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Board » Technical Support » 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.

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SSANZ Round North Island Race 2026 - Leg 3

Leg Three of our Round North Island Series, in partnership with SSANZ, keeps the pressure on! From Cook Strait, the fleet turns north for a 187 nautical mile passage up the east coast to Napier. It may look like a quick overnighter, but shifting coastal winds and the ever-lively Cook Strait demand sharp focus. In our responsive Sun Fast 3600s, a proven short-handed racer and powerful downwind performer, tactical decisions and precise timing will make all the difference!

The start time for this race may change at short notice to align with the real race. The confirmed start date and time will be announced via an in-race “L” flag message — Please monitor race communications closely.
Race #2013
INFO by brainaid.de
Sun Fast 3600 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RNI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Mar 08th 21:00 Registration will open soon
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Dyer Dhow Derby 2026


Most winter weekends, SOLer wsguerin and his friends at the Mamaroneck Frostbite Association venture forth on Long Island Sound to race Dyer Dhows, originally designed as WWII tenders. Indestructible little boats, great comradeship and serious short sharp races of 10 to 20 minutes duration. Sailonline now invites you to experience the joys of the Dhow in winter, virtually, by way of a slightly longer 14nm race: from Mamaroneck to Execution Rocks, over to the Gong Buoy and back to Mamaroneck. And if the wind pipes up to 20kn and beyond, you'll find SOL's customized polar will plane, rather than nosedive!
Race #2017
INFO by brainaid.de
Dyer Dhow PARTICULARS
NAM_AWIP WX Updates:
0245 / 0845 / 1445 / 2045
Ranking: SPQ1 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Mar 07th 13:00 Registration will open soon
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South China Sea Race 2026


Welcome all to the South China Sea and a virtual chase in Cookson 50’s of the Rolex South China Sea fleet, racing 650nm – as the local red-footed booby flies – from Hong Kong to Subic Bay on the southern tip of The Philippines’ Luzon Island. Chances are it will be a fast downwind ride, so see how you can keep up with the real-life fleet which we hope to be able to follow on our monitors.
Race #2016
INFOby brainaid.de
Cookson 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Mar 04th 03:20 Registration Open!
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SSANZ Round North Island Race 2026 - Leg 2

Leg Two of our Round North Island Series is where the real challenge begins. After Mangonui, our SOLers face a demanding 491nm passage around the top of the North Island and down the rugged west coast toward Cook Strait. Long miles, exposed waters, and relentless tactical choices will test every SOLer. In our powerful Sun Fast 3600s, a proven short-handed performer and true downwind flyer, endurance, timing, and smart routing will be key to success!

The start time for this race may change at short notice to align with the real race. The confirmed start date and time will be announced via an in-race “L” flag message — Please monitor race communications closely.
Race #2012
INFO by brainaid.de
Sun Fast 3600 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RNI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Mar 02nd 21:00 Registration Open!
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Iceland to the Falklands 2026

Welcome to an all-new route, the first of three Round the 'Old World' of Europe, Africa, Australia and Asia. To give each leg of the ROW a bit of length we'll try to hug the coasts as little as possible, so starting in Iceland our first leg of the series, which will also be the final leg of our Quarter 1 Ocean Championships takes us 7200nm to the Falklands, the full length of the Atlantic end to end. To make sure we'll get it done within the month we'll be sailing our Maxi Trimaran.
Race #2010
INFO by brainaid.de
Maxi Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - ROW - OCCH - SYC
Race starts: Mar 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
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SSANZ Round North Island Race 2026 - Leg 1

Welcome to Leg One of the Round North Island Series in partnership with SSANZ. The four-leg circuit of New Zealand’s North Island is a true test of short-handed skill, and it begins with the 150nm passage from Auckland to Mangonui. This year, our SOLers will be racing the dynamic Sun Fast 3600 – Jeanneau’s renowned racer-cruiser and a proven flyer downwind. A gentle opener on paper… but coastal tactics and shifting breezes will demand focus from the start!
Race #2011
INFO by brainaid.de
Sun Fast 3600 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RNI - SUPBUD - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Thursday,
March 5 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Feb 28th 21:00 Registration Closed
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San Diego to Puerto Vallarta 2026

Welcome to California! Established in 1953 this 1000-mile run from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta on the Mexican Riviera has become a tradition and online as well the tradition strengthens with this the fourth time Sailonline is making the race available to virtual sailors. Let's see how our virtual SC70s perform against the real fleet!
Race #2015
INFO by brainaid.de
Santa Cruz 70 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Feb 28th 20:00 Registration Open!
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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 CLOSE: Wednesday,
March 4 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Closed
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