A review of Sean's scenarios is the right thing to consider. I think there are some days that need to be left to the protest process, some may benefit from a better way for the CD to assess whether/when to open the gate and perhaps some change in how you count a competitor under circumstances where heading out on course is a clear lawn dart. In this case a substantial majority couldn't get to the altitude required for cross-country flight after the gate opened. Ron mentions this altitude (9,000' IIRC) in the analysis of the day and this altitude is mentioned in the rules as a guideline. One could imagine counting as a competitor anyone who either has a score for the day or can't reach this height after the start gate opens. Or, the rules could allow the CD to declare anyone who takes a launch to be a competitor on a marginal day - much as we hate leaving anything to the CDs discretion. It does seem odd to require people to land out.

In hindsight it seems to me that devaluation was the right treatment for this sort of circumstance - if people had landed out instead of back at the airport that's what would have happened.

9B