Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Profile for Dingo



Name Dingo
Email Address johnhockings@outlook.com
AvatarUsers avatar
Posts94
  • 2023-04-07 00:47:51
    Dingo's BWR Manual
    Board » Technical Discussion
    I've written a short manual on the use of BWR for Sailonline. The key ingredient is that Kroppyer has kindly developed a little programme to convert the saved BWR routing as DCs suitable for Sailonline. I'll see if I can get it added to the Sailonline Links on their website.

    https://drive.google.com/.../1m00l23AL-Zm--B.../view...
  • 2021-05-03 11:26:54
    Re: In Memoriam - Finn Møller Christensen
    Board » In memoriam
    You will be very much missed in these waters dear Finn.
  • 2020-12-10 11:08:45
    Re: qtVlm thread
    Board » Technical Support
    One configuration setting which is useful to adjust is under the advanced tab. There you can adjust the amount of detail shown in coastlines. For more detailed routes near land it could be useful to raise the level of detail.
  • 2020-12-10 09:59:40
    A QtVlm beginners tutorial
    Board » Technical Support
    Attached is the gist of the email I sent to Satori who has indicated he will tidy it up and post it somewhere when he has the chance. Meanwhile, this might help get a few more SOLers into QtVlm and routing in a fairly simple way with instructions which follow the normal sequence of routing using QtVlm for SOLing.

    I'll monitor for queries and suggestions and try to incorporate what I can into the tutorial as time permits.

  • 2020-06-18 09:23:55
    Re: "newby" doing Newport Bermuda Race - Expedition & Wx advice
    Board » Technical Support
    Some further notes: we're using effectively NOAA .25 gfs not nam wips as the latter does not extend far enough east. However, my notes above referring you to Brainaids site is the best source for your grib updates to use in Expedition. These Brainaid gribs already contain the smoothing which is applied by the simulator so that there are not jumps between one grib update and the next.

    Re the html5, the simulator used flash, and now we are developing an html5 version so that we are ready when flash is no longer supported. If you press the Go To Race button, you will get the old flash-based simulator, and if you press the html5 button you will get the newer version. They both are suitable for use and give the same results, performance, etc.
  • 2020-06-18 09:16:24
    Re: "newby" doing Newport Bermuda Race - Expedition & Wx advice
    Board » Technical Support
    Hi, I'll try to keep the answer simple so you can participate in the sailonline Bermuda simulation and route using Expedition. You can get your polar and the latest grib for the Sailonline Bermuda race from http://sol.brainaid.de/sailonline/toolbox

    Here you will find the latest weather updates (they come at approximately 16:30, 22:30, 04:30 and 10:30 UTC, and are always available from Brainaids under the Weather tab.

    You can also downlaod the Expediton polar for your chosen boat from the same site, using the Polar button. You can also get the waypoint co-ords from there, and also you can enter your steering commands there using the DC Editor button.

    You don't have to make any changes to the grib you download from Brainaids - it's ready to use without scaling etc.

    There are no currents in the simulator.

    If you want extra, you can also look at http://solfans.org/wxinspector/ where, if you log on using your boatname and password, you will find under the Optimal Angles button, your max upwind and downwind vmg angles for the current wind, for those times when Expedition gives you dotted routing solutions (outside max vmg values).

    Hope that helps and fair winds.
  • 2020-05-05 23:07:09
    Re: DC Checker Releases
    Board » Technical Discussion
    Me too, I thought I was going mad searching the settings. Did discover a hundred other options I'd never looked at before though. :)
  • 2020-05-02 08:02:11
    Re: DC Checker Releases
    Board » Technical Discussion
    Mullionman said @ 2020-05-01 15:48:51:
    Thanks Kipper.
    I get agreement in client, AGL, and raw nmea data in QT. It’s just the boats instruments that have integer TWS only. I think it’s therefore a QT problem or I have an incorrect setting somewhere. I will try a new load and see if I get the same then.
    Spoke to matai, there was a bug in last version, which he's now fixed..will be updated soon. meantime, the previous version works okay 5.9.7 P2.


    --- Last Edited by Dingo at 2020-05-02 08:02:52 ---

    --- Last Edited by Dingo at 2020-05-02 08:15:25 ---
  • 2020-05-02 06:27:28
    QT decimal points in wind speed
    Board » Technical Discussion
    Same issue here, can you let us know if you find the solution? Cheers.

    I have the latest version. I noticed something strange. The wind is currently 7.238knts in AGL, 7.24 in SOL and 7 in qt. However, if I open the polar in qt (from boat settings or clicking on the compass) the TWS is shown as 7.00knts and then if I turn off nmea, it then shows 7.24 knts. I wish I could go back one version of qt to try it there.

    Edit: installed 5.9_7 P2 and have decimal points in instruments back.

    --- Last Edited by Dingo at 2020-05-02 06:27:48 ---

    --- Last Edited by Dingo at 2020-05-02 06:50:43 ---

    --- Last Edited by Dingo at 2020-05-02 07:12:37 ---
  • 2020-04-13 11:27:15
    Re: qtVlm thread
    Board » Technical Support
    Hi Matai, I've been trying to disable the beep sounds associated with routing, simplifying and optimising. I tried turning them off in configuration/routes/beep when routing/simplification, but this did not stop them. In the end, I had to disable the Windows asterisks default sound to remove the beeps. Can you confirm? cheers, John

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Los Roques 2026


It's winter but not in the Caribbean, so welcome to Venezuela's Islas Los Roques archipelago for a 20nm sprint through these beautiful islands. Take care with your mutinous crew, they may be tempted to BBQ and snorkel!
Race #2007
INFO by brainaid.de
SOTO 30 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
RANKING:
SPQ1 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Feb 07th 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cross the Convergence 2026 - Samoa to Hawaii


The second race of our new series of ocean voyages across the World’s convergence zones, takes us northward again up the Pacific Ocean, now from Samoa at 13.5 degrees South, across the Equator to Hawaii, famed for its breaking surf and active volcanoes, on the edge of the Tropic of Cancer at 19.5 degrees North. It’s 2300nm, so we’ll take our very steady Steinlager II. Race #1982
INFOby brainaid.de
Steinlager IIPARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: CCZ - SYC
Race starts: Feb 06th 18:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Beketov by Balloon 2026 - In Siberia


Way-back-when France and England, and Spain as well, were squabbling about who should control what of North America, only to lose the most of it to their own insurging colonists, their eastern European neighbour empire, Russia, was quietly assimilating vast, thinly nomadically populated territory of its own – Siberia! Amongst the many explorers and adventurers that served Russia so well in these conquests was the Cossack hetman Pyotr Beketov. Let’s pretend we’re he and eschewing horseback, let’s travel by balloon from Yekaterinberg to Krasnoyarsk – just a short 2000km (1100nm) section of the Trans-Siberian Express’ 9289km!
Race #1972
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

West Papua to Oregon 2026

Our next race in our Ocean Championships is the first of a series of great natural migrations we will track in 2026. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine reptile on planet Earth, and chooses to breed in warm tropical waters, but prefers to forage in more temperate habitats, travelling thousands and thousands of miles effortlessly annually to maintain this way of life. Our race will follow one of the typical trips of this turtle, from breeding grounds in the seas off West Papua to the coast of Oregon. It’s only 5900nm, so to keep up, but in comfort, we’ll follow in our Gunboat 90.
Race #2006
INFO by brainaid.de
GB 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - OCCH - MIG - SYC
Race starts: Feb 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Race to Up Helly Aa 2026

A-OI!!! The fiery spirit of Shetland’s legendary Up Helly Aa returns, and Sailonline’s annual race to Lerwick is once again upon us. Covering 383 nautical miles from Aberdeen, SOLers will tackle winter waters steeped in Viking tradition. This year, we race the classic Frers 33, a proven cruiser-racer born from the golden era of offshore racing and still a sturdy performer both on the virtual and real water. Can you master the course and reach Lerwick in time for the flames?

SAILING NOTE: Gruney may be approached from any direction but must be passed for rounding purposes as indicated on the chart.
Race #2005
INFO by brainaid.de
Frers 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
February 6 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client