Random thoughts:

We have many people concerned about "losing distance by having a start
fix and a first turmpoint fix that might give a first leg that is longer
than allowed by the rules" under the proposed "Start almost anywhere"
rule. You know, with the current rule of turnpoint fix to center of start
cylinder minus start radius, you lose distance unless you exit the cylinder
EXACTLY on the line from the center of the start cylinder to the first
turnpoint fix. And since you don't know exactly where you will turn, you
don't know where to exit to keep from "losing distance". Is the new
rule significantly different? The area of "lost distance" is probably
smaller with the proposed rule than it is with the current rule.

Bumping gaggles in the start cylinder. How many thermals do you think you
will bump in 5 miles? The lower the tops of the thermals, the more gaggles
you might bump. But out west, there may only be one thermal inside the
start cylinder! At Uvalde last summer, I don't think you could have
bumped more than one gaggle from the center to the edge of the start
cylinder.

Looking forward to the return of thermals to the Midwest!

Steve Leonard
ZS