Tales Of The Bloody Triangle

On Thursday, February 4, 2021 at 6:44:57 PM UTC-7, MNLou wrote:
Should east coast triangles that use the ridge be discounted because they are easier to complete than triangles that use only thermals on all 3 sides?

Flame suit on

Lou

PS - Great flight Evan!

I really don't care what kind of lift is used along any leg of a triangle, simply because the nature of an FAI triangle requires at least one upwind leg, with minimum and maximum percentages of each leg to qualify as a triangle. A 500 km ridge run with only a 20 km deviation from the flown course results in a pretty anemic FAI triangle distance. OLC scores triangles pretty much the same. If it's blowing hard enough for ridge lift to give an advantage during one leg, it is likely that one of the other legs will be into a stiff headwind. Plus, the "handicapping" of a ridge lift leg would generate enough controversy and heated blather from different know-it-all commentators that a pretty decent soaring day could be had by those hovering overhead.