On Tuesday, August 26, 2014 5:23:05 PM UTC-4, wrote:
A review of Sean's scenarios is the right thing to consider. I think there are some days that need to be left to the protest process, some may benefit from a better way for the CD to assess whether/when to open the gate and perhaps some change in how you count a competitor under circumstances where heading out on course is a clear lawn dart. In this case a substantial majority couldn't get to the altitude required for cross-country flight after the gate opened. Ron mentions this altitude (9,000' IIRC) in the analysis of the day and this altitude is mentioned in the rules as a guideline. One could imagine counting as a competitor anyone who either has a score for the day or can't reach this height after the start gate opens. Or, the rules could allow the CD to declare anyone who takes a launch to be a competitor on a marginal day - much as we hate leaving anything to the CDs discretion. It does seem odd to require people to land out.



In hindsight it seems to me that devaluation was the right treatment for this sort of circumstance - if people had landed out instead of back at the airport that's what would have happened.



9B

My working definition of a "fair" task is that everyone who takes a launch gets the opportunity to start the task at more or less the same time at more or less the same altitude from more or less the same place. It does not necessarily include "all ships have a good chance to finish the task" since on some days the 1-26 will rule on handicap and on others the Nimbus 4. It is the job of the CD to use the advisers prior to opening the start to assess whether a fair start is possible.
QT