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:

Palk Bay TIMED Race 2026

This month’s TIMED race takes us to the shallow waters of Palk Bay located between India and Sri Lanka. Sail the impressive MC 38 around a roughly 140 nm course through two narrow channels before returning to the start/finish line in Jaffna.
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 #2054
INFOby brainaid.de
PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
29 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Aug 16th 12:00 Registration will open soon
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

The British Isles Circumnavigation 2026


The British Isles Circumnavigation is here! Inviting skippers to take on an epic 1,720nm clockwise voyage around Britain and Ireland! Starting and finishing in Cowes, the course passes some of the most iconic landmarks in offshore sailing, including Fastnet Rock, Tearaght Lighthouse, Black Rock, St. Kilda and Muckle Flugga before the long run home. Racing in our fast and versatile TP52, this Super-Buddy Championship race will reward smart routing, changing weather strategy and sustained concentration over every mile. Good luck!
Race #2052
INFO by brainaid.de
TP-52 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Aug 09th 10:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Easter Island to Tristan da Cunha 2026

Welcome to the second leg of our RNW series, rounding Cape Horn. This middle-most leg Round the New World, from Easter Island to Tristan da Cunha, is also part of our Ocean Championship, and as such the second race of OCQ3 2026. This race, like the previous race in the RNW series, will be sailed in our revised 'version 2' Imoca 60 Foil. Race #2050
INFO by brainaid.de
Imoca 60 Foil v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ3 - RNW - OCCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Sunday,
August 23 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Aug 03rd 11:00 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 WRmirekd
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ms0689
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY
  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