Personally, I would go ahead and land. Most likely it would only mean
the difference between last place and next to last place for me
anyway.

No matter where you put the limit, the greater the point penalty for
missing it the more likely the competitive pilots might be to try and
climb back up to it. Especially since if they are only going to get
distance points if they don't make it work they have nearly all day to
try to get back up to the finish, since their speed won't count unless
the do make it to the finish.


Brian
CFIIG/ASEL

Eric Greenwell wrote in message ...
In article ,
says...
Let say I am 3 miles out a 700 feet in calm air. Since where i fly we
have a 2 mile long runway and the finish cyilnder is typically
centered on the center of the runway the end of the runway is only 2
miles away. However I just miss the 500 foot finish at 2 miles out
(or am not sure if I hit it) At that point I hit a weak thermal (Which
can happen quite often at low altitudes) I am only 400 ft, but if I
can work this thermal to gain only 100 feet it is worth the 400 point
differnence between being scored only distance as opposed to speed.
(that is if I understand the rules correctly) Now you have a glider
thermalling between 400-600 feet AGL with other gliders finishing at
the 500ft level.

As I understand the rule, it's not just a matter of popping above the
500' agl floor of the cylinder. You'd have to thermal up, go back to
the outside of the 2 mile cylinder, and fly from there to the 1 mile
cylinder while staying above 500' agl. In the the situation you
describe, would you still be likely to try that weak thermal, or would
you just go ahead and land?