On Thursday, October 3, 2013 8:52:25 AM UTC-4, wrote:
Agreed. A set start time eliminates gaggling and leeching. Our current timed start was developed because historically you needed to fly through the gate, and the gate could not handle everyone at the same time. No more gate, and a wide start area makes starting everyone at the same time a bit more practical. The appeal of ending start gate roulette and leeching is very high. There are a lot of open questions. Yes, how many gliders can we safely handle. Here the issue is the first few gagggles, which will inevitably have most of the fleet. My sense like yours is that 10-15 is a reasonable maximum. Larger numbers may be safe too. At world contests everyone also leaves at the same time in a big gaggle of 40 or more, they just wait a few hours to do it! Another question is whether pilots will think it's fair to start everyone at the same time. I often seem to coast around for hours, then suddenly I'm at 2000' struggling when it's time to go. We don't always or even often fly in such predictable conditions that everyone can be right at MSH at the edge of the cylinder when it's time to go. One might say, well, that's the luck of the draw,but pilots have to like the format and if the whole race ends up being "where were you when the start gun went off" I think they won't find it that much fun. The question on the poll, which I'll suggest for fall RC meeting if it gets enough support, is to allow this start with no other changes to rules, by waiver, for regionals, so we can build some experience and answer the above questions. I know that "real" grand prix have all sorts of other rules like start lines, assigned tasks, and 0/0 finishes, but we need to KISS and not go writing a whole additional rule book. And the point really is not to create a "real" fire-eating grand prix, but to see if starting at the same time produces a more enjoyable race by eliminating start time games and leeching, without introducing safety or other problems. I hope you put your comments on the poll John Cochrane

From what have observed, the effect is more the opposite. First, it makes it the good tactic to start and stay with the group as much as possible. Then the objective is to be the high guy in the last thermal. Beat everybody home and you win.
It is remarkably hard to beat a fast gaggle, but very easy to be soundly beaten by it.
As for the start, if you are in the wrong place and low, you're pretty much hosed unless you have a remarkable flight.
It does have the favorable characteristic of eliminating the painful game of trying to out wait the group so as to start last in the gaggle.
The attraction , and a very real one for some(many?), is the sense of racing because the pilot sees the other gliders he is competing with.
Another view
UH