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 » Technical Discussion » Do All Boats Start The Same ?

Posted by
A2


Users avatar

Posts
347
Registered at
2009-10-26 00:39:42
2015-01-07 21:16:06 - Do All Boats Start The Same ?
Since the Free Turn artifact has been 'fixed' it brings to mind another starting issue that occasionally has been discussed in chat relating to the way boats appear on screen at the Gun. In the very beginning some boats seem to get out of the gate sooner than others. So I was wondering if this is indeed the case in fact or simply a lag in the way fleet positions are reported to the client.

From careful observation & astute deductive reasoning I am in the camp that believes the former to be the case. Which begs the questions what if anything can be done to get to the front of the queue. Also does the ranking of boats prior to the start of any race indicate the sequence in which the server will execute steering instructions on their behalf ?

Granted a single jump advantage early on is rarely decisive by the end of any race but it is a definite psychological boost when reaching the 1st mark or headland down the course.
None so blind
Posted by
hmm


Users avatar

Posts
118
Registered at
2011-11-03 13:35:22
2015-01-08 20:58:49 - Re: Do All Boats Start The Same ?
The short answer is that all boats start at the same time if they have set a starting command.

The sailing engine which takes care moving of the boats has been written by Jakob and Kalle, the original founders of SOL and I can't say I know it thoroughly. This is my best explanation on what happens though.

Practically what happens is that the server calculates boat movements one boat at time and when starting there are hundreds of boats starting at the same time.

There is no particular order in what the boats are moved, it happens in the order the underlying database SOL uses happens to list them. I suppose databases tend to internally provide data in same order which depends on how it's internal data structures stores the data, it can be related to the order data has been written in the database but not necessarily always so.

When the moving happens in sailing engine there is a separate program handling the caches. Every 30 seconds it will take a snapshot of every boat's position and store it to server memory. When SOL clients connect to server for asking the fleet position this snapshot is what they get. This is to prevent the need of every client individually asking from the database the positions of all boats.

When this snapshot is taken, it can happen when the sailing engine is in the middle of moving the boats so in the image you can see some boats further than others. In my opinion this explains most of the differences you can see in boat movements just after start.

There might be more things affecting the issue (I think the sailing engine has some kind of method where it will detect high load situations and move boats less frequently) but to me the sailing engine is good enough and at least I don't know any way to always get a "front line start".

Posted by
Rod


Users avatar

Posts
392
Registered at
2010-06-24 22:30:48
2015-01-09 13:50:57 - Re: Do All Boats Start The Same ?
In the practice races, I have almost always observed that boats starting at the same time, and following the same course, (at presumably the same speed), will maintain the same order until the first rounding, (15 min or so later). This would suggest that the server maintains a list of boats, and moves the boats in the same order, at least until the list is disturbed by different orders being given by the helmsman.
If it breaks, it's not strong enough--if it doesn't, it's too heavy.
Posted by
Bimmer


Users avatar

Posts
447
Registered at
2015-02-23 15:38:27
2016-03-08 08:49:05 - Re: Do All Boats Start The Same ?
Hi Rod
In practice races it is the boats distances to the next waypoint in the actual race that is measured and can be seen on the ranking list, and not the marks we use in PR, so you have to trust your eyes here :-)

Bimmer

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 CLOSE: Wednesday,
October 7 at 2300 UTC.
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 rumskib
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member cdhinman
  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