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 » Public testing new HTML5 client

Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

hi kroppyer,
many thanks for taking the time for such an exhaustive answer, very much appreciated!
I completely understand that you do not want to completely change the character of the game, these changes would just increase the user-friendliness in my opinion...thanks for keeping it in mind :-)
it also very much depends on where you want to go with this game...in the moment its a very niche page for like 100 permanent players...its great that you can play for free, but, no offense, the design of the homepage and the game itself is super basic, like video games of my youth 40 years ago...that has its own charme but is not very attractive for the masses...probably most of the players are intellectuals with a PhD :-) ... I played the timed newport race, and it was ok for 4 hours to sit in front of it and sail, but it needed constant attention...for longer races that's not really doable for most people to tend to their boat 24/7, they need tools to autopilot their boats for a night or a day and still be somewhat competitive...also, I am sure the top players here use their own private weather routers to plot their courses for the multiday races...and without using a router its impossible to win any of the 3+ day races here I would guess...so in order to attract more people you would need to provide some sort of routing help, and a 6h predictor does not really help much in that regard...also, the polar graph is not really helpful as it is, at least for lower windspeeds you cant see anything...an indicator for optimal VMG upwind/downwind would help for example...
what's really great on the other hand are the races itself and the variety of races and boats...and the different rankings with the yearly champions etc...

ok, I stop here...apologies for my ramblings...
Hi,

I just started using SailOnline last week and have been really enjoying the races.

I sold my software company a 18 months ago and woudl be happy to make contributions to improving the overall experience. I can see some immediate areas that could benefit - including this forum.

Do you guys have any systems for tracking feature request and task assignments. I'd be willing to sponsor a Jira site or something similiar.

Clealy this web site and forum needs a significent overhaul - would be interested in understanding if there are any plans for that.

Here is my Linkedin Profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/copelandphilip/
freudenoli said:
also, the polar graph is not really helpful as it is, at least for lower windspeeds you cant see anything...

Have you perhaps tried the dev version? Append ?version=dev to the race URL and reload the client. There's an improvement to this so you can see 1-6kn polar much better than previously. Currently there are like 150+ changes pending in the dev version so perhaps there's something else too which you might find nice/useful/etc.

--
i.
Hi Kroppyer,

Just some small suggestions that may have been made already.

1) When opening the html5 client it starts in max zoomed out position that shows the entire race. On longer races like the current Auckland to Fiji it takes me about 10 to 15 clicks on the "+" button to zoom in to detailed view that shows me the next 6 to 12 hours of racing. If there is space for it another button that instantly takes me to that deeper zoom with just one click would be useful.

2) In the steer tab on the right side I would rather see the Delayed commands (DC) displayed directly underneath the boxes where a new course can be set. It's so easy to forget that some DC are still set. The polar graph that is now visible under the course commands could be toggled with a "Show/Hide"button. And that would free up the 2nd tab, which is now devoted to the DC.

That's it for now. I think the new client is really good already. Couldn't spot any bugs.
It would be tricky to realize 1) because the WX has not yet been loaded when the initial zooming takes place so no idea how far the predictor will go. I guess it could be possible to find out polar max speed and use that as a rough guide. However, there's small improvement to this in the dev version as it zoom to the remaining course rather than entire race but of course it won't help when still near the start in a long race.

Can't you zoom using other means than with + button which is kind of slow?

2) I can consider adding it but I need to find some place for that show/hide thing (the most obvious place is taken in the dev version for selecting the polar curve mode). ...And the next thing people will tell is that they want to see the both polar and DCs at the same time :-). It would make the steering tab quite crowded.

--
i.
Stable version of the client was updated yesterday (2020-06-29). Long list of changes (new lines added here and there to make it easier to read):

- Day/Night mode, see Settings if you don't like the defaults.
- Automatic contrast correction for fleet boat colors.

- Complete overhaul on network logic to allow client side retries. While the default timeouts are quite lax, please let the us know if you encounter challenges in starting up the client.
- Clock offset correction at the start of the client. Stable offset should no longer cause problems to the client. If clock is changed (jumped a lot) by something after the start of the client, client reload may still be necessary to recalculate the correction.

- Predictor takes the current performance into account. Other improvements to predictor accuracy with more accurate starting point.
- Improvements to predictor and DC dot consistency during the towback period.
If you depended on predictor during towback, the time markers are now different from the previous to match the DC delays that must be used.

- Land polygons participate in the zoom in/out effects.
- Boat type related layouting improvements.
- Boat type based boat lists have been added (only available in multiclass events).
- Setting for default weather step added.

- Support for polar curves >30kn if different from the others.
- Polar curve drawing order derived from the difference to the current TWS.
- Polar curve modes added (low TWS, <=30kn, default).

- New chat messages alert triangle added.
- Boat keys can be added to map (with the same max limit as in legend bottom left corner). These are known to suffer from small visual glitches that are hard to fix.

- VPP polar link added.
- Quick help added.
- VMC added to steer tool info box (when VMC instrument is enabled).

- WX slider tics added (black = absolute hours, red = WX updates, wide green band = race start time).
- Improvements to the initial zoom in, zooms to the "remaining" race course.
- Allow disabling initial zoom (to workaround missing marks issue with Chrome).
- Clicking a boat name on chat or on boat legend highlights the boat.

- Ability to degrade into chatless contingency mode if chat messages cause problems to the core functionality of the client. Once the problem is resolved, the client automatically leaves the chatless mode.
- Automatic reauthentication support added (needed when the IP network changes).

Please let me know if encounter some problems with it. If the updated versions fails to work for you, the old version is accessable by appending ?version=old to the URL and reloading the client.

--
i.

--- Last Edited by ij at 2020-06-30 08:36:00 ---

--- Last Edited by ij at 2020-06-30 08:36:50 ---
Hi ij. I like the new improvements and the zoom is a bit better already with zoom in on remaining course.

Another suggestion which is just a small aside. Even though we usually sail in open sea there are occasions when I would like to see a satellite image of the area (or the small island where I just took a BBQ). Under Helpful Links in the Misc tab a link to the Bing map could go straight to the location of my boat by parsing in the coordinates. E.g. this this
shows the start in Orakei for the next race.

It's an easy way to add something visual at no server cost.

Another useful link would go to the current weather map on Windy. Again we can parse in the current coordinates of the boat. E.g. https://www.windy.com/?gfs,52.656,-13.206,6,i:pressure,d:picker

For the SOLers that's a quick way to compare different weather models etc..

--- Last Edited by Zorba777 at 2020-07-05 06:10:49 ---
________
edited to make a link out of a long url causing column overlap

--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2020-07-11 16:08:37 ---
Using "Restore Previous Session" in Firefox completely breaks the dashboard clock "TIME UTC" and any number of thins that depend on the clock (dc countdown, predictor line etc).
Small UX suggestion, but it would help my eyesight if you could put a slightly grey/transparent box or background behind the text along the top that indicates position and distance left (as well as the lat/long text on the right when scrolling around the map).

I noticed that the night version of the client looks like it has this feature, so hopefully, it's a relatively easy fix to add it to the daytime version. I often have the TWD and TWS buttons selected and when I do it can be very difficult to read those info boxes along the top.

Thanks for your work on this.

PS - not sure anyone has mentioned it but having HTML5 is huge for being able to check my boat on the go on my phone! Has been a savior when I forget to set a DC and find myself out on the golf course! This is the way of the future

Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 5 Next

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Elephant Island to Marquesas 2025

Prepare to test your limits as we launch into the third leg of the RWW Series and the fifth leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship Series—an epic voyage from Elephant Island to the Marquesas in the heart of French Polynesia. This 4,700-nautical-mile challenge is a true test of endurance, strategy, and raw sailing adrenaline. Aboard the high-performance Volvo 70v4, competitors will face fierce headwinds as they round the legendary Cape Horn and make the thrilling transition from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Do you have what it takes to conquer the Pacific? Join us, and put your skills to the ultimate test.
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1909
INFO by brainaid.de
VO70_v4 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ2 - RWW - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: May 05th 11:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bosphorus Strait Sprint 2025


Welcome to the Bosphorus for a testing sprint twice through the narrow channel separating the Black Sea from the Mediterranean - the traditional boundary between Europe and Asia.
Race 1914
INFO by brainaid.de
Dehler 30 OD PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SPRQ2 - SPRCH - SUPSOL – SYC
Race starts: May 04th 09:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bay to Bay 2025 - Leg 2 - Great Sandy Stait

After a thrilling opener, the 2025 edition of the Bay to Bay Yacht Race continues with Leg 2, bringing even more adrenaline and tactical excitement to the waters of the Great Sandy Marine Park. In collaboration with the Hervey Bay Sailing Club, our SOLers will once again take the helm of their lightning-fast 18-foot skiffs, this time tackling a 24-nautical-mile course through shifting breezes and tight competition.

With fresh legs, sharper tactics, and everything to race for, it’s anyone’s game! See you on the start line for the grand finale!
Race #1906
INFO from brainaid.de
18ft Skiff PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: B2B - SYC
Race starts: May 03rd 21:30 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Bay to Bay 2025 - Leg 1 - Great Sandy Strait

Prepare for an electrifying start to the 2025 Bay to Bay Yacht Race! In partnership with the Hervey Bay Sailing Club, this first leg will see our SOLers take on a fast-paced, 16-nautical-mile sprint through the stunning waters of the Great Sandy Marine Park, weaving past the breathtaking landscapes of the Great Sandy National Park. Racing in high-powered 18-foot skiffs, the fleet will battle shifting winds, tricky tactics, and fierce competition—all in pursuit of victory! With the thrill of the race and an unforgettable sailing experience ahead, we can’t wait to see you on the start line!
Race #1905
INFO from brainaid.de
18ft Skiff PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: B2B - SYC
Race starts: May 03rd 01:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Regata dell’Accademia Navale 2025

Welcome to Sailonline’s first partnership with the City of Livorno, in cooperation with the local yacht clubs and the Italian Navy, to offer you the online opportunity to race the Regata dell’Accademia Navale. 630nm in length, starting and finishing in Livorno, the race takes you the length and breadth of the Tyrrhenian Sea via Porto Cervo and Capri. Online, you will be sailing a Class 40, which should keep you well in with the top of the real-life fleet which we will be tracking on screen!
Race #1902
INFO by brainaid.de
Class 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
May 9 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Apr 27th 09:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Gulf of St Lawrence 2025


The Gulf of St. Lawrence, with one of the largest and deepest estuaries in the world, will be the site of a completely new race in SOL. Our Melges 40 will take us 950 nm from Bathurst in Baie des Chaleurs around the islands of Anticosti, Pelee and Prince Edward admiring beautiful landscapes along the way. Fair winds.
Race #1910
INFO from brainaid.de
Melges 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ2 - ARCH - SUPSOL – SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
May 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Apr 21st 17:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Transat à Deux 2025

Above you see a single-handed sailor semi-foiling his Beneteau Figaro III to the horizon. It is in fact Ireland’s Sailor of the Year and the overall winner of last year’s Solitaire du Figaro, Tom Dolan. Somehow, we got our hands on a polar for the Class, and rather than trying to surreptitiously track Tom and his mates in the 2025 edition of the Solitaire, sailing rather-short, single-handed legs across the Celtic Sea and Biscay, we thought we’d see how our virtual craft would fare on the Class’s double-handed 3900nm Trans-Atlantic, from somewhere in Brittanny to somewhere in the Caribbean via somewhere in the Canaries. Allez, mes braves!
Race #1901
INFOby brainaid.de
Figaro III foil PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
Race starts: Apr 20th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Sinbad by Balloon 2025 - Toamasina to Baia de l'Oiseau


You may recall that when last we visited Madagascar in the company of Sinbad, the Sultan commanded our intrepid inspirator to seek out fabled islands where in Summer the sun barely set. We did and we returned but the Sultan wasn’t happy with Sinbad’s report, so here we go again, now by SOL Balloon instead of sailing vessel. Expect to be in the air for at least 2100nm and depending on how the wind brings us, anything between two weeks and two months before we shall descend at the Sultan’s given coordinates!
Race #1884
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - SBB
Race starts: Apr 09th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Valparaiso to San Francisco 2025

Get ready for an exhilarating new challenge as we set sail on the fourth leg of the 2025 Ocean Championship Series! Following in the 19th century footsteps of Isabel Allende's heroine, Eliza Sommers, 'Daughter of Fortune', this all-new route takes us across the vast eastern Pacific, from Valparaíso, Chile, to San Francisco, California - a 3500nm journey of endurance, strategy, and pure sailing adrenaline. This leg will be raced aboard the powerful Rapido 60, pushing sailors to their limits as they navigate the open ocean. Do you have what it takes to conquer the Pacific? Join us and put your skills to the ultimate test!
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1900
INFO by brainaid.de
Rapido 60 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ2 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
Race starts: Apr 07th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Patrick70119
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member FreyjaUSA
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client