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 » Getting more benefit from the 'Race Notes Tab'

Getting more out of the Notes tab - keyboard shortcuts

There are a number of keyboard shortcuts built-in to the Notes tab (enabled from the Options).
First to know and remember is 'Ctrl+S' saves the notes for that race, as does hitting Enter
Here I will list the shortcuts by key - implicit is the fact you need to be holding the Ctrl key when you hit it
Note: The keyboard shortcuts INSERT text where the input cursor currently is, followed by a space. If you have text selected, it will be replaced.
Where there are options for formatting what is inserted, your current settings will apply

T - Current date and time, UTC. The date is formatted like '07Jun' to be more 'international friendly'. Example: 02Jun@21:03 utc
M - The coordinates under the mouse. You can also cut and paste, but this bypasses that when you just want the coord in your notes (I also considered 'C', but then you couldn't easily copy text FROM the notes)
Y - The name of the Yacht the mouse is hovered over.
N - Relative Navigation information for the point under the cursor, from your boat. This is the same as the values you see in map top right (Xnm@Y°).
R - Just the 'range' part of the data you get by using the 'N' shortcut
B - Just the 'bearing' part of the data you get by using the 'N' shortcut
W - Wind data for the location under the mouse, at the time specified on the Wx slider - same as displayed at map top right.
D - Inserts a degree symbol - °

These few allow you to quite quickly and easily add useful information to your race notes, and keeping notes is a great way to keep track of progress (for example, recording range/bearing to a particular boat at regular intervals), and also to help you improve. You might record that you had an 'either/or' decision and the time, the possible choices you had, which you made and ideally something that helps you to evaluate that decision later on
- for example "01Jun@13:05 - undecided between staying on favoured tack with higher VMC, or gybing to Port and aim for more wind in 12 hours. I gybed, GnT off my lee bow: 1.27nm@277.40° remained on Starboard"
When our courses finally converge again, I can very easily determine if I made the right choice, by comparing his latest range/bearing

It is important to remember that the 'text insert cursor' needs to be visible in the Notes text box, for these shortcuts to work - so if you click outside of the textbox, you will need to return 'input focus' to it by clicking it again.

If you have any suggestions to add to this list, or to enhance the Race Notes facility, please leave a reply.
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

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 starts: Feb 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

West Papua to Oregon 2026

Our next race in our Ocean Championships is the first of a series of great natural migrations we will track in 2026. The leatherback turtle is the most widely distributed marine reptile on planet Earth, and chooses to breed in warm tropical waters, but prefers to forage in more temperate habitats, travelling thousands and thousands of miles effortlessly annually to maintain this way of life. Our race will follow one of the typical trips of this turtle, from breeding grounds in the seas off West Papua to the coast of Oregon. It’s only 5900nm, so to keep up, but in comfort, we’ll follow in our Gunboat 90.
Race #2006
INFO by brainaid.de
GB 90 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - OCCH - MIG - SYC
Race starts: Feb 02nd 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Race to Up Helly Aa 2026

A-OI!!! The fiery spirit of Shetland’s legendary Up Helly Aa returns, and Sailonline’s annual race to Lerwick is once again upon us. Covering 383 nautical miles from Aberdeen, SOLers will tackle winter waters steeped in Viking tradition. This year, we race the classic Frers 33, a proven cruiser-racer born from the golden era of offshore racing and still a sturdy performer both on the virtual and real water. Can you master the course and reach Lerwick in time for the flames?

SAILING NOTE: Gruney may be approached from any direction but must be passed for rounding purposes as indicated on the chart.
Race #2005
INFO by brainaid.de
Frers 33 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SYC
Race starts: Jan 30th 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye - Hobart Convict Run 2026

Back in 2010, one of our SOLers of the first hour, AUS_Scott76, came up with this ‘Convict Run’ out from Hobart, past Cape Raoul and the penal colony of Port Arthur, round Tasman Island, up and back down the east coast of Tasmania, to finish with a tight technical run – so Scott called it – up the picturesque D'entrecasteaux Channel, home to Hobart once again. It’s 250nm, ideal for a bit of ‘Red Eye’ in comfortable Finngulf 43’s, and if the original idea was to pick up some convicts on the way for a bit of R&R and sea air, you may always drop’m back before returning to Hobart!
Race #2002
INFOby brainaid.de
FG 43 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 27th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

New Ice Age 2026 - Longyearbyen to Browerville


Although we have by no means exhausted the possibilities of ice boating on lakes at high latitudes or high altitudes, it was noticeable that as our 2025 Series progressed, there were calls from time to time for longer-distance challenges, and so in response to these calls we will pretend that global warming has reversed and as a result the coastal waters of Antarctica and Russia and Canada have fully (and smoothly!) frozen over offering us the possibility of a 4-race New Ice Age series in our trusted no-PL DN machines. Our first leg takes us 2600nm from Svalbard’s Longyearbyen east to North Alaska’s Browerville. You’ll be a few days on the ice, so dress warmly and take some provisions; go!
Race #1968
INFOby brainaid.de
DN PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: NIA - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Monday,
February 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jan 22nd 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 WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client