I have great pics from sitting in the wave at Mifflin at 10,000 feet (and climbing) while about half the fleet is still on the grid. It was a bit of a fluke that I and one or two other guys got into it, as the one big thermal that happened to go high enough to get into the wave showed up at just the right time/place.

So, suppose this was okay in the rules. Two of us have a 6,000 foot advantage on a 3kt average day, or a 20 minute head start on a 3 hour task. We've won the day before the gate ever opens.

While I don't subscribe to the idea that everything has to be perfectly fair, I don't believe that this sort of luck should be so heavily rewarded. I think there's a balance between trying to over-engineer fairness and no-holds-barred.

P3

On Saturday, August 17, 2013 10:12:32 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Friday, August 16, 2013 11:35:26 PM UTC-7, Sean F (F2) wrote:

Rich,

If someone gets to 10k ahead of me launching, I would expect that I should be able to get that high as well in short order. If not, its probably my problem.

Sean



Sean,

You are forgeting that sometimes the lift that goes to 17,500' is nowhere near the start cylinder. Assuming a large contest and a one hour launch, the first off the grid have an additional hour to explore and utilize this lift, then return for a start. What if the task is overcalled? Invariably, your day at the front of the grid will be met with low cloudbases. Sign up for Minden next year and you can experience in person just how unfair your proposal is.

Richard Walters