I had a couple of people blast into the middle of my thermal and/or
dive for my thermal and pull up right in front of me at Logan this
year, and it was _not_ fun. I subscribe to the method that John
describes, and really wish that more people would do it:

Aim for a point *outside* the current thermal and you will often find
that you come closer in to it than you expect. Stay far enough
outside that other gliders are not afraid to continue their circle
(turning inside you), then as one comes past you try to duck in and
match his/her circle - you'll find yourself often at their 8-10
o'clock.

A couple of other thoughts about thermal etiquette:

1) For god's sake, BANK the glider! Haven't guys like Moffatt and
Striedeck been preaching this for decades?? Don't the contest results
over the last umpteen years show that people who climb the best end up
with the highest speeds and the farthest distances? Find the core and
get in it. If the thermal is narrow, get that ship up at a 45-50
degree bank. If you sense that the core is to the inside of your
current circle, try to get into it and stay in it! If you nurse a
shallow bank around the outer fringes, everyone is going to outclimb
you and wind up right on your ass. This is not safe for them or for
you.

2) Turning inside one glider is NOT the same thing as turning inside
several gliders at once. I mentioned this at Logan, but there was a
day when at least 4 gliders were stacked up behind a guy doing lazy 20-
degree-bank turns and we were all looking for an opening to pass him.
I was very cautious, and finally made a strong move to the inside.
But the guy behind me had gotten impatient with me and decided to try
to cut inside of BOTH of us. I'd already initiated my turn and was
watching the glider on the outside, when my peripheral vision caught a
wingtip skip coming from behind me and towards my canopy. Suffice it
to say, it was not a happy moment! Especially since the guy on the
outside was disappearing below my canopy-rail and I didn't have many
"outs" with a guy inside of me and a guy outside of me. Luckily the
pilot on the inside realized the issue and pulled hard; but it was
close for a moment there!

Bottom-line: With other gliders in the vicinity, you need to be both
considerate and vigilant.

--Noel