On Oct 30, 11:16*pm, BruceGreeff wrote:

If the glider is climbing in the normal steep climb - at ~40 degrees to
the ground, the geometry for release happens at 171 feet. So the release
height was , as far as I can tell entirely predictable.

No argument here. However there is still a question left unanswered.
If the pilot had intended to do a 180 turn back, and had intended to
make that turn back as close to the far end of the runway as possible,
then why would a 40 deg pitch climb have been used? The glider would
have had plenty of time to reach rope limiting altitude if only a
shallow climb had been made. The shallow climb, in conjunction with a
speed higher than normal, but less than winch limit speed, would have
ensured release under pilot control and with the glider at maximum
possible energy.

I wonder if the video will ever be released. It's likely to be far
more informative than the eye witness reports.

Andy