A fair opportunity to compete?

John,
If the last of the grid is struggling, the gate opening should be
withheld. Once the gate is opened, the day results should never be
nullified. I would hope that words to that effect find their way into
the rules next year.
JJ

John Cochrane wrote:
Charlie's report on the ssa website says it was the last three pilots
to launch who could not stay up, which seems a significant detail. If
the first to launch can find lift, get away from the airport, and wait
to start, but there really is zero lift in the airport area when the
back half of the grid launches, then the decision seems reasonable --
from this very far distance. I take it you don't think there really
was zero lift, and it was possible for the back half of the grid to
stay up off tow.

John Cochrane BB

On Jul 5, 5:36*pm, JJ Sinclair wrote:
John,
If the last of the grid is struggling, the gate opening should be
withheld. Once the gate is opened, the day results should never be
nullified. I would hope that words to that effect find their way into
the rules next year.
JJ


"Never" is a long time. The CD usually does not talk to every single
pilot, only to the task advisers, so he may not know of trouble. The
"fair" "safe" and "force majeure" language in the rules allowing days
to be thrown out in extreme circumstances seem sensible in principle,
even if you disagree in their application in this case.

I recall a precedent, a world championship day that was protested and
canceled after the fact because a pilot had been towed away from the
usual drop zone, too far to make it back to the airport and landed
out.

I too am a long way away and not even thinking of second-guessing
decisions here. Thanks for posting the info so we can all think about
it.

John Cochrane BB

JJ:

I have to concede that the gate was opened before all contestants were
climbing out, which isn't optimal. But I understand the reason - the
CD was trying to get everyone away on a difficult day and with all the
various activities going on may have been having trouble tracking
everyone.

Things weren't perfect, but that's life, we just have to make the best
of events.

Mike