Chaz, Try tipping your upwind wing downward and holding your heading with the rudder. Have managed to hold a very lightly loaded bipe dead straight for 300 feet in even a 20mph dead cross wind. I got that tip from Jim Sandquist. Took me from the scores you described to 9+'s with lots of how did that happen questions. It will seem very awkward at first. As to the B25 vs WW1 judging, I have seen a huge improvement in the "education" of the flight judging in the last 5-7 years. OK, optional, I feel that there are no easy manuevers. Everything requires practice for repeatabillity. A real good rectangular aproach is not easy IMHO. As to the free style type flight, I am in absolute agreement with ChazM, it is already graded. In addition, as judges are human (maybe a stretch :-)), the way your aircraft behave s in the aledged wasted time effects there impression and thus your scores.

DJ