On 06/08/2015 23:42, Andy Blackburn wrote:
On Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 2:33:31 PM UTC-7, John Cochrane wrote:
It is fun! We should have an optional "show finish" line for contests where a real finish line is impractical.

John Cochrane BB

I proposed this several years ago - you could have a 2 mile ring at 1000' as an initial point to a 50' line finish for timing purposes. You just need to ensure that people are coming from generally the same direction.

9B

We tried something similar on one task of the SA leg of the Sailplane
Grand Prix. We set a control turn point with a MINIMUM hight about 5km
out on the final leg. I believe the concept has merit both from a safety
and spectator perspectives.

The SGP rules encourage turnpoints with a maximum hight to promote
spectator points, a turn point with minimum hight was regarded as novel
but allowed. But some pilots missed the minimum hight and there was a
dispute over the penalties imposed. So we did not use it again during
that comp.

Having seen the SGP style contest, I think a "start gate closing time"
to curtail "start line roulette" and would improve spectator value,
reduce outlandings and consequential damage and make life easier for crews.