Lots of great insight to digest...Dive and Drag is an interesting solution, if you have enough runway to scrub off the excess speed and/or your spoilers are effective. My ASW19 stock spoilers are just not effective enough for me to try the Dive and Drag method.

Reverse Base Method = 180° turn to reverse + 90° turn to final = 270° (two turns & wind corrections).

Why not just make a stable, descending 270° turn when crossing the final? In powered, fixed-wing aircraft, it's not unusual to get assigned a right or left 270 to final by tower to improve spacing on departing aircraft. It's a basic ground reference maneuver that could be adapted for gliders so you roll out aligned with the runway.

We're supposed to be able to turn back to land above 200ft with a rope break, which is based on our collective understanding that we can safely execute a turn, maintain speed, and align with the runway from that minimum altitude. That requires 180° of turn, if the towplane drifted downwind and you turn into the wind (ideal, but our guys don't). Or, 210-270° total if you have to reverse course, angle for the runway, then turn back to align with the runway. The second scenario requires multiple, low-altitude turns. Is that ideal?

Performing a stable, 270° or 360° turn for altitude correction should be within out skillset, but only if the excessive altitude is above a certain threshold for your ship. 100-200ft high? Maybe not the best option. Clear knowledge of your ship's descent rate in a turn is critical for decision making.

That said, I've always been successful with a little slip to correct for any excess altitude. Starting the correction on the base leg and performing a slipping turn to final burns off a lot of excess altitude. (I learned to do this with Phil Beale on my CFI-A checkride back in 1986.)

Paul A.
Jupiter, FL