Bob Greenblatt wrote:
Aren't we trying to puncture the edge of the cylinder very near its
bottom at maximum speed?

Got to thinking about your question, Bob and actually we shouldn't try
to hit the edge of the cylinder at red-line. Why? Because our
sailplanes are very inafficient at red-line, in fact they start coming
down like a stone at anything over 90 knots. We should climb the last
thermal to 500 over home + a smidgen and then fly the indicated M/C to
the edge of the cylinder. You should get there between 60 and 90 knots,
depending on conditions on the glide. If you get there at red-line,
that means you climbed too high in the last thermal and it cost you
(time).

The finish line, on the other hand, requires a finish at red-line, so
that we can exchange our excess speed for pattern altitude. I'm even
tempted to say the cylinder is the most efficient way to fly the final
glide, but if I did, OC would just fly off in another snit, and I would
be forced to look up all those big words, again...............
:) JJ