FAI Sporting Code Section 3 experts wanted

Marc Ramsey wrote:

SC3 1.4.5.b says that distance using up to three turnpoints is "A flight
from a START POINT via up to three TURN POINTS to a FINISH POINT." Note
that is says "a START POINT", not "the START POINT". SC3 1.1.8 says a
START POINT is either "(a) The RELEASE POINT, or (b) A WAY POINT
declared as a START POINT, or (c) The midpoint of a START LINE." Note
that the pilot or data analyst can apparently choose between (b) and (c)
after the flight, as I've never seen a declaration form (paper or
electronic) that requires that you declare before the flight that you
are using a start line as opposed to a start way point (with OZ). Being
a computer programmer, I'd argue that the "or" in clause (a) has the
same logical precedence as the "or" in clause (b). Therefore, if you
have declared a start, it still seems to me that it would be valid to
use any of the START POINT options, including the RELEASE POINT. Have
you found a rule someplace else that would render this interpretation
incorrect?

this one ?

SC3 1.4.1.d. WAY POINTS must be declared and used in the sequence declared except where
specifically not required in the rules.

SC3c, which says how to interpret SC3, says in 1.1 :

If you think a passage of text is capable
of being interpreted in more than one way, the most straightforward
interpretation is the
correct one, not the obscure one that a lawyer may find.

but in 1.2 it says (which may be the contrary) :

OOs and national claims
officers are encouraged to take the position that, while ensuring the
rules are met, their job is
to make awards, not turn them down for minor bureaucratic reasons or
oversights that do not
affect the proof of a soaring performance.

SC3c 3.1 says:

The Code gives four methods of starting and finishing to choose from.
Any start method can
be used with any finish method:
The start (SC3-1.1.7) The finish (SC3-1.1.11)
1 release landing
2 leaving a start point OZ entering a finish point OZ
3 crossing a start line crossing a finish line
4 shutting down a MoP starting a MoP
The first and fourth alternatives can be considered equivalent, and
do not normally need to be pre-declared. The exceptions are a goal
flight when the finish point is declared, or a closed course flight in
which the nomination of “point of release” as the start point and finish
point
will meet the declaration requirement. The second and third methods
of starting always require pre-declaration of the start point (except
for free distance flights).

Although it is not straightforward, I would say that you may declare
"release point" as the start point (as of SC3 1.1.8 option a), but if
you already declared a precise Start point, you may not change it
inflight to the release point.

In the case of a closed course, the release point may not be used since
the start point and the finish point are to be identical and finish
point may not be defined as the release point !

Start line option is another quirk in the SC3. I would say that it only
applies when declared, but I see no mean to declare this in a logger !
Except in an official competition, the start line is undefined - SC3
says "*approximately* perpendicular to the first leg" which in the case
of observation from the ground may have sense, but not when GPS is used.
Same for finish line...

Perhaps we'd need an annex D to the sporting code, saying how to
interpret the annex C ;-) ?


--
Denis

R. Parce que ça rompt le cours normal de la conversation !!!
Q. Pourquoi ne faut-il pas répondre au-dessus de la question ?