On Jan 9, 11:00*pm, Steve Leonard wrote:
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

Technically, I think you are referring the 2007 Regional Rules. In
2008 the first leg was scored from the point you actually leave the
start cylinder. However, for 2007 you are correct. The issue is
conceptually similar to the 2009 proposal, but under the 2007 rules
the potential magnitude of un-scored distance attributable to
variations in first turn fixes was an order of magnitude smaller than
would be the worst case under the proposed rule for 2009.

One thought for a rule modification would be to extend the 115 mph
speed limit inside the start cylinder to extend to the airspace above
the start cylinder. Do loggers track IAS?

9B