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 » Sailonline Yacht Club » Possible Feature

Still pretty new here so maybe this has been addressed before. If not, perhaps I risk painting a target on my back and handing out arrows at the same time BUT, has anyone considered adding currents to SOL? I fear it would add a magnitude of complexity to coding and sailing but it would make races like Newport/Marion to Bermuda race a realistic, challenging race.

*looking for a rock to hide under*
Hi bc!

Welcome to SOL! Hope you are enjoying the experience. No worries, quivers are empty.
I may have even asked this question when I first joined (and lived to tell the tale!)
;-)

There have been past discussions re: adding currents as yet another challenging variable to the simulation. I can't speak for the SOL Admin Team but, as you rightly guessed, adding those elements AND maintaining the realism we enjoy on SOL for polars, weather, navigation, etc. would be far too much computer resource.

Again, welcome to the fleet.
I will look for your transom ahead of me in coming races!

SP
In a way I think I'm glad. I have enough trouble with the wind for now. I'm happy the quiver's empty though, how about the blunder buss.

Thanks for the welcome.
You are right that this has been discussed before (and often). According to AGage, the server load is not the problem. It is getting the information in a format that can be loaded in to the client (like the NOAA gfs files for weather.
Another is we need an angel to allow the likes of Kalle, Brain, AG, Richard Price...etc the time to write the code. And to pay for the server. As it is, the folks who join SYC barely cover the cost with SYC dues.
Excellent reasons, though I think the current data is available in grib files. More important is the Angel and Financing. I sure know that story. I maintain a server now at an 80% loss. Those writing the code should be compensated somehow.
Of course, having brought up this subject for the purpose of proposing a Bermuda Race, I now realize that the biggest reason for following the Gulf Stream in that race is because of the effect of the wind at the boundary. *DUH* So in the virtual world, with wind data that is universal across the fleet, the need for current and temperature is really unnecessary.
It also greatly complicates:
a) The client - having to display the currents. Also is more data to download, and TBH we could already do with allowing more wx data, especially for large courses like SWR etc
b) Routing - which is possibly the biggest issue, as it not only increases the gap between those who use routing software and those who don't, but also between the various routers as not all (especially free ones) handle input of currents and waves for the purposes of routing.

There is a FAQ entry in the manual regarding currents - which points out that currents have been tried and dismissed as appropriate for SOL.
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

Tall Ships Races 2024 - Mariehamn to Szczecin

Welcome to the third of three virtual Tall Ships Races on the Baltic Sea which are concurrently being organized in-real-life by Sail Training International . This third race is from Mariehamn, Finland to Szczecin, Poland; circa 250nm in Sailonline’s stately fanciful Full Rigger.
NOTE: Starts and Finishes in tall ships racing are always offshore to avoid conflict with shipping and shipping lanes.
Race #1813
INFO by brainaid.de
Full Rigger PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TS - SYC
Race starts: Jul 24th 14:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Kalamata to Alanya 2024


For the beginning of the ARCH competition's third quarter, we will sail our boat, SOTO 40, from Kalamata, Greece over the Aegean Sea always eastward to the race finish, 520nm away, in Alanya, Turkey.
Race #1824
INFO from brainaid.de
SOTO 40 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ3 - ARCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
July 31 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 22nd 17:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Kamchatsky to Tromsoe 2024

Just before the light failed entirely in Antarctica, Skip Novak managed to get his Pelagic 77 out of the ice and north up the Pacific to Kamchatsky. The sun is shining (24/7) and not a penguin to be seen, and Skip believes the Norh East Passage is ice-free (sufficiently) to attempt it, so all aboard for a c 4250nm voyage from east to west across the top of Siberia, Russia and Norway to Tromsoe!
Race #1779
INFOby brainaid.de
Pelagic 77 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: HLAT - SYC
Race starts: Jul 18th 19:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cowes to St Malo TIMED Race 2024

Organized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club since 1929, the Cowes to St Malo Race is a true RORC Classic. Starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron Line, Cowes, IOW, a magnificent spectacle can be watched from The Parade, Cowes. The Cowes to St Malo Race is part of the RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world’s largest offshore racing series. Dating back to 1906, the Cowes to St Malo Race precedes all of the world’s famous races including the Fastnet Race. This is a TIMEDrace, so you may RE-REGISTER HERE to try again, after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to show your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #1828
INFOby brainaid.de
TP-52 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ3 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
27 July at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Jul 14th 12:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Southampton to Punta del Este 2024

Sailonline is delighted to offer our sailors a 'reversed' Atlantic ocean race. As the RTW championship Atlantic part takes a detour to the Bahamas, we will offer you a reversed course as we will not do the 'usual' leg this year either. It is the July edition of this year's Ocean Championship. Our boat is the OD_65v3.
PRIZE: SMPF
Race# 1820
INFO from brainaid.de
OD65 PARTICULARS
WX updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ3 - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
July 31 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Jul 01st 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member FreyjaUSA
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Vida_Maldita
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member TarassBoulba

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

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

The mobile client