I have had 3 near misses with gliders, now i'm not a motorist-v-cyclist kind of guy. I soloed in gliders before i even got in a powered A/C, buuuuut.....
I had the afore mentioned down wind experience, the bloke actually had the balls to transmit a rather huffy "Did you not see me" we replied "No not really" i bet our prop and engine sounded pretty loud in his cockpit, I'd say 100ft separation directly opposed. Instructor had a 'word' to the co-ordinator on the ground as i fuelled up.
I have had a glider perform an overhead Join (well beetle in from outside-in)AT circuit height lucky i was late downwind and descending as he passed over the top.
and i have had a glider find a nice thermal approximately in the 90 deg nook around Base and Final. that caused a wee 'verbal' on the ground, i taxied over to the van and was not diplomatic in my choice of language whilst expressing my extreme dissapointment.
Sometimes we just don't help ourselves.