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Board » General Discussion » New Blog Site for SOLers



Announcing the opening of solfans.org -- a new blog site by and for SOL fans.
The site will offer in-depth looks at SOL-related subjects including:
-- routers and routing
-- race strategy
-- weather impact
-- VMG/VMC tactics
-- PERF calculations
-- and more....
The site administrators are kroppyer and javakeda.

SOLers who blog, or would like to blog, are invited to become contributors. The solfans crew can help you with the mechanics of getting that first post published.

All SOLers are invited to check out the articles at
solfans.org
Two new blog posts went up today.

Kroppyer posted a guide to his SailOnLine Performance Calculator. The calculator helps skippers determine the PERF cost of a tack or gybe.

My post shows how WINSTON saved time at the end of The Vineyard race by using a VMC heading. Easy to do if you know how.

Check them both out at solfans.org.
In case you haven't noticed, new posts have been published. outlaw started a series, SOL Sailing School, which you should surely check out.

solfans.org

--- Last Edited by kroppyer at 2014-12-04 10:38:32 ---
Excellent ! Thanks for the heads up, and of course thanks to outlaw for sharing a bit of his knowledge to people like me (ever rookie solers)
Another heads up: If you haven't already, check out the new posts on solfans.org. Two amazing, technical race reports from a SOTP view, and outlaw explains more about using VMC, methods that are (in my mind) essential to fully understand small- and midscale racing.

If you have any questions about the posts, don't hesitate to ask, here or on solfans, in the chat or any other way.
More very useful posts as ever: thanks for running this, chaps.

Is this the place to post requests for future articles? (If not, then ignore the rest of this...)

In the excellent intro to qtvlm, the 'final word' section refers to the need for interpretation of the routing created. I was wondering if there could be a follow-up to this guide, showing what is meant by this, what to be looking for, what potential traps blindly following a routing may lead one into, etc.


Many thanks!
Excellent point :) I was (and still am) planning to write more about using QtVLM.

Interpreting the routing results (in combination with other data/forecasts/pilots) is something I don't fully master. I'd be winning more if I did. But I will try and expand on the 'defects' routers have, and what information you can get out of a routing other than the supposed fastest route.
These were really great reads, thank you
outlaw gives some insight in interpreting and understanding router output, here. In this case it's BWR's output, but it'll help you with QtVLM too.

I still hope I find the time to write a follow up on using QtVLM (as I said above), but at least you now have outlaws post to help you with the isochrones :)

--- Last Edited by kroppyer at 2015-01-23 00:02:51 ---

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Bar-tailed Godwit - Alaska to New Zealand 2026


Welcome to the autumn return flight of our bar-tailed Godwit, reflecting the bird's annual migratory route. This is the penultimate leg in our migration series. (The concluding leg is coming up simultaneously, 'Skimmer Dragonfly', start on the 11th of November. Not part of the 2026 OCCH). This race, at hand, is the next to last leg of the 2026 Ocean Race Championship. The voyage promises to be not only a test of skill and strategy but an immersive experience in the beauty of the vast Central Pacific Ocean. Join us as we push the boundaries of seafaring prowess on this epic adventure.
Let's fly like a Godwit!
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Mistli's Birthday BBQ Race 2026


It’s that time of year again – November 1, time for Mistli’s birthday bash and BBQ! It’s the usual tricky 61.5nm through the SLI-infested Stockholm Archipelago to Mistli’s place at Trosa, this year in a slightly slower but seriously Swedish Scampi 26!
Race #2063
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ORCV Melbourne to Devonport Race 2026

Welcome to the prestigious Rudder Cup, Australia’s oldest and most iconic yacht race! For over 110 years, this legendary 196nm classic has tested sailors' strategy and endurance across the notorious Bass Strait from Melbourne to Tasmania.

Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, this year’s battle against the unpredictable Southern Ocean features the stylish Dehler 46. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk as a proper looker and built to race, this regatta cruiser is a virtual flyer packed with modular racing upgrades. Can you master her speed and conquer the shifting elements?

Chart your course and race for glory in this historic adventure!
Race #2068
INFO by brainaid.de
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November 6 at 2300 UTC.
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Mad Max by Balloon 2026 - Across the Outback


Mad Max Rockatansky doesn’t get to go in a balloon in any of the Legends of the Wasteland, and the Wasteland is not necessarily the Outback of Australia, but Mel Gibson and film director George Miller indubitably are… of Australia, and ballooning as reconnaissance is a main feature of the Mad Max spin-off video game, so here goes: 1500nm in a balloon from somewhere on the edge of the Outback, Goondiwindi, to cross a finish line at Fitzroy Crossing, somewhere on the edge of the Outback!
Race #1974
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Arctic Tern - Greenland to Antarctica 2026

Welcome to the fifth leg of our MIG series. Now it's time to race the Arctic Terns, on their migration from Greenland to Antarctica, 8300 NM. This is also part of our monthly Ocean Championship, and as such the first race of OCQ4 2026. This race will be sailed in our Maxi Trimaran. Race #2061
INFO by brainaid.de
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0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230 Ranking:
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November 4 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Oct 05th 11:00 Registration Closed
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