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 » Game Feature Suggestions

Page: First Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next

As I see it VMG is 'Velocity Made Good' directly to windward; whereas, VMC is also a velocity made good, but to where? If it is to the destination, then it assumes that one is taking a direct great-circle path to the nearest point about which one has to turn. As well most sailors know, that isn't necessarily optimal.

In my youth I raced a Tornado and often found I could beat the competition, to a downwind mark, by tacking downwind - the boat was so fast on a broad reach that it got to a downwind mark much more quickly NOT heading straight for the mark.
=======================================
Well, VMC = Velocity Made to Course recognising that course legs arent always directly up or down wind. IRL we all use this concept downwind when there is a local shift just prior: Sail the gybe that takes us closest to the mark. Or either upwind or downwind to tack on the headers (lifts downwind): coz VMC is decreased and increased on other tack/gybe.
So VMC is the component of your current velocity (being a vector with magnitude and direction) in the direction of you next most immediate waypoint/mark on your course, VMG is with respect to the wind direction. So, no it doesnt assume one is on a direct course, great circle or otherwise, to the next waypoint, but rather uses that direct course instead of the wind direction.

In a windward/leeward course set exactly to the wind VMC = VMG. If a shift has occured and you are on the favoured tack/gybe then VMC > VMG, converely on the unfavoured tack/gybe VMC < VMG.
If you can, say, reach directly to the next waypoint/mark then VMC = BS. And in the case where that firection is 90 degrees to the wind, VMG = 0.

Say the TWD is 0, but the heading to the mark is at 15. You're heading at 40degrees doing 10kn. Then VMG = cos(40-0) * 10 = 7.66kn, and VMC = cos(40-15) * 10 = 9.06kn.
Now say we footed off 5 degrees and our BS increased to 10.6kn. our VMG is now cos(45-0) * 10.6 = 7.49kn, our VMC is cos(45-15) * 10.6 = 9.18kn. So our VMG has decreased, but VMC has increased by footing off for more speed.
And to illustrate what you said about sailing directly to the next mark not always being optimal, imagine the heading to next mark IS 40 degrees above.
Sailing directly toward it, VMC = BS = 10kn (cos(0)=1). By footing to 45@10.6kn our VMC is cos(45-40) * 10.6 = 10.55kn, so we will get there faster heading 45, even though over a 30nm leg we will sail an extra 1nm approximately (the cosine(angle) function automatically accounts for extra distance, but assumes no manouvering penalty). So given performance penalaties for for tacks/gybes, the longer the leg the more the benefit will be, and if the leg is short enough you WILL still get there quicker going straight for it.
This is my understanding of the term VMC, again maybe I am missing something, then pls inform me of it.

Of course, on really long legs a straight line on the mercator map will not be the shortest distance no, but you can still calculate a fastest heading, convert it to a great circle heading, and slowly follow the circle.
And of course you can always pick an arbitrary point to calculate VMC to, like if you need to round a headland before you get to a waypoint, then use that instead. C can stand for any chosen course, but we usually like to sail the course set by the RC, so it is usually that which we choose to use (or deviations due to obstructions).

Yes, High performance dingies, some cats, and performance yachts will now always reach the leeward mark faster by tacking downwind. That is simply the concept of VMG put to practical use downwind (if vmg > at an angle off 180) And that is such a good thing! I hated the 'processional runs' in the Junior classes I sailed. Downwind is now the leg generally least understood, which can provide good opportunities for gains, but equally for losses.
I dont think I have yet seen a boat on SOL that doesnt benefit from tacking downwind...
IRL main trouble is determining the best angle downwind... We have developed excellent methods to do this upwind, but not down... Its easy when you have a nice polar and that is the only thing that contributes to performance... Add in to that handling, trim, wave surfing etc etc and its quickly gets very complicated. Not to mention some boats like the ones I sail, benefit more if you dont sail ANY straight line, but a snake course, up first to increase the apparent windspeed and swing it more toward the beam (even the bow), then head down to decrease distance sailed... Headache time! :-)
High performance skiffs (18s, 49er etc) effectively never sail downwind, as the apparent wind is always coming from the bow, and this impacts handling and trim enormously...

Gettin too far off topic here, maybe we should start a 'Sailing Terms' Thread?
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__
Excellent explanation, think no new thread needed.

Ernestas
ernissss
LT
Please guys do something about the zooming issue. Not being a routing sailor I rely on accuracy and shortness of course to keep my efficiency high. With this new system I cannot get this right at all. In my humble opinion this feature has taken us a step backwards and not improved the game engine at all. Lets take a step backwards and rebuild please!

Thanks
George
Hi. What zooming issue?
...one of the guys behind the game...
Jakob, there is an issue with the steering tool line, where it changes the length of the line shown on screen, depending on the zoom level. Some have commented that at maximum zoom it disapperas completely, but I have not personally seen this particular issue, only that it gets shorter with more zoom...
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__
Can I get some screenshots of that please. I cannot reproduce... jakob@sailport.se
...one of the guys behind the game...
Can I get some screenshots of that please. I cannot reproduce... jakob@sailport.se
...one of the guys behind the game...
Can I get some screenshots of that please. I cannot reproduce... jakob@sailport.se
Note where the cursor is and where the line ends.

Schakel
Attachments
Ahh, now I understand. Thanks!!
...one of the guys behind the game...
Hi - Thanks for all the hard work.
I was wondering if it would be possible to overlay 'real terrain', something like Raymarine does on the chart plotter. Or incorporate Google maps. Just a thought.
Dan. aka LiquidMotion

Page: First Previous 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Garagiste's Test Lab

Welcome to Newport, RI, one of the great sailing centers of the world. This TIMED race takes us around Nantucket Island in RC 44s to celebrate the life of Capt. Bartholomew Gosnold who, among many other things in his short life, named Cape Cod for the teeming fish he encountered there, and Martha’s Vineyard for his daughter. This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto 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 #1939
INFOby brainaid.de
RC 44 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
23 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Aug 10th 12:00 Registration will open soon
GO TO RACE

Patricks Test

Join the excitement as Sailonline partners again with New Zealand's Short-handed Sailing Association for the thrilling SSANZ Triple Series, proudly sponsored by Lewmar Marine. Our SOLers will tackle an exhilarating 47-nautical-mile race, navigating the waters of the beautiful Hauraki Gulf out to Motuora Island via The Haystack and back. Racing virtual Young 88 yachts, our virtual fleet will match skills and strategies with the real-life fleet of the vibrant Young 88 Association. Don't miss this intense, tactical challenge!
Race #1932
INFO by brainaid.de
Young 88 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SSANZ - SYC
Race starts: Aug 03rd 08:00 Registration Open!
GO TO RACE

Joanne's Test Race Zone

In 1947, Hugh McLean & Sons of Gourock, Scotland built a radical racing yacht for John Illingworth, soon-to-be Commodore of the RORC, to a design by Laurent Giles. With a masthead rig, giving her ‘free’ sail area per the rules of the time, and short overhangs reducing pitching, Myth of Malham went on to win The Fastnet that year and again in 1949, and to compete in numerous Admiral's Cups. In 1958, in honour of the yacht, the Myth of Malham race was conceived - a mini-Fastnet to the first lighthouse on a rock west of Cowes, Eddystone, rather than the second, to be held in non-Fastnet years. IRL this year it has been raced already, but this stops us not from “Red Eye” racing its online 230nm in Fareast 31Rs, leaving how to deal with the Isle of Wight open to your own discretion.
Race #1847
INFOby brainaid.de
Fareast 31R PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - RED
Race starts: Jul 25th 12:00 Registration Closed
GO TO RACE

Marstrand to Cowes 2025


We invite you to another race, which will kick off the third quarter of our ARCH series. We'll set off from Marstrand, Sweden, which, along with Skagen, Denmark, marks the line commonly recognised as the border separating the Baltic Sea from the North Sea. The 650nm route will take our Ripitide 50 across the North Sea and the English Channel to Cowes, England. Watch out for the fast ferries crossing the Channel from Calais to Dover 😊.
Race #1935
INFO from brainaid.de
Riptide 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ3 - ARCH - SUPSOL – SYC
Race starts: Jul 21st 17:00 Registration Open!
GO TO RACE

Nantucket Sprint 2025


Welcome to Nantucket, from whence Herman Melville’s Cap’n Ahab sailed round The Horn into the northern Pacific Ocean to hunt the gray whale - whose migrations are celebrated elsewhere in SOL’s Q4 schedule - he never to return. And whaling too, as the 19th C progressed, like Ahab disappeared from Nantucket as the harbour silted up and mainland Massachusetts whaling stations benefited from rail connections. But beach life, yachting and nostalgia has rescued the island from oblivion, so to celebrate leisure, SOL gives you the Nantucket Sprint - 25nm in 29er_XX’s from east of Tuckernuck Island across the sound to a finish just inside the mouth of the harbour. Enjoy!
Race 1936
INFO by brainaid.de
29er_XX PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SPRQ3 - SPRCH - SUPSOL – SYC
Race starts: Jul 19th 15:00 Registration Closed
GO TO RACE

Puil's Practice Palaver


Nearly there; only 2500nm to go, round the Horn and up the Red Sea to Suez into what will more than likely be more headwinds for this sixth leg of our African circumnavigation, to be followed in September by a final sneaky dash up the canal back to where we started all those months ago. We’ll be sailing a not entirely appropriate-for-upwind-work 60ft Trimaran!
Race #1859
INFOby brainaid.de
60ft Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - ABS
Race starts: Jun 03rd 11:30 Registration Open!
GO TO RACE

Gulf of St Lawrence - test - Mirek
-
Race starts: Apr 21st 17:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Stefan's Duck Pond

 Get ready for an exhilarating new challenge as we set sail on the eighth leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship Series! This leg takes us from Cape Town South Africa to the bay of Belbuhan on the south West coast of Java - a 5100 nm journey of endurance, strategy, and pure sailing adrenaline. This leg will be raced aboard the 125 ft Orange catamaran, pushing sailors to their limits as they navigate the open ocean. Do you have what it takes to conquer the Indian Ocean? Join us and put your skills to the ultimate test!
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1900
INFO by brainaid.de
Orange 125 PARTICULARS    
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230    
Ranking: OCQ3 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Feb 06th 00:00 Registration Closed
GO TO RACE

Trapped Camel
-
Race starts: Aug 21st 15:03 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Caravanserai
-
Race starts: Aug 08th 17:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Patrick's Playpen


Welcome to the legendary "Westcoaster," a race that has tested sailors for over 50 years. Spanning 435 nautical miles, this iconic journey takes racers from Melbourne, across the formidable Bass Strait, and around Tasmania's rugged west coast to the finish line in Hobart. Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, the Westcoaster is renowned for its challenging conditions and adventurous spirit. This year, our SOLers will tackle the course in the swift and capable First 47.7, a yacht launched by Beneteau in 2000, built for speed and endurance in long ocean races. Get ready for an exhilarating ride in one of Australia’s most celebrated yacht races!
Race #1841
INFO by brainaid.de
First 47.7 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Aug 03rd 08:00 Registration Open!
GO TO RACE

Mirek's Mess & Canteen
music deleted
Race starts: Apr 26th 18:00 Registration Closed

GO TO RACE

Antarctica 1 of 3
-
Race starts: Jan 27th 21:57 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Flinders Island TIMED Race 2024

In the southern reaches of the Bass Strait between mainland Australia and Tasmania, you will find the Furneaux Group of islands, largest of which is Flinders, both named after famed British navigators. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to race your Ocean 50 catamaran a course of c 106nm around Flinders in the fastest time. This is a TIMED race, so you may RE-REGISTER HERE to try again, after finishing a run. This course will self-destruct in 13 days and 11 hours after opening for entrants.
Race #1776
INFO by brainaid.de
Ocean 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ1 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
27 January at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Jan 14th 12:00 Registration Open!
GO TO RACE

Tasman Double 2023 - Hobart to Sydney
music deleted
Race starts: Jan 02nd 02:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

John's Test Zone
It's time to test your ocean racing skills in a variety of weathers as we head the 6400 NM between Hong Kong and Auckland in a fast Super Maxi 100. We'll be heading from a northern summer to a southern winter so keep plenty of cold weather gear and warm rum on board!
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1597
INFOby brainaid.de
Super Maxi 100 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
OCQ3-OCCH-SUPSOL-SYC
Race starts: Sep 01st 04:00 Registration Closed

GO TO RACE

calm's Practice Race
Last raced in 2021, we return to Boston for another race to Newport. And just like in 2021, the chosen boat is once again the speedy R/P 66. This is a TIMED race so pick your winds wisely and see how quickly you can complete this 132nm run! For reference, the winning time in 2021 was 6:12:28.
RE-REGISTER HERE to race again after finishing a run
Race #1700
INFO by brainaid.de
R/P 66 PARTICULARS
NAM_AWIP WX Updates:
0245 / 0845 / 1445 / 2045
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Sunday, 18 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Aug 05th 12:00 Registration Closed

GO TO RACE

ZONA DE PRUEBA DE MANUEL

Welcome to the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand's 2022 Evolution Sails Northern Triangle series, which, unfortunately, to comply with latest NZ government COVID restrictions, has been reduced to a duo, commencing with this short prologue of approximately 35nm on the waters of Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. As so often with SSANZ events in the past, online we will be racing the event in ever-young Young 88 one-designs. Have fun!
Please note the displayed course is provisional; the actual course will be set after the IRL course is announced at the skipper's briefing 48 hours before the start, and no later than 24 hours before the start.
Race #1561
INFOby brainaid.de
Young 88 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - NTR
Race starts: Jan 10th 14:00 Registration Closed
GO TO RACE

San Sebastian to La Rochelle 2021
Once again, our SOL race will be shared with a group of Polish sailors, representing one of the stages of their Virtual Training Cruise around Europe. 171 nm in Delphia 47s across the not always calm Bay of Biscay from San Sebastian to La Rochelle will undoubtedly be one to test their skills. Welcome/Witajcie and we wish you all fair winds.
Race #1441
INFOby brainaid.de
Delphia 47 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Mar 05th 17:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Aland Sea TIMED Race
Norrtalje Segelsallskap, 70km NE of Stockholm was founded in 1920, and time was when the society’s season opened with a challenging offshore race from the club line off Flaten island at the mouth of the long and narrow Norrtaljeviken, out onto a triangular course around the Aland Sea, to finish at Simpnas slightly to the north on Bjorko island - some 78nm in total. A fine race that SOL, being from these parts, ran annually up until 2013. Last run in autumn 2018, we return here to race the course again in the form a TIMED RUN in spanking new Club Swan 50s.
RE-REGISTER HERE to race again after finishing a run.
Race #1444
INFO by brainaid.de
Club Swan 50 Particulars
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
RANKING:
TRQ1 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Sunday, 28 February at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Feb 15th 12:00 Registration Closed

GO TO RACE

Bimmer's Test Zone
What about a speedy X-362 380nm race in the waters off S America, just to blow cobwebs away!!
Race #1415
INFOby brainaid.de
X-362 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SYC
ALT. CLIENT:Classic

Race starts: Dec 21st 16:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Antarctica 3 of 3
-
Race starts: Sep 16th 11:13 Registration Closed

GO TO RACE

BLANK POLAR
Race starts: Feb 16th 00:00 Registration Open!

GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member kenza
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member zero
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WINSTON_4
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member longreacher
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Henrys
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Smo
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Neuroman

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client