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 » General Discussion » Weather Cast

Posted by
Tommyboomer


Users avatar

Posts
3
Registered at
2008-12-11 17:11:38
2009-05-14 14:40:29 - Weather Cast
I was wondering how the weather is implemented? In the other VOR game, the use time points from specific grib reports.

When is the weather updated in this game, it seems to flow much more naturally without the abrupt changes?

Thanks,

Tom
Posted by
jakob


Users avatar

Posts
364
Registered at
2007-09-04 10:05:30
2009-05-14 16:20:59 - Re: Weather Cast
Correct. We basically use the same source but our smooth interpolation in both space and time is groovy, isn´t it :-) Also note that we shuffle the boats around more often than VOR too ;-)
...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by
sotil


Users avatar

Posts
10
Registered at
2008-05-18 20:56:51
2009-06-03 00:56:27 - Re: Weather Cast
In OSTAR RACE they go two nights that one does not update the weather. I think fundamental that this type of problems must not exist and his solution has to be priority to support the fair play and equity in the competition.
Regards: Sotil
Posted by
jakob


Users avatar

Posts
364
Registered at
2007-09-04 10:05:30
2009-06-03 05:10:27 - Re: Weather Cast
But the weather IS updated, four times per day actually.
...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by
captjack1942


Users avatar

Posts
239
Registered at
2008-01-18 03:24:03
2009-06-04 18:58:36 - Re: Weather Cast
Sorry Jakob, but there was no update @ 23:45~24:00 June 2/3 nor @ 06:00 June 3. There was an update at apx 09:00 June 3.

Also, this happened a few days ago when the 23:45 ~ 24:00 update was missed.

I for one would prefer that if an update is missed there should be no update till the next scheduled update. Throwing surprise updates in the middle of the night at us folks on the other side of the globe could cause us much distress.
At least this time it caused me (at least) no loss in the Ostar, but did screw up my course in practice in the VOR. At least it was just practice. I would be a bit pissed if it were to happen after this Sat. ;-)
Posted by
Incognito


Users avatar

Posts
183
Registered at
2008-12-06 13:43:52
2009-06-06 11:35:52 - Re: Weather Cast
I support captjack1942 suggestion that, when a weather update is missed, the next update should occur according to the normal schedule.

On working days, I usually plan my course for the next 12 hours based on the 6:00 UCT update just before going to work. I am usually unable to look at the weather update of 11:50 UCT and just hope for stable weather. But unscheduled updates are difficult to handle.
Posted by
jakob


Users avatar

Posts
364
Registered at
2007-09-04 10:05:30
2009-06-06 13:54:21 - Re: Weather Cast
Good point, we will have this in mind. No promises though.
...one of the guys behind the game...
Posted by
NZL_PaulR


Users avatar

Posts
311
Registered at
2008-07-22 12:21:30
2009-06-06 22:24:02 - Re: Weather Cast
However IRL some forcasts look and sound exactly the same and so no real change is apparent for your particular spot on the ocean.

Against this, sometimes additional forecasts are issued with fast developing situations and the normal 6 hours between forcasts is not adequate nor appropriate.

Rumour has it that some ocean sailors miss forecasts because they are asleep, busy on deck, or have lost power or reception is bad or impossible.

Forrest Gump (movie) said "Shit Happens"

Jakob; Don't panic or worry, IMHO.

Did not Marie Antoinette say to the French peasants "Let them eat cake".
In this case, "Take a concrete pill"
(harden up!)
If it breaks, it's not strong enough!
Posted by
captjack1942


Users avatar

Posts
239
Registered at
2008-01-18 03:24:03
2009-06-07 17:38:59 - Re: Weather Cast
Well Paul, IRL if I can see the sky, I have a real good idea what the weather is going to be. Seascat and gribs have not been around very long...just a few years.
That said, this is not real life. It is a game. It is a game payed by people all over a world divided into 24 time zones. I think that in order to be fair to all these folks around the globe, we should stick to a schedule, even if it means sometimes having a drastic transition for an hour or so from a couple of missed updates.

In every instance of a make up or delayed weather update that I can recall, the make up has occurred mid-morning (or at least midday) in Europe. 09:00 UTC is 11:00 AM in Stockholm, and 9:00 PM in New Zealand, but is the middle of the night in the Americas (2:00 AM PDT in California).

Either stick to a regular schedule or throw in some random updates, say at 2:00 AM in Stockholm or Auckland just to keep it fair.

;-)
Posted by
NZL_PaulR


Users avatar

Posts
311
Registered at
2008-07-22 12:21:30
2009-06-07 19:42:04 - Re: Weather Cast
CaptJack: This is why SOL is such a wonderful game as the experience of using forecasts, gibb files and sail planners is a great learning opportunity. (I'm still to get into the gibb files and downloads. Have been learning Sail Planner though)

Yes it is hard getting up in the middle of the night to start a race or navigate around the green stuff!

In the OSTAR I was 27 hours late starting, but pleased to go from #621 to #333.

So I suppose I'm just against "pandering" if things are not going one's way.

The one thing that is certain is that the weather will be "CHANGEABLE".

Personally I dislike the computer precision of steering a course to two decimals of precision. IRL the nearest 5 degrees are the only marks on my compass! Even then the best would be steering to within 2 to 2.5 degrees. Autopilots can be set to 1 degree increments so I would suggest steering should only be set in whole degrees.

Wind? nearest 5 degrees at the best! Showing one decimal precision for wind is OK in a wind tunnel but IRL, the wind is never constant.

My 2 cents worth today.
If it breaks, it's not strong enough!

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Tall Ships 2026 - Antwerpen to Stavanger


Welcome to the third of four virtual Tall Ships Races in European waters which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This third race is from Antwerpen back up the North Sea to Stavanger in Norway – another proper tall ship training adventure of circa 450nm, online again 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 #1994
INFO by brainaid.de
Clipper 240 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TSI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 14th 16:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

SSANZ Triple Series 2026 - Race 1

Welcome to Auckland, New Zealand! Sailonline is happy to provide our SOLers with the virtual version of the brilliant three-race SSANZ two-handed series. We will be racing around the beautiful waters of the Hauraki Gulf off New Zealand’s North Island. Our first race of the Series is a 45-miler out to Motuora Island and back.
Race #2043
INFO by brainaid.de
Young 88 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SPQ3 - SPCH - SSANZ
SUPBUD - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Tuesday,
July 14 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 11th 21:15 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Lake Ontario 300 Challenge 2026

Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) welcomes Sailonline sailors to a second virtual version of a race in their annual series, and for the sixth year in succession the LO300. As the name implies, the LO300 is a 300nm offshore race across the length and breadth of Lake Ontario, from and back to Port Credit YC. This year, for the first time, we will be racing the 300nm circuit in Sun Fast 3200s. As usual, there is an overall prize for the SOLer who best bosses Lake Ontario over the two races hosted by Sailonline, this LO300 and the Susan Hood raced back in May, and this year also the race and the Susan Hood count towards the title of Super Buddy 2026; so, let the competition be fierce!
Race #2044
INFOby brainaid.de
Sun Fast 3200 PARTICULARS
NAM_AWIP WX Updates:
0245 / 0845 / 1445 / 2045
Ranking: LOOR - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 11th 15:10 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tall Ships 2026 - Harlingen to Antwerpen


Welcome to the second of four virtual Tall Ships Races in European waters which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This second race is from Harlingen in Friesland down along the coast of Holland and Friesland to Vlaanderen’s famous port of Antwerpen – circa 150nm 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 #1993
INFO by brainaid.de
Clipper 240 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TSI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 06th 16:00 Registration Closed
▶ 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 starts: Jul 06th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cross the Convergence 2026 - Sao Tomé to Tristan

The fifth race of our series of ocean voyages across the World’s convergence zones takes us back south down the Atlantic from Sao Tomé on the Equator to Tristan da Cunha on the edge of the Roaring Forties. It’s 2500nm; in your path the Benguela winds and current along the south west African coast, and behind that the St Helena High stretching halfway to South America. So, mind where you go in your Volvo OD65 version 3 (based on sampled real-life race data by kroppyer)!
Race #1985
INFOby brainaid.de
Volvo OD65v3 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: CCZ - SYC
Race starts: Jul 03rd 18:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

New Ice Age 2026 - Neumayer Station to Scott Base


For a second-half of long-distance ice-boating, we take our DNs to Antarctica for a circumnavigation of that continent in two legs clockwise, in harmony with the prevailing winds (such as there are), beginning with a race from Germany’s Neumayer Station to New Zealand’s Scott Base. It’s about 3500nm, which, if there’s wind at all, should, well-wrapped in your DN-cockpits, not take you much more than five days. And remember: charts down here are unreliable – what is land and what is ice?!
Race #1970
INFOby brainaid.de
DN PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: NIA - SYC
Race starts: Jul 02nd 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 CriticalHippo
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ms0689
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client