Hi Bill,
I've personally always found taking off directly down wind to give me problem free takeoffs. The worse the line tension & take off characteristics of you model are, the more whipping it needs on takeoff.
With a properly balanced (or nose heavy) upright model & sub rudder + adequate tip weight; a lot of whipping isn't necessary. You will need to be in the pylon by lap 1-1/2, or face a DQ. It turns out that the faster you can engage your wrist in the pylon, the faster your elapsed time will be. I hope this helps. ( F-40 REALLY is a great event!)
Cheers, Paul