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:

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 starts: Aug 03rd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Magical Mediterranean 2026 - Benghazi to Korcula

We return to Antiquity’s Middle Sea for a seventh celebration of all things Mediterranean - fickle winds, history and olive oil. This time we will sail from ancient Benghazi, whence once grain shipped continuously to feed Rome’s urban masses, to the medieval Venetian thalassocracy’s port of Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo; 700nm in classy Club Swan 50s!
Race #1978
INFO by brainaid.de
Club Swan 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
August 7 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 27th 15:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye 2026 - Georgian Bay

Welcome to the sensational scenic Georgian Bay of northern Lake Huron, the first area of the Great Lakes to be visited by Europeans in 1615, so former SOLer A2R informed us when he designed this geometrically tortuous course of 317nm criss-cross through its island maze. Originally known as Lake Manitoulin, in 1822 the bay was renamed after King George IV after his succession to the throne. This time we’ll take the very flashy Fareast 31R, which hopefully should keep you wide awake!
Race #2051
INFOby brainaid.de
Fareast 31R PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
August 3 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 26th 08:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tall Ships 2026 - Stavanger to Aalborg


Welcome to the fourth of four virtual Tall Ships Races in European waters which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This fourth race is from Stavanger in Norway into the Skaggerak to a finish off Denmark’s Aalborg and perhaps an Aquavit to toast the adventure afterwards – a final circa 250nm in Sailonline’s classic Clipper 240.
NOTE: Starts and Finishes in tall ships racing are always offshore to avoid conflict with shipping and shipping lanes; online and real-life may not match exactly.
Race #1995
INFO by brainaid.de
Clipper 240 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TSI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 25th 16:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Chinook Salmon - Canada to Andreanovs


A year after spawning in the upper reaches of the rivers of British Columbia, Chinook Salmon develop the age-old urge, so familiar to SOLers, to go to sea, heading for different parts of the northern Pacific Ocean. This race catches up with a particular school with an instinctive memory for the Andreanov Islands far west on the Aleutian Islands chain, as they depart the Salian Sea between Vancouver Island and the San Juans. It’s 2200nm and we’re taking the 60ft Trimaran, in the hope we can keep up!
Race #2048
INFOby brainaid.de
60ft Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MIG - SYC
Race starts: Jul 21st 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Juventud TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), Cuba’s second largest island after mainland Cuba. Known as a haven for pirates, the island was the inspiration for novels “Treasure Island” and “Peter Pan”. The circa 120nm course runs clockwise around the island.
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 #2049
INFOby brainaid.de
The boat for this race is the sporty Mini 6.5p Foil PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
1 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Jul 19th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Alaska to Easter Island 2026

Welcome to yet another all-new series. The initial leg of the RNW (Round the New World), Alaska to Easter Island, also part of our Ocean Championship. The first race of OCQ3 2026. This race will be sailed in our revised 'version 2' Imoca 60 Foil. Race #2042
INFO by brainaid.de
Imoca 60 Foil v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ3 - RNW - OCCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
August 1 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 06th 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 WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ms0689
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ita10267

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client