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:

Magical Mediterranean 2026 - Benghazi to Korcula

We return to Antiquity’s Middle Sea for a seventh celebration of all things Mediterranean - fickle winds, history and olive oil. This time we will sail from ancient Benghazi, whence once grain shipped continuously to feed Rome’s urban masses, to the medieval Venetian thalassocracy’s port of Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo; 700nm in classy Club Swan 50s!
Race #1978
INFO by brainaid.de
Club Swan 50 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MED - SYC
Race starts: Jul 27th 15:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Red Eye 2026 - Georgian Bay

Welcome to the sensational scenic Georgian Bay of northern Lake Huron, the first area of the Great Lakes to be visited by Europeans in 1615, so former SOLer A2R informed us when he designed this geometrically tortuous course of 317nm criss-cross through its island maze. Originally known as Lake Manitoulin, in 1822 the bay was renamed after King George IV after his succession to the throne. This time we’ll take the very flashy Fareast 31R, which hopefully should keep you wide awake!
Race #2051
INFOby brainaid.de
Fareast 31R PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: RED - SYC
Race starts: Jul 26th 08:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tall Ships 2026 - Stavanger to Aalborg


Welcome to the fourth of four virtual Tall Ships Races in European waters which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This fourth race is from Stavanger in Norway into the Skaggerak to a finish off Denmark’s Aalborg and perhaps an Aquavit to toast the adventure afterwards – a final circa 250nm in Sailonline’s classic Clipper 240.
NOTE: Starts and Finishes in tall ships racing are always offshore to avoid conflict with shipping and shipping lanes; online and real-life may not match exactly.
Race #1995
INFO by brainaid.de
Clipper 240 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TSI - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Jul 25th 16:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Chinook Salmon - Canada to Andreanovs


A year after spawning in the upper reaches of the rivers of British Columbia, Chinook Salmon develop the age-old urge, so familiar to SOLers, to go to sea, heading for different parts of the northern Pacific Ocean. This race catches up with a particular school with an instinctive memory for the Andreanov Islands far west on the Aleutian Islands chain, as they depart the Salian Sea between Vancouver Island and the San Juans. It’s 2200nm and we’re taking the 60ft Trimaran, in the hope we can keep up!
Race #2048
INFOby brainaid.de
60ft Trimaran PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: MIG - SYC
Race starts: Jul 21st 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Juventud TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to Isla de la Juventud (Isle of Youth), Cuba’s second largest island after mainland Cuba. Known as a haven for pirates, the island was the inspiration for novels “Treasure Island” and “Peter Pan”. The circa 120nm course runs clockwise around the island.
This is a TIMEDrace so you may RE-REGISTER HEREto try again after finishing a run. You will have two weeks to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #2049
INFOby brainaid.de
The boat for this race is the sporty Mini 6.5p Foil PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
1 August at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Jul 19th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Alaska to Easter Island 2026

Welcome to yet another all-new series. The initial leg of the RNW (Round the New World), Alaska to Easter Island, also part of our Ocean Championship. The first race of OCQ3 2026. This race will be sailed in our revised 'version 2' Imoca 60 Foil. Race #2042
INFO by brainaid.de
Imoca 60 Foil v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ3 - RNW - OCCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
August 1 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 06th 11:00 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 cdhinman
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ms0689
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member ita10267
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member sassy63

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client