Dehydration

Three monkeys. No one will see the near misses at the cylinder wall, so
they won't get discussed. Just like the near misses in thermals and at
turnpoints don't get much discussion, far from the gaze of the peanut
gallery. The finish cylinder is a tool. It has its applications. But a
cure all it isn't.

JJ, I would suggest that maintaining or slowly bleeding speed to the IP
creates exactly the same situation you've described as unacceptable in
the finish gate, except that rather than being the exception, it will
become the rule. Gliders finishing from all points on the compass,
proceeding at high speed to the pattern IP, with head on traffic
exponentially more common and pilot intent more random. We will manage
it, just like we manage the finish gate, until someone doesn't think
things through, or forgets to drink or eat or pee or exercise or use
the radio or switch glasses...

2g pull. That's what Reichmann recommends for thermal entry. That's
what I see most guys pull on course during dolphin flying. God, what
happens in that last 10-minute run for the finish? The only difference
I can discern is the length of the witness list! C'mon JJ, we do this
stuff all the time. Here in the East, we do it even closer to the
ground for hours at a time. We often fly hundreds of miles seldom
getting higher than 50 feet above the tree tops and manage to complete
180's at the end of the ridge with other gliders in front and behind.

I think you are over arguing your point. Tout the cylinder for its
virtues. Spend some time wrapping some regulation of traffic into the
cylinder formula. And help make the line a safer environment. It's not
going to go away quite yet, despite your best efforts. So how do we
improve safety at the line? Instead of dismissing ideas as irrelevant,
let's discuss them.