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 » Flag Officers » Race proposals » Windward/leward olympic triangle

Posted by
zowee


Users avatar

Posts
17
Registered at
2008-02-09 14:52:27
2010-08-28 16:44:34 - Windward/leward olympic triangle
How about doing a short race using a standard windward/leward course. There are several variations, but a fun one might be a windward triangle followed by windward/leward or "olympic triangle".

The trick here is that the RC would need to be on duty just prior to the race in order to set the marks relative to the wind direction.

It might be fun to try these races in different areas, perhaps using America's Cup boats in AC venues (Newport, Fremantle, San Diego, Auckland, Valencia, San Francisco).

Thoughts?

Zowee
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2010-08-29 09:52:24 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
I think it would be great fun, personally, but as SOL is designed for longer ocean races, the change in performance of the server with short high-zoom ones can annoy a lot of people! When traversing oceans the "jump" of boats is insignificant but when one is closely zoomed in (as in the unofficial practice racing) it is crucial to accept that boat-jumping is going to be very visible.

I think its great fun to do short races so I would love to take up your suggestion.

zowee - if you look at the list of boat-types in SOL at present (a sticky at the top of this Forum contains the list) maybe you would identify which boat types are missing that would be good and we can get working on sourcing the polars.

Also... we would need waypoint coordinates (in decimal degrees/minutes) for the individual courses.

You have my vote!! :-D
Posted by
zowee


Users avatar

Posts
17
Registered at
2008-02-09 14:52:27
2010-08-29 16:12:31 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
A triangle course could be setup on large enough scale to work well with the SOL engine. The diagram shows the basic layout and angles. You can also introduce land features to make it more challenging and interesting. For example, make the windward leg distance 100 miles and placing an island in the middle of the windward leg.

The only challenge that I see is placing the course relative to true wind. Just as a RL race, you would ideally want to set the windward mark just prior to the race start.
Attachments
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2010-08-29 16:34:59 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
zowee - placing or moving a mark is doable up to 5 mins before a race starts to that wouldn't be a problem (so long as I am around anyway!!).

If you wanted realism, perhaps we could create ourselves some historic AC courses based on the locations the races were held? That would be easy enough to do... and THEN... maybe 76T or the other polar gurus on SOL could supply us with the polars of two/three competing boats.. so we could race it in the AC defender boat or one of two challengers (if there were more than one)!!

What do you think?

Posted by
zero


Users avatar

Posts
120
Registered at
2010-02-07 16:56:30
2010-08-31 01:42:08 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
I agree with the triangular shape courses. There is no need for a perfect against the wind leg though.

The old AC 12meters had a narrow polar with a very defined optimum VMG angle, either upwind or downwind.

I suspect that with a perfect olympic triangule here on SOL, we would finish the race with several boats tie or within seconds of each other.

The challenge of racing here (on SOL) is to predict where you should be some time in the future to catch the wind shift, and keep on doing this consistent until the finish line. If we take the wind shifts or minimize them by shorthen the race that challenge goes away.

The Olympic races are very short in duration and in perfect or near perfect wind direction. The objective is to test the boat handling skills of the crew and the "right-of-way" racing rules. In those type of races you want to be in clear air and with preference at the marks all the time and do the tacks and gybes with precision.

Here on SOL we test our ability to predict wind shifts AND our ability to be there at the right time.

I do agree with you that triangular shaped courses are always interesting in the sense that opens more opportunities for the boats behind to catch up and the boats ahead to loose.

By triangular shape I mean start and finish in the same general area and 1 or 2 waypoints in between.

Think about how fun it was the round-England-Ireland, The Oshkosh race, the races in Sweden, the Texada islands race in Vancouver. They were ALL very exciting and nail biting till the end.

They all had in a way or another the same general characterists; start and finish near the same location and a few WP to pass.

The fact that those races didn't start exactly with the wind in the nose did not dimished the challenge at all.


Sail on,
Antonio

Posted by
newsartist


Users avatar

Posts
41
Registered at
2009-08-20 03:01:55
2010-09-25 13:04:02 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
The problem with Triangle-Windward-Leeward-Windward, (later 12m AC course,) is that the legs overlap and make the course too hard to see.

Real races physically moved the Windward Mark to adjust while they were in progress.

My greatest coup in journalism, was one AC Defender's Trial when I recognized this. We only had a dozen spectator boats anywhere near us at the Finish. :)
Posted by
zowee


Users avatar

Posts
17
Registered at
2008-02-09 14:52:27
2010-10-13 12:48:25 - Re: Windward/leward olympic triangle
As I mentioned, someone in the RC would need to be available to set the windward (and gybe) marks prior to the start of the race. It would not be practical to manage a course change during the race, however.

To handle the problem of overlapped legs you simply place multiple marks at the same location.

It's not a perfect solution, but would be fun to try some time.

BTW news, I attended several AC 12M races in Newport, and was somewhat of an AC groupie back in the 70's and early 80's when you could walk right up to see the boats at the dock or on lifts.

zowee

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Roma Giraglia Regata 2026

Our eighth race of nine to celebrate all things Mediterranean - fickle winds, history and olive oil – is another buddy-up; this one with the Circolo Nautico Riva di Traiano . Founded in 1984, as the new Traiano yacht Harbour neared completion, the Circola since then has developed into one of the major yachting competition centres in Italy, and next to the 450nm Roma per Tutti (which SOL buddied earlier in the year), the Roma Giraglia Regata is its other headline offshore event. First raced in 2005, the 210nm course takes competitors from Traiano to a rock on the inside of the Ile de la Giraglia off the northern tip of Corsica and back to the Italian mainland for a finish in the bay of Santo Stefano. We’re racing this one in our Class 40!
Race #2058
INFO by brainaid.de
Class 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MED - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Oct 08th 16:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Arctic Tern - Greenland to Antarctica 2025

Welcome to the fifth leg of our MIG series. Now it's time to race the Arctic Terns, on their migration from Greenland to Antarctica, 8300 NM. This is also part of our monthly Ocean Championship, and as such the first race of OCQ4 2026. This race will be sailed in our Maxi Trimaran. Race #2061
INFO by brainaid.de
Maxi Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230 Ranking:
OCQ4 - OCCH - SYC - MIG
Race starts: Oct 05th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bornholm PYOC


Welcome to the Baltic Sea, where we are about to hold another sprint race. The course runs from the north to the south of the beautiful Bornholm island. There are only two waypoints, the start and the finish so the choice of which side of the island to sail along is up to you. Our Albin 79s will cover a distance of approximately 23 nautical miles.
Race #2064
INFO by brainaid.de
Albin 79 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SPQ4 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Oct 03rd 06:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cross the Convergence 2026 - Masirah to Chagos


Having crossed, re-crossed and re-re-crossed the Convergence Zones of the Pacific and the Atlantic, we now face our second crossing of the Convergence Zone of the World’s third great equator-spanning sea, the Indian Ocean, taking us from the channel between Masirah Island and the Oman mainland to the Chagos Archipelago. It’s 1900nm and we’ll be sailing our very fine Archer 78, and won’t mention that both locations (of departure and arrival) are heavily militarized and the why’s and what next’s concerning that – mindful as always of SOL Netiquette.
Race #1988
INFOby brainaid.de
Archer 78PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: CCZ - SYC
Race starts: Oct 02nd 18:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Carib Rum Run 2026


Ahoy, ye landlubbers and seasoned salts! Welcome back to Sailonline’s legendary Carib Rum Run, perfectly timed to kick off on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, 19 September!

This year, we command the magnificent Falkun—the ultimate high-tech superyacht modeled after the iconic Maltese Falcon. This 1759nm slalom takes us through the Caribbean’s rum islands to plunder barrels from local distilleries and deliver them to the rum-parched sands of Cancun.

Join SYC before the finish to disguise yer boat with a pirate name for this race only. Hoist the sails, sharpen yer cutlasses, and plot your winning course!
Race #2060
INFO by brainaid.de
Falkun PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Sep 19th 05:00 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 rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rthinman
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member BRENTGRAY
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client