JJ, You are *definitely* in need of a new project.
Did you bid on that glider I pointed you at ?
See ya, Dave


"JJ Sinclair" wrote in message
...
I got tagged twice this year and so, consider myself something of an
expert on
penalties. At Minden, I was heading for the edge of the 10,000 MSL start
gate
at 9,900. I knew I was too close, but a thermal shoved me up from my
normal
9,700 feet. Just at the edge of the 5 mile gate (you guessed it) I hit
another
thermal. I shoved it over hard and the GPS said I made the edge just
before the
altimeter said I was too high. Was I right? NO, the GPS logger said I hit
10,010. That cost me 25 points, actually it was 23, or so, because it
wasn't a
1000 point day.

At Ephrata, I hit the 500 foot, 1 mile, finish gate at 120 knots and 500
feet.
Stupid move, I knew I should have had at least 100 foot margin, but JN and
I
were in a real knife fight, and I wanted every second. GPS said I was
something
like 470 feet at the 1 mile marker. Got tagged 1 additional minute, which
amounted to 6 points that day. The rules say, A penalty will be applied,
but
don't say what it is. The CD had announced it would be + 1 minute for each
100
feet low. Kinda' Like:

400' up to 499' = +1 minute
300' up to 399' = + 2 minutes
200' up to 299' = + 3 minutes
100' up to 199' = + 4 minutes
0' up to 99' = + 5 minutes
Less than 0' = + 5 minutes + see local glider repair
shop.

Just a little humor there, sorry. Anyway, Charlie used this formula in the
Standard Nats with another incentieve, he added an additional 5 minutes to
everything, so that 410 feet got you a 6 minute penalty. I like it. Gives
the
guy that may be close to not making the 500 foot, an incentive to NOT push
it
over and call for a "Smoken' Rollin' Finish"

One more tid-bit. At Ephrata, I pulled up at the 1 mile mark and actually
entered the finish cylinder just inside 1 mile. After the contest, I
checked
with Guy Byers and the Rules Committee (KS) and they both said, "You may
enter
the finish cylinder from the side (1mile) OR from underneath", as I had
done.
Shouldn't have gotten that 1 minute penalty. Oh well, put another needle
in my
Ephrata doll.
JJ Sinclair