Optimising regatta starts

In my small sailboat racing days (17' catamaran) we'd be checking our timings and heading for the start line in a big group. The goals was to cross the line at full speed just as the starting signal went. If we were early, we'd bear off a bit and reach along the start line, hopefully without running out of start gate, then close-haul and be away.

Of course, with all these boats going full tilt, we'd sometimes have "bumps". Anyone hitting another boat had to do a 360-turn as a penalty (very time consuming in a catamaran). Anyone over the line early had to go back and cross again.

I don't race my glider (yet), but I think I'd be a bit concerned about mid-airs at the start gate. I've been bumped too many times in my sailboat.