Yes! Absolutely yes!!! If you can't start by the end of the allowed time you will be losing time because the clock has started and you are not on course.

And in exchange: 1) the gliders that start on time will be competing in more of a "race" (not "time trailing") 2) there is much less start gate roulette, 3) circling around in a big pack waiting for others to start first is reduced, 4) starting and then sneaking back to restart again (often head on thru other starting gliders) is reduced, 5) etc, etc. All of this loitering around and restarting is, IMO, a highly dangerous time in a sailplane contest. I dislike it. I want to use as much of the day as possible to race on the defined track with my competitors. Not play around doing aerobatics in the start cycle cylinder at close proximity all afternoon.

Everyone will have to deal with a circumstance of being late occasionally. Remember that opening a start window (just as with opening a start gate today) only happens after the CD has polled the advisors and been told that the task is fair and safe. Pilots struggling or low will have a chance to make it known. The window will be open long enough to relight and get back up. But their needs to be a limit to that charity.

If you are at a formula one race and your engine doesn't start, they do not wait for you to change your engine. They race and you don't.

If you are in a sailboat race and you are late to the starting line you are going to lose some time. Good luck. Try and catch up.

This rule makes the sport of soaring "more like" racing. Today it is really not racing unless you have happened to start together and you are on an assigned task.

OLC is great for free, open start times.

And remember this rule is not a single start time like Sailplane Grand Prix.. Their is still a significant range (say 1 hour, or 30 minutes) in which you can "choose" to start. It's just not ENDLESS (ridiculous) anymore.

I would love to see this adopted in SSA contests. It makes great sense to me.

Sean
7T