I feel for ya....

I remembered the "start board roulette" at a nationals in Elmira....a top dude picked a start time....everyone else picked right after that.

Sigh....

I have also had issues "way back when" with cameras, barografs, etc. (sp) had a "gold distance/diamond gold" denied because first place developed film in a color automatic machine...second place developed B&W, but cut the negative mid flight between multiple shots of second turnpoint.....I could "prove" the flight, but rules stated..."single uncut negative for the duration of the flight.."...appeal failed....I did a valid flight a few years later.....same airport/flight, thermals only....

Yes.....part of the challenge....

I spent decades using a paper map, compass, look outside...."glide computer" was a ring on the vario or, "5 miles/1000'" in a -20 not allowing for wind....

Yes, I screwed myself decades ago using an AOPA yellow scale (part of your member renewal) to measure map distance....on a long (for eastern US) final glide, I looked down a few times, looked at map, twisted "wind knob" on Cambridge....late in glide, thought "going to lightspeed", rechecked ground a bit later, found I had flipped AOPA scale to a different scale...oopppsss......blanked them out on newer AOPA scales...sigh...yes, I made it home, but rather low, not fast....rolleyes....