Inter-thermal cruise speeds?

Peter Thomas wrote:
For most UK European and international comps IGC files
are posted, grab as many files of the top 3 places
and stick them in you flight analysis software and
start analysing

the consensus of most articles from top comp pilots
i have read is the climb rate is more important than
the cruise speed, so cruise at sensible speeds to have
the range to find better thermals

the maths i have seen says reducing your cruise speed
for a given climb rate only has a small effect on your
theoretical xc speed, which can easily be made up if
you pick better themals

I fly club class non competition in the UK, 3000 -
4500 2-4kt would cover most xc days, thermals might
go 2kt 2kt 4kt, you go go faster by reaching the 4kt,
to fast and your groveling or in a field

there also seems to be a drift towards stable cruise
speeds rather than chasing M/C

This discussion reinforces what I've found in the real world. Cruise at
70 kts on weak days, 80 or 85 kts on strong days, and fly the MacCready
settings only on Condor :-)



Shawn