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Profile for dtayls



Name dtayls
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Posts30
  • 2025-04-03 08:16:46
    Re: Poetry Saved for Posterity
    Board » General Discussion
    The 2025 Melbourne-to-Osaka has unleashed some new poets. Long ocean races play strange games with our minds ...

    wsguerin 04/02 20:36:49
    I’m following bubbles
    Spells nothing but troubles.
    VMC has its grip on my throat.
    But if I would dare
    To sail toward some air,
    Would some spots be gained by my boat?

    brellis 04/02 21:35:46
    I aim for the far-ahead ship o’
    The wizardly Critical Hippo
    For strategy’s sake
    I’ll look for his wake
    But if he makes a quick turn I’ll get burned!

    brellis 04/02 21:40:01
    My goal used to be the Top Twenty
    But now there’s great SOLers a-plenty
    Their boats move so swiftly
    I’ll try for Top Fifty
    But more likely to finish Top Seventy!

    Siaki 04/02 21:46:21
    Sleep in the Nite
    While the wx Bite
    Dreams of positions go by
    Can't figure out why
    Hoping to score
    Closer to Shore

    CriticalHippo 00:00:51 - In anti-poetic style
    The Hippo is sometimes a wizard
    But not in this race
    Nor is he a poet

    dtayls 00:25:14 - A haiku
    big puddle
    from south to north
    bonkers!

    dtayls 02:03:13 - Back to the limerick pattern
    And then there was W. S. Guerin
    For whom limericks are reoccurin'
    Antares will wait
    'Till we all take the bait
    And the fleet will be caught out errin'

    antares 05:34:12
    Through seas, wsguerin and Brellis did war,
    Their boats powered by brilliance, nothing more.
    Mechanics precise,
    Their minds cold as ice,
    Till one claimed the oceans to settle the score.

  • 2020-10-03 04:41:53
    Re: qtVlm thread
    Board » Technical Support
    Interesting. I wasn't aware of the 'selection tool'. I'll have to give it a go.
  • 2020-10-03 04:34:24
    Re: Weather - Brain Storm
    Board » General Discussion
    I agree with you @Zorba that "random factors should come from the weather itself".

    As you know I like the idea of using a different and more accurate model (perhaps ECMWF) for the underlying simulation but that might depend on gaining access to a high quality model to which most users do not have access.

    Another approach might be to introduce a certain degree of randomness in to the simulation's weather model, but what should the source of this randomness be?

    One option would be to choose a random mix of two or more models. This could be (a) fixed for the whole race or (b) change over time or (c) vary by lat&lon across the GRIB or (d) both meaning <x,y,t>.

    If model volatility or uncertainty GRIBs were available then this could also be used to add a little to the randomness model but I suspect many would consider this to be a step too far :-)
  • 2020-10-01 03:03:21
    Re: Weather - Brain Storm
    Board » General Discussion
    While they do indeed say "you will need to accept the terms of the ECMWF Standard licence and pay for the associated data and handling costs." what if that cost was $0 or the equivalent in Euros? I think you will find that their licensing model depends very much on how the data is to be used. The fact that SOL is a not-for-profit, that the data would not be made available for download to end users, and that we would not require 24x7 support might all have a big impact on the quoted price. Maybe someone should contact them and request a quote.

    As it stands in SOL we are given perfect weather information for each 6 hour window which is a little unrealistic. What's more, some people know the idiosyncrasies of how the SOL server interprets the data and are therefore able to use that knowledge to their advantage. Is this really fair? And given that we allow this and the use of routers then we'd might as well allow full autopilot control of our boats!

    If there is instability in in the weather then I would expect the underlying weather to reflect that and probably differ from the predictions. Those who understand the weather the best will generally make the best decisions and may even have a chance at winning over those who can drive the tools to perfection.

    Ideally the underlying weather model used in the SOL simulation is based on the most accurate available. But some people may have access to this unless we 'rule' it out. So maybe we could also introduce some variations in to areas where the model is unstable. Again, this could be fun :-)
  • 2020-09-29 00:27:13
    Re: Weather - Brain Storm
    Board » General Discussion
    VIbex: The key to my idea is to use an underlying weather model for the simulation which powers our virtual boats that is different from the predictions available to SOL competitors.

    I agree when you say "we're not actually living on the boats so you need some measure of predictability" but I don't think that means we need to be able to 100% predict the weather.

    When the weather is very stable and highly predictable then the models will likely be very closely aligned. In those cases it might be safe to sail very close to a mark or an island, but when the weather is less stable you might choose a wider safety margin over absolute performance.

    As for the question of using 'rules' to control which models can or can't be used, there is always going to be someone who wants to cheat.

    Ideally, I like the idea of using something like a pre-release beta version of the ECMWF model not generally available except to researchers, if such a thing exists. Another alternative might be a psuedo-random merge of multiple model GRIBs ... This could be a fun project :-)
  • 2020-09-27 00:57:45
    Re: Weather - Brain Storm
    Board » General Discussion
    ij said @ 2020-09-10 20:03:13:
    Also, they explicitly mention not-for-profits in their license selection guidance so you're just dreaming and there's little point in trying to ask anything from them.
    --
    i.

    Is it possible to get access to the ECMWF model for internal use only on the server while using the GFS model in the gribs provided to users?

    It seems to me that this would fit the licencing requirements for the not-for-profit use of the real-time ECMWF data.

    It would also be closer to reality in that the underlying model used on the server would be different to the forecasts available to users.

    There may also be a need for a new SOL rule that makes it illegal to use commercial paid-for products not available to all users for free.

    I think this would make for some more interesting racing.
  • 2020-09-26 12:13:06
    Re: AGL14 Releases
    Board » Technical Discussion
    dtayls said @ 2020-09-07 04:13:07:
    14.2.3 doesn't seem to automatically download GRIBs anymore :-(


    Looks like this only affected the Mel-to-Osaka race. Seems to work perfectly in other races. How bizarre!
  • 2020-09-26 11:32:29
    Merge of steering and DC tabs
    Board » General Discussion
    I really like @Zorba's idea of merging the 'steering' and 'DC' tabs. Maybe allow for 8-10 lines of DCs bacause if anyone is using more then they are probably using other tools to generate them.

    It would also help to be able to set an actual time rather than just a delay period.
  • 2020-09-26 11:26:04
    Extended predictors - Suggestion re the hourly indicators
    Board » General Discussion
    Love the new extended predictors. Thanks @ij.

    One small suggestion: Hourly indicators are open circles. Perhaps fill every 6-hourly circle to make a large dot. This would help in interpreting the longer predictors.

    The longer predictors will be really helpful when training up those new to SOL. The curly-whirly patterns can be very instructive.
  • 2020-09-07 04:13:07
    Re: AGL14 Releases
    Board » Technical Discussion
    14.2.3 doesn't seem to automatically download GRIBs anymore :-(

    This might help explain it:

    Exception in thread "Thread-1" java.lang.NullPointerException
    at grib.GribFactory.waitForGrib(GribFactory.java:215)
    at grib.GribFactory.run(GribFactory.java:146)
    at java.base/java.lang.Thread.run(Unknown Source)


    --- Last Edited by dtayls at 2020-09-07 04:30:17 ---

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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
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Silverrudder 2026


Ahoy, SOLers! Welcome to the 2026 edition of the Silver Rudder – Challenge of the Sea! This epic 125nm single-handed race around Denmark’s island of Funen is back!

Shallow waters and shifting winds await in the world’s largest solo regatta. This year, we return to the popular First 27 solo. This superlight, water-ballasted planing machine features twin rudders and weighs a full tonne lighter than her older stepsisters. Will you master her power where precision counts most?!

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Race #2059
INFO by brainaid.de
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Isle of Mull TIMED Race 2026

Welcome to the west coast of Scotland for an 80 nm race around the Isle of Mull. Mull is home to castles, distilleries, and the Highland Games. The race begins just north of Oban in the shadow of Dunstaffnage Castle and after rounding the island finishes down the coast at Crinan. The Twister 28 with its classic long keel is the boat for this race.
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Race #2057
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Cross the Convergence 2026 - Cocos to Sagar Island


Kapil Muni, incarnation of Lord Vishnu, founder of the Samkhya school of philosophy, disturbed from his meditation, in his wrath reduced the 60,000 sons of Sagar to ashes, as they dug the earth to retrieve the sacrificial horse that Lord Indra, the king of the Gods, stole off Sagar, thus creating the Sagara (ocean). Aeons later, Bhagiratha, a descendant of Sagara, asked Ganga to cleanse the ashes of the 60,000 princes, and her resultant torrential fall from heaven created the great river and where it met the ocean, the princes’ souls were washed and raised to heaven and Gangasagar (Sagar Island) was formed. So, let us join the pilgrimages to Kapi Muni’s Temple (see above) and race 2400nm from Cocos Island deep in the Sagara thence, in rather rapid Rapido 60s.
Race #1987
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Shearwater - Rio de la Plata to Irish Sea 2026

Welcome to the fourth leg of our MIG series. This time we're racing the Sooty Shearwater on their migration from the breeding grounds in South America to the northern Atlantic. This is also part of our Ocean Championship, and as such the third race of OCQ3 2026. This race will be sailed in our Gunboat 90. Race #2055
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Race starts: Sep 02nd 11:00 Registration Closed
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