panaracers (lighter and faster rolling IMO) or Advantage LUST with tubes? Wouldn't feel confident trying tubeless again in the race this weekend as I'm not used to them enough to deal with problems if they arise.
Use the Panny's but pump them up
And take a CO2 pump for speed of re-inflation.
Light tyres tubeless. Best of both worlds!
How often do you pinch-flat? Me, its been a couple of years... balanced against how
easy to forget in a race that you need to go easy, or if you are tired and muck up.
So I would take the risk of lighter, faster tyres, and chuck in a few more psi.
If there's only a few areas that would warrant tougher tyres and that lighter tyres would on the whole be quicker, would it not be better to ride intelligently on the sections that may cause punctures and make up the time on the smoother sections.
Not easier i know, when all you'll ever want to do is give it gnarr on all the course.
sharki +1 if you're really racing and the risky sections will lose little time if you take it easy on them.
I'd go for the light fast tyres. as sharki says really
I'll ride what I'll ride normally regardless of the length of the race. But then I am poor and I can only afford one pair of tyres per bike.
"per bike "
you're not poor 
Anyhoo, back to the original question. Should I use the Panaracers (lighter and faster rolling IMO) or Advantage LUST with tubes? Wouldn't feel confident trying tubeless again in the race this weekend as I'm not used to them enough to deal with problems if they arise.
The Hutchinson's you have already are vastly superior tyres to Panaracer Fire XC in just about every respect.
High Roller LUST's are very nice, but quite a bit slower than what you have already, and very expensive.
5-10psi more in your Hutch's, will make the world of difference... Can't burp mine if I try, and I'm 3 stone heavier than you and I don't mess about!
Neither of the two tyres you mention are exactly lightweight racy tyres. Fire XCs are fine for most stuff
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