No. I disagree.

Just make SOL your HOME PAGE.

Then IE has a button already, and it works!

Don't you just hate people who don't log onto SOL first thing!!!!!!

One of the data box numbers is displayed twice.

Unfortunately my phone is primarily a "voice" machine; no camera or web beyound Telecom's web data.

I tried the mini client at a retail outlet on newer model phone and very good in colour as well.

However make the race titles as:
Leg 1 Ocean Race etc
Leg 2 Ocean Race etc

i.e. Reverse the order of information within the Race Title

By putting the "LEG #" first, one does NOT have to scroll to the right of the race name to see which leg you want to load up onto one's phone.

At nighttime, then major landfall lighthouses should be shown.

It may save somebody hitting an unseen island at night.

E.g. Savage has been aground at 19.76S 63.39E on Cambrani Island (Google Earth name) or Cocos (Ile Rodrigues) for at least 2 days now.

There may be a lighthouse(s) there but I don't know.

Ideally the lights will appear as you zoom within geographical range, with sectors and flashes as applicable.

E.g. Fl (3) 30sec 32nm light would appear but a 2nm leading light would not, until you were within 2nm.

See Admirality Light lists.

If we have the day / night feature, then we should have the times (UTC) of sunrise and sunset shown, for where "MY" boat is.

This would be different for each boat, and may easily be 1 or 2 hours differences, given the longitude spread of the fleet in different races. A single "average" is not good enough, IMHO.

This will allow us to know how long before dawn, before we can see islands (SLI) in our predicted course.

I would like to be able to download a log for my voyage. e.g. at each hour, the key speed & wind numbers and position Lat & Long & Ranking for each hour, ideally as a txt file to open as a spreadsheet(or as an actual M$ Excel spreadsheet). (M$=Microsoft Office)

This would be useful for when we are working and asleep, to at lease see what was happening. All GOOD boats should keep a log, do they not?

Could even be an on request option and sent to boat's email address as an attachment.
--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 21:00:33 ---

--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 21:01:52 ---

Please consider using the nnn.n format for all compass bearings e.g. Course, TW D, Ruler Bearing & Wind forecast direction.

Use 045 for north east, not 45
Use 090 for east, not 90
Show leading "zero"

Course and wind should only be to nearest whole degree e.g. nnn only

IRL you can't steer to within 5 degrees. Most yacht compasses only show 5 degree graduations anyway.

WIND. Can you actually measure a wind change IRL from 123.4 degrees to 123.5 being the new wind. I don't think so!

It is hard to pick the difference between 120 and 125 or 130 degrees of wind direction, IRL





--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 20:50:03 ---

--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 20:51:08 ---

+++++
What are these wet things you talk about?
I don't see these when I am sailing IRL. ;^)) especially in the Southern Indian Ocean

--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 18:18:40 ---

Yes happy with the "fun" factor, especially with a race around the world.

However if it was only Swedish or European races, sailing always with a night-time black screen for us Kiwis (NZL UTC +13) would get boring and would be unfair!

See RRS Rule 2!!! I rest my case!

LIGHTS at night.

The red & green do look "pretty" and well done, but that is not what you would see IRL. All boats on my port (left) will be GREEN STARBOARD sidelights, whilst those on my starboard (right) will be seen only as RED PORT sidelights and the ones ahead, I should only see their WHITE STERNLIGHTS.

So if that is to happen, will the International Collision Prevention Rules apply?

There may need to be a safety zone around each boat and a performance drop for collisons.

Otherwise it's all just "pretty" but VERY clever lights.

Going for IMPACT???? BANG, What a colision; both down to 50%?? Performance.

might have to have a COLLISION FREE 24 HOURS after starts of these offshore races for practical purposes.



--- Last Edited by Paul Rosser at 2008-11-22 07:06:32 ---