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 » Practice Racing » General Practice Race Notes

Page: 1 2 3 Next

Posted by
newsartist


Users avatar

Posts
41
Registered at
2009-08-20 03:01:55
2010-06-27 13:59:29 - General Practice Race Notes
Post annotated by RainbowChaser :
This thread was moved from the category Races.
I wanted to respond to Glynnwi's very good race suggestion without hiding RC's current Notice of Race.

A thread that is non-race-specific is good anyway!

My thoughts are that races should be laid out with options that can be chosen at the last minute based on actual winds.

In this case, Mark 5 could be announced after the Practice Race Start to shorten the course, and Mark 4 could be substituted as an alternate Finish.


--- Last Edited by newsartist at 2010-06-27 14:00:17 ---
Posted by
newsartist


Users avatar

Posts
41
Registered at
2009-08-20 03:01:55
2010-06-27 14:13:08 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
General course guidelines(?):

-The Start needs to be where new racers can join easily.

-The "Practice Race Course" should avoid the Actual Race Course to avoid confusing us, and the actual racers.

-Distance and direction, based on expected winds, should include a beat into the wind if possible.

-If possible, one or more legs should be unburdened by land. This allows multiple tactics and avoids boring 'follow the leader' situations.

-The Finish should be at a natural 'trap' to keep boats close, if people finish on DC's.

Races should end with the plan to let future races 'drift' toward new and interesting waters.

Your thoughts please?
Posted by
glynn


Users avatar

Posts
5
Registered at
2009-11-24 07:16:27
2010-06-27 15:51:05 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
newsartist said @ 2010-06-27 13:59:29:
I wanted to respond to Glynnwi's very good race suggestion without hiding RC's current Notice of Race.

A thread that is non-race-specific is good anyway!

My thoughts are that races should be laid out with options that can be chosen at the last minute based on actual winds.

In this case, Mark 5 could be announced after the Practice Race Start to shorten the course, and Mark 4 could be substituted as an alternate Finish.


--- Last Edited by newsartist at 2010-06-27 14:00:17 ---
my idea was to get away from using boats that have no consequence of hitting them when there is a hundred isles that can be raced around properly.i don't see any point in racing around an open bay when there is real isles in reach.even if it means missing one days practice in favour of heading in one direction dc setting to get the isles.to race properly
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2010-06-27 16:12:56 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
Good thread news - here are my comments (in italic)

-The Start needs to be where new racers can join easily.

Agree. The first start should always either be the SOL Start or a point v close to it so as many as possible can join in

-The "Practice Race Course" should avoid the Actual Race Course to avoid confusing us, and the actual racers.

Agree in principle but there may be races where this isn't possible.

-Distance and direction, based on expected winds, should include a beat into the wind if possible.

Agree - several have suggested triangular courses as being most fun, and IRL racing usually starts into wind.

-If possible, one or more legs should be unburdened by land. This allows multiple tactics and avoids boring 'follow the leader' situations.

Not sure about this. Some areas where we race are dotted with super little islands. The Mark boats simply give us some flexibility when there aren't many islands available.

-The Finish should be at a natural 'trap' to keep boats close, if people finish on DC's.

Agree - and the finish, as svein suggested the other night should be shown to 4decimal places, even when it is a natural "trap".

Races should end with the plan to let future races 'drift' toward new and interesting waters.

Yes and no. We don't have to practice race every night if there are several nights available. Cruising to a better location and leaving at a fixed time or under our own steam makes a break. Racing every day could get a little wearisome and sightseeing is fun too!!

Posted by
ivar-sails-no-more


Users avatar

Posts
8
Registered at
2010-02-04 22:24:21
2010-06-27 18:43:45 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
I like the idea of having some open water to experiment with courses and polars. Boats marking islands when needed, why not? Would like to see a race every night, so people can join in when they have time for it. Could there be a fixed line of tekst saying there is a practice race at 18.00, something like below
Race starts: Jul 03rd 09.00
Practice races every night at 18.00

Could make the word "Practice race" a link in bleu to an explanation of what practice races are.

Anyone have ideas of how about to have more clearity in finisching times? Or do we keep Boinking hahaha
Posted by
javakeda


Users avatar

Posts
73
Registered at
2013-03-01 03:18:22
2013-04-11 21:47:11 - Practice Race Rules
During today's PR, there was a lively chat about rules, and how they should be applied in a practice race. I suggest the chat raised a number of valid issues that bear further discussion:

Issue #1: It seems to me there are at least two 'goals' for Practice Races:

a) helping 'newbies' become familiar with the SOL client;
b) allowing all skippers time to practice sailing the boat that will be used in the main race.

That suggests to me that there could be two boat classes in the PRs [novice and experienced]. That would allow different rules for each class.

Issue #2: To what extent should the PR rules comply with or differ from the "real life" rules of yacht-racing?

Here is a three-tiered answer:

1) The rules of the main race should comply with the "real life" rules of racing -- unless there is a specific and compelling reason to the contrary.

2) The rules for 'experienced skippers' in the practice race should comply with the rules of the main race -- again, unless there is a specific and compelling reason to the contrary.

3) The rules for 'novice skippers' may be modified, and penalties for mistakes may be reduced, in order to encourage [hearten?] novice skippers.

NOTE: In this view, novice and experience skippers compete for different podiums [podia?]. It should not be possible for a novice skipper to "win" a PR if they did not comply with the rules that apply to experienced skippers.

Issue #3: To what extent should the PR rules accommodate the needs of those who are not sailing "hands-on" and are changing course via DCs?

The chance to practice DCs before the main race is IMO under-appreciated. But there are two competing arguments here:

1) To encourage practicing the use of DCs, we will minimize the penalty of missing a mark.

2) To make practicing the use of DCs real, we will impose the same penalties in the PR that one would experience in the main race.

A further alternative is a third class in the PR that is DC only.

My preference is to make penalties for the DC users the same as the penalties in the real race.
Hey, that is what those folks would experience.
Also, it is hard for me to believe that novice skippers are relying on DCs in Practice Races.

OK ... time for some feedback!


--- Last Edited by javakeda at 2013-04-11 21:57:37 ---
Posted by
Smo


Users avatar

Posts
80
Registered at
2009-05-02 21:49:04
2013-04-11 22:03:16 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
PR should be like IRL racing on ISAF rules or like sol. Inspecial cases RC (Race comittee) .. rainbowxhacer desides
Posted by
Mark


Users avatar

Posts
28
Registered at
2013-04-06 10:01:41
2013-04-11 22:09:54 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
Ive only been using the game a week or so but heres my view.

The PRs are an opportunity for noobs like myself to learn the client and how the game works. It also gives members a chance to chat and socialise.

There are already serious races where results count and there are rules to be obeyed. PRs to my mind should be fun snd as informal as possible while maintaining the semblance of a race.

In short, if it aint broke dont fix it
Posted by
javakeda


Users avatar

Posts
73
Registered at
2013-03-01 03:18:22
2013-04-12 00:28:54 - Practice Race Rules Discussion
Agree in principle with the concept, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
But, in the chat, there seemed to be a reasonable question as to whether "It was broke." Certainly Dana and I felt something was amiss.
I believe we owe it to the game to discuss the basic issues.
The alternative is that we ignore the significant issues that emerged in the chat.

As I see it, simply saying the equivalent of "fuggeddabouddit" ["forget about it" -- translating the slang] is abdicating responsibility.
Posted by
Pocobueno


Users avatar

Posts
24
Registered at
2011-05-27 17:42:56
2013-04-12 05:33:18 - Re: General Practice Race Notes
@javakeda
we had here a discussion about PR - rules for a long time.
Since then, i take it as a 'Just for fun' run.
And when there is no PR - we go to burn down tractors or something like that.
So, get prepared for the real race and don't worry about PR-rules so much
Pocobueno

Page: 1 2 3 Next

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Newport Bermuda Race 2026


The 636-mile Newport Bermuda Race is one of the oldest regularly scheduled ocean races, and with the Fastnet and the Sydney Hobart Race, it is one of the three great classic races of the yachting world. First raced in 1906, now in its 54th biennial, the Race can again also be participated in online. In real life, the race is open to entry in four different division – Double-Handed, St. David's Lighthouse, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, and Finisterre Division – which in the past we have also offered online. This year, however, our online race will be all-in one-design in silky swift Club Swan 50 yachts, so that your results can count towards SOL’s SUPerBUDdy title, whilst hopefully still giving you a chance of overall line honours against the fastest yachts of the real-life Gibbs Hill Division, especially if you can find some forecast winds that don’t quite work out that way on the real water!
Race #2038
INFOby brainaid.de
Club Swan 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jun 19th 17:05 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Shetland Race 2026 - Leg 1


Get ready to tackle the North Sea as we sail from Norway’s stunning outer Korsfjorden to the rugged Shetland Isles! Welcome to an exciting new chapter for this classic 190-nautical-mile ocean route, bringing our global community together for a true test of strategy and seamanship.

This year, the race is a proud stop in Sailonline's 2026 Super Buddy Championship, which features our real-life racing partnerships over the calendar year. We are stepping aboard the Linjett 33, a sturdy Swedish cruiser-racer designed by Mats Gustavsson and built by Rosättra Båtvarv. Seasoned veteran or eager newcomer, prepare for intense competition.

Plot your course and see you at the start line!
Race #2039
INFO by brainaid.de
Linjett 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SHE - RED - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jun 17th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bluefin Tuna - Mexico Gulf to North Sea 2026

Join us and follow the Bluefin Tuna, as they migrate from their spawning grounds in the Gulf of Mexico to their feeding grounds in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. This 4300 nm race is part of our Ocean Championship and the final race of OCQ2 2026, and also the second leg of our Migration series. We will be sailing in our Gunboat 90. Race #2035
INFO by brainaid.de
Gunboat 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ2 - MIG - OCCH - SYC
Race starts: Jun 08th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Thessaloniki to Port Said 2026

Welcome back to the Eastern Mediterranean for the fifth race of our Magical Mediterranean Series. Only marginally less unlikely to be ever raced in real life during SOL’s lifetime than our previous race from Tobruk to Iskenderun, this 710nm race takes us from Greece’s ancient northern port of Thessaloniki through the Aegean island maze, south east into the Levantine Sea to a finish in modern Port Said, in splendid Swan 65s!
Race #1977
INFO by brainaid.de
Swan 65 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
June 17 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jun 06th 15:00 Registration Closed

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member HoratioPugwash
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member YANN
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member sassy63

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client