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!

Board » Technical Support » #4 simple question to Phillipe/maitai.

Viva all.

And the questions are:

1 - Does qT uses Time Steps (TS) (in time units) calculations for the Isochrones calculations?
2 - If yes, is it 1 minute the minimum TS?
3 - If it doesn’t use TS for Isochrones calcs, does qT use Distance Step (DS) (in distance units)?
4 - In that case is 1 nm the minimum DS?

Thank you.
Sail Fair.
qtVlm uses a time step (otherwise it won't be called isochrone, would it?). The internal time step is configurable in the general settings. The minimum is 1mn. Routing module uses this internal step to calculate a way from one isochrone to the next, but the minimum time step between two isochrone is 5mn. That is already too small and useless, taking too much cpu, memory and time for nothing at all. 30mn or 1h between iso is a much better choice.
Viva Philippe.

Thank you for your reply but it didn’t clear out my doubts. By the contrary.

I knew/know that qT used/uses one of the two processes: “Time” or “Distance” Step for calculating consecutive Isochrones.
Hence my questions on previous points 1 and 3.

As you know, if the process is a “Time Step” one, we have to use “Time” units for it, (seconds, minutes, hours, etc.).
But, if the process is a “Distance Step” one, the units are “Length” (meter, km, nautical miles, etc.).

In your reply you mix the “internal time step” (sic, I assume that it is in “Time” units) with a “minimum” of “1 nm” for the calculations (I assume it is in “Length” units), and “5 nm” for the distances between consecutive Isochrones (idem).

At minimum, it’s not physically congruent, Philippe.
Or you use time or you use distance. Not both at the same time.

Meanwhile I’ve made a small test with qT - pls see attached picture.
In top of a trivial routing I’ve put two marks, the first at the distance made by the boat on 1 minute and a second mark at a distance made in 5 minutes, this one on top of the first shown Isochrone in the routing.
Well, being an Isochrone calculation what you get in the chart plotter is a representation of the consecutive curves that can be reached at at the same time by a boat travelling at a constant speed between them.
But, again, I’m using here only “time” units (minutes), not “nm” (nautical miles), Philippe.

In relation to your opinion that “is already too small and useless”, the 5 minutes, I totally disagree.
There are several reasons for it. I give you two:

- Light winds;
- Fast boats on tight spaces.

Thank you again, Philippe.
Sail Fair.
Attachments
The minimum time between 2 routes points in 1 minute. The minimum time between 2 isochrones is 5 minutes. In case these 2 values are set to the minimum, it means it takes 5 steps to qtVlm to generate one isochrone. There is no distance concept there or elsewhere.
Plus: the boat does not travel at constant speed between 2 isos, not in real life nor in qtVlm. Wind and currents change constantly between 2 isos, and qtVlm takes that into consideration.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Skimmer Dragonfly - India to East Africa 2026


In the autumn, when the rains stop and the tourists thicken in Goa and along the north western coast of India, globe skimming dragonfly climb to the skies (up to 1500m) to catch the high-altitude ITCZ winds and glide south west to East Africa. We’ll stay at sea level, where alas the winds will be less predictable, and race them there, the whole 2400nm of the way, in Carkeek 40s.
Race #2062
INFOby brainaid.de
Carkeek 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MIG - SYC
Race starts: Nov 11th 11:00 Registration will open soon
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Fiji TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to Fiji for this month’s TIMED race. Sail our 90 foot Monohull over the almost 200nm course beginning in Lucala Bay and ending in Labasa in your attempt to turn in the fastest time.
This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto try again after finishing a run. You will have two weeks to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #2069
INFOby brainaid.de
PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ4 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
21 November at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Nov 08th 12:00 Registration will open soon
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

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!
Race #2065
INFOby brainaid.de
GunBoat 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
OCQ4 - OCCH - SYC - MIG
Race starts: Nov 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

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
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Tuesday,
November 17 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Oct 14th 13:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member brandystrega
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client