On Friday, January 24, 2014 8:10:34 AM UTC-6, wrote:
Good points Kevin.



On Friday, January 24, 2014 8:01:17 AM UTC-5, wrote:

If a 700ft finish is too low for a 18 meter national contest, then it is probably too low for a Regional. Yes, I understand the caveat of diving off a ridge and would not have a problem with that.







Last year at Perry and at Cordele, I was racing my Silent-IN, the 12 meter, 31/1 L/D.







We had 700 foot finishes at both sites. I understand this is comfortable for a modern 15 or 18 meter ship and leaves plenty of margin.







This does not leave much if any margin for me, and found that I needed to take extra height to be safe.







I am racing too, and this leaves us essentially racing to a different finish points. You are racing to a finish height that gives you an adequate safety margin and I am racing to the same point, but having to take more altitude for the same safety factor.







I understand UH's comment about immediately joining the pattern in an orderly fashion, but I think this could also be done with a 1000 foot finish and some more spoilers added.







This also gives a little more room is someone has a problem on landing and obstructs the runway.







Kevin



192

To add to Kevin's point. I have seen some pilots take such a long down-wind turn to final that I could have turned inside of their pattern and had plenty of room. If I were in his glider, that would be a real problem for a short wing glider. A higher finish hurts no one as long as we are all going to the same finish. If we keep the pattern tight, low energy or lower L/D gliders have an easier time transitioning to pattern and landing.