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 » Cutting Corners & Unwritten Rules

Cutting Corners & Unwritten Rules

First things first; if my SLI jumping has caused any grief to anyone I sincerely apologize. I play this game not to win, but to hone my tactical and navigational (routing) skills. If my actions have taken away some level of the pleasure of the “SOL Experience” to anybody I am truly sorry. It is not my intention to take anything away from anybody, for that I am deeply sorry.
But I want to clear the air up a little bit information wise and I quote;

From the wiki Sailonline Manual:

“1.8. Cutting corners
Due to the implementation on the server, (that boats are moved in steps) a boat may actually cut a little land corner that was smaller than the step. It can happen to all boats but is nothing to rely on. Since small islands in SOL are called Sneaky Little Islands (SLI) this phenomena is called SLI-jumping. SLI-jumping is allowed. “

From the PDF Manual

“5.3 The chart and the race boundaries
The shorelines are supplied by the US National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). Resolution may vary
depending on the race type. Important to notice is that what you see is what there is. Be aware of small
islands but all water is deep and sailable. Your boat can naturally only sail on water. If you collide with
land the boat will stop, be pulled out from the coastline some distance and be somewhat damaged. The
damage is expressed as a certain drop in boat speed (performance). This loss in performance is temporary
and will vanish in a number of hours. Since the boat has stopped you need to send a new command to set
the boat on a new course. Due to the implementation on the server, a boat may actually cut a little land
corner at special occasions. It can happen to all boats but is nothing to calculate on.”

As you can read, all boats are capable of SLI jumping, it is allowed in the rules, and it is up to each skipper to weigh the risks and rewards of such a maneouver which is perfect simulation of sailing in shallow waters IRL. Each and everyone of us has heeled their boats on purpose to get by a shallow part of the course IRL. I’ve gotten away with it IRL, and I also have my fair share of groundings and weekend$$ lo$t working on my keel and bulb!!

Is heeling your boat over in IRL to get over a shallow (reef) cheating?

I think not, it’s just a part of racing IRL where you have to weigh your risks vs. your rewards.

Nevertheless, I stand corrected on the SOL unwritten rule on SLI jumping, and I promise you will not see any SLI jumping on my part again.

Once again I regret the SLI jumping episodes and I sincerely apologize, an “Unwritten rules manual” or “SOL Racing Etiquette” should be created to keep everybody informed.

Godspeed and Fair Winds to All.

Regards,

Toño









As far as I am concerned, you have nothing to apologise for. I have seen various people SLI jump intentionally and untentionally, including a magnificent and deliberate jump by Jakob. One truly great jump was made a few hours after the start in the SOL leg Quindao to Rio.

People complaining about SLI jumping are IMNSHO lacking creativity. With the new rounding rules, much of the creativity in finding routing solutions has disappeared from the game resulting in rather boring, follow-the-leader exercises. While demanding a more RL like sailing experience, people tend to forget this is just a game: there's no currents, no tides, no getting cold, no hitting sea mammals, no danger of getting killed by getting a good night's sleep.

I will continue to jump as I see fit. So you all might as well jump, too!

http://tinyurl.com/34w87rn

Philip

Thanks Toño for your clear words and for your penalty. It was a good exsample for sportmanship. To be honest, I didn't like Sli jumping - but your IRL exsample was an eye opener for me and you're right there.

regards

Berth / StuArt
Hey TONO EX,
in my opinion you did not have to stop before arrival in that race.We have discussed it in some earlier races and comity agreed that SLI jumping is allowed even if I and many others were contrary to it.They explained it is the part of the program.However SLI jumping is risky especially if it is a longer jump.
In practice races organized by RAINBOW CHASER once I made the route where the SLI jump over one island was obligatory or if the boat did not wish to jump had to do somewhat longer route.Only one of 10 boats was afraid enough and did that longer route.The rest of us were afraid too but we jumped.However one of the boats got grounded and 8 passed.The boat that grounded lost a lot of performance.In that case the risk was 1 against 8 but it could have been different though.Therefore the SLI jump is the risk too,so if the program allows it, than those who like the risks let them jump.

--- Last Edited by Capt.D.P. at 2010-05-22 22:35:07 ---

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Mad Max by Balloon 2026 - Across the Outback


Mad Max Rockatansky doesn’t get to go in a balloon in any of the Legends of the Wasteland, and the Wasteland is not necessarily the Outback of Australia, but Mel Gibson and film director George Miller indubitably are… of Australia, and ballooning as reconnaissance is a main feature of the Mad Max spin-off video game, so here goes: 1500nm in a balloon from somewhere on the edge of the Outback, Goondiwindi, to cross a finish line at Fitzroy Crossing, somewhere on the edge of the Outback!
Race #1974
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: BOL - SYC
Race starts: Oct 14th 13:00 Registration will open soon
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Valdes Peninsula TIMED Race 2026

October finds us on the Argentina coast for the Valdes Peninsula race. A UNESCO World Heritage Site the peninsula is a breeding ground for southern right whales. Sail the luxurious blue water Delphia 47 around a 160 nm course in an attempt to turn in the fastest time.
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 #2066
INFOby brainaid.de
PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ4 - TRCH - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
24 October at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Oct 11th 12:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

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

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 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 rumskib
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Panpyc
  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