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 » ALL THE TOOLS

Posted by
sol


Users avatar

Posts
298
Registered at
2008-08-14 11:08:14
2018-08-31 10:13:09 - ALL THE TOOLS
There are a number of tools external to the game that many/most people use.
They are all developments made by keen past and present SOLers.
I'll deal with them in calendar order, which is also more or less their usefulness.

1. Brainaid's http://sol.brainaid.de/sailonline/toolbox/
Just key in your boatname and password and on different pages you will find:
- downloadable polar data
- downloadable grib data
- waypoint, start and finish lats/lons.
- yacht instrument outputs (CC, TWA, TWS, TWD, LAT< LON, ETC) refreshing every time your yacht advances
- a DC (Delayed Command) Uploader (useful if you want to enter a long series of course instructions)

2. AGage's http://solfans.org/wxinspector/
Just key in your boatname and password and your screen will show a facsimile of the SOL racing page with your boat advancing in the same way as on the SOL page.
On the right hand side are a selection of Tools. Explore them all at your leisure, but have a look at Optimum Angles first.
Click on the button, then click on VMG and down below in the dialogue screen it gives you your optimum upwind and downwind angles for the boat you are racing at that point in time. Enter the bearing to a far away destination, click on VMC and you get the optimum VMC angle to advance you in that (general) direction.

3. maitai's and oxygen77's QtVlm downloadable via https://www.meltemus.com/index.php/en/download
A router is a piece of software that will generate and optimum route ot sail from A to B given a boat's polar and a grib with wind (and current).
maitai and oxygen 77 actually play a rival game called Vlm, but their router suits SOL well, especially because it features various enhancements principally through the interaction of various SOLers like Bimmer, psail, Kipper1258, kroppyer and myself with the two developers.
Basically it allows you to prepare a route to sail in great detail which you can then convert into DCs for uploading (and go to bed/work/etc).
There is a manual, but best is to ask questions in Chat. Replies will come quick.

4. kroppyer's http://sol.kroppyer.nl/
kroppyer features a tool for converting the .csv file that QtVLm generates into a file for uploading via brainaid's (or Kipper1258's, see below) utility.
kroppyer also gives you a full explanation of SOL's quirky Performance Loss (PL on a change of course) feature, and a tool to help you calculate in advance of making a course change.


5. Kipper1258's AGL downloadable via http://solfans.org/blog/uncategorized/dc-checker-version-3/
This is another tool for uploading DCs.
However, it has a graphic interface where you can view the resulting route of your DCs in to a much greater accuracy than the route you'll see in QtVLm's interface.
Much greater accuracy because it takes full account of PL and can zoom in to an extraordinarily high magnification. Use it (with some caution) and you need never BBQ.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

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 starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye - Hobart Convict Run 2026

Back in 2010, one of our SOLers of the first hour, AUS_Scott76, came up with this ‘Convict Run’ out from Hobart, past Cape Raoul and the penal colony of Port Arthur, round Tasman Island, up and back down the east coast of Tasmania, to finish with a tight technical run – so Scott called it – up the picturesque D'entrecasteaux Channel, home to Hobart once again. It’s 250nm, ideal for a bit of ‘Red Eye’ in comfortable Finngulf 43’s, and if the original idea was to pick up some convicts on the way for a bit of R&R and sea air, you may always drop’m back before returning to Hobart!
Race #2002
INFOby brainaid.de
FG 43 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 27th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

New Ice Age 2026 - Longyearbyen to Browerville


Although we have by no means exhausted the possibilities of ice boating on lakes at high latitudes or high altitudes, it was noticeable that as our 2025 Series progressed, there were calls from time to time for longer-distance challenges, and so in response to these calls we will pretend that global warming has reversed and as a result the coastal waters of Antarctica and Russia and Canada have fully (and smoothly!) frozen over offering us the possibility of a 4-race New Ice Age series in our trusted no-PL DN machines. Our first leg takes us 2600nm from Svalbard’s Longyearbyen east to North Alaska’s Browerville. You’ll be a few days on the ice, so dress warmly and take some provisions; go!
Race #1968
INFOby brainaid.de
DN PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: NIA - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 22nd 07:00 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 Sax747
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client