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Board » Sailonline Yacht Club » Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta

Posted by Exmeromotu Posts 71 Registered at 2008-12-10 15:22:17	2010-07-28 14:14:55 - Re: Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta
	What's up Doc! (sorry couldn't help myself!) I'll do my best to answer your questions: 1) I have not played in any VR race in a looong time in fact the ONLY time they answered an email of mine was when I asked to be removed from their database (even if you don't join a race your "ghost" yacht keeps sailing races this helps them with artificially boosting their number of entries for boasting and PR purposes) . So I can't comment on the "new and improved" game engine but... If they haven't fixed the gybing or tacking indefinetely between two wind cells and boats speeding along at 4kts. in 0kts. of wind (among other things), then I still think VR is a waste of time. In SOL once you tack or gybe you take a performance hit (as IRL) which is cumulative if you do it too quickly just like IRL, if you sail into a 0kt. wind hole you stop just like IRL. SOL's server crashes rarely, but on when it crashes it crashes for EVERYBODY, in VR the "English" server always had problems, while the "French" server rarely did...hmmm!! 2) With weather updates 4 times a day SOL is not "Euro centered" EVERYBODY has at least one weather update at an inconvenient time of day which levels the playing field worldwide, but also has the effect that you have to keep an eye on your boat at least 4 times a day instead of two with VR. If you were sailing IRL on a single-handed race you wouldn't establish a 12 hours on - 12 hours off watch system, would you? The accuracy of the weather forecasts in SOL is much better than the ones from VR, as usual in light and fluky winds the forecasts have to be taken with "a grain of salt" cause the weather vary drastically from update to the next just like IRL. In conclusion I think you can get away with checking your boat 3 times a day (skip the one update at weird hours of the night and take your chances). Some top skippers do it and it works fairly well for them. But checking your boat twice a day just doesn't cut it, unless its one of the long ocean races. 3) SOL does not charge anything for a race, you can play for free as long as you like with EXACTLY the same tools as those who are members. A 35 EUR/year membership to the Sailonline Yacht Club (SYC) gets your boat on the SOL cumulative rankings. You still get ranked in each indivdual race if you are not a member. However, if you like the platform and enjoy the competition I urge you to become a member for the reasons exposed in my previous post. Cheers, Toño
Posted by Doc Häagen-Dazs Posts 16 Registered at 2010-02-16 03:01:09	2010-07-28 14:34:40 - Re: Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta
	Thx Toño! Very helpful. The relearning curve will be steep for me. But I'm definitely seeing the light. I can't tell if my membership has expired. (Maybe I'll be informed?) I'll give it a go!
Posted by Exmeromotu Posts 71 Registered at 2008-12-10 15:22:17	2010-07-28 14:40:55 - Re: Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta
	Doc, On your next race, don't be afraid to ask questions be it either on the Chat or on the forum. I'll be more than happy to help you get up to speed, I'm usually active (or lurking) on the English and Spanish chat rooms. Cheers!
Posted by Doc Häagen-Dazs Posts 16 Registered at 2010-02-16 03:01:09	2010-07-28 15:04:19 - Re: Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta
	Thx for the offer! I'll take you up on it, for sure!
Posted by ShamrockPirate Posts 189 Registered at 2010-12-03 17:49:57	2010-12-13 01:40:26 - Re: Comparing SailingOnLine with VirtualRegatta
	All, New to SOL and have tried to read through a lot of the forum posts. This one has been particularly helpful and prompted me to join SYC tonight. I have sailed the last 3 races (poorly) but, having been landlocked for 15yrs after moving off the boat, it'll take a while to get my virtual sealegs! I also looked at several "sailing games" and SOL seems much more realistic than any on-line game I have found. ANYTHING that will get me out of bed in the wee-hours of the morning to check the computer is, well....remarkable! If I could just have someone yelling at me while throwing ice-cold water in front of an industrial fan, it would be PERFECT!! I am also looking forward to the challenge of creating some races for my region and researching the polars for some boats not listed in the DB. This will be a lot of fun and a good distraction during a long, cold winter. Thanks to all the SOLers!!

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Kapiti Chetwodes Race 2024

For only the second time in SOL history, we have the pleasure of inviting you to the Kapiti Chetwodes Race, held in the Cook Strait region. Organised IRL by the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club from Wellington in New Zealand. The approximately 160nm long route, full of turning points, will take us from the bay at RPNYC around the islands of Somes, Kapiti and Chetwodes and back to the finish line at RPNYC. We have only a 26 ft Albin 79 yacht at our disposal. All this means that we will have a lot of fun, so fair winds!
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Welcome to the third and last online race of the Raja Muda Selangor International offshore series – a 70nm final trip further north again up the Malacca Strait from Penang to the exotic island of Langkawi, and again in Ker 40s.
Race #1871
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Raja Muda Selangor 2024 - Pangkor to Penang

Welcome to our second online offshore race in cooperation with Raja Muda Selangor International – an 80nm trip from Pangkor north to Penang up the Malacca Strait, again in Ker 40s.
Race #1870
INFO by brainaid.de
Ker 40 PARTICULARS
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Two Oceans Doublecross TIMED Race 2024

Our November Timed race takes us to Cape Town near where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. Our ride is a beautiful ketch, the Archer 78. Starting at Cape Town, we’ll round Robben Island, then head south to round Cape Point, up around Seal Island before heading north to round Dassen Island before returning to Cape Town. This is a TIMED race, so you may RE-REGISTER HERE to try again, after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #1872
INFO by brainaid.de
Archer 78 PARTICULARS
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30 November at 23:00 UTC
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Nassau to Bodo 2024

Prepare for the grand finale - the 6th and concluding leg of the RTW challenge, an odyssey from Nassau in the Caribbean to Bodø in Norway. Embracing a journey of 4000 nautical miles, this leg promises an exhilarating 18-day voyage. It also heralds the November installment of our prestigious Ocean Race Championship. Embark on a voyage of a lifetime, where prowess, tactics, and camaraderie unite in the pursuit of triumph. We eagerly await your presence at the starting line! May the winds be ever in your favor.
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Swan 65 PARTICULARS
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Ranking: OCQ4 - OCCH - RTW - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Nov 11th 11:00 Registration Closed

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