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 Support » "newby" doing Newport Bermuda Race - Expedition & Wx advice

Hi,
I'm planning on using Expedition Navigation Software to route/assist me in playing my first sailonline.org game and I watched one tutorial organized by the event and have a few questions.

1) will the gulf stream current be applied in the game - or only wind?
2) Am I correct in understanding the AWIPS NAM will be the weather model used by the game?
3) What GRID resolution will the game use?
4) When will the game "update" the weather model its using?
5) where is the best place to get the Grib of the model used by the the game?
6) If the NAM is being used - Any idea if either the hi res or conus models available in Expedition's NOAA download module are the "correct" model.
thank you
1) SOL doesn't model any currents.
2, 3 & 4) The html5 client will show this info under misc tab (the update times are also available in the race listing on the homepage). When WX update times are from the 04:30, ... series, the wx source is GFS (in some races indirectly as high-res WRF WX may be in use but not relevant for this particular race). 02:45, ... series indicates NAM WX is used. From my experience, GFS WX datafile in SOL usually updates around xx:10-xx:25 (so slightly before the announced time) and is only rarely late.
5) Two places I know of. One is Java program known as AGL (Auto Grib Loaded, it's also known as "DC checker" which tends to be easier for finding it with web search). AGL will automatically download the gribs for you. In addition, AGL can plot the course considering all DCs you've set. The other way to get gribs is brainaid, you can find a link to that from the links section. Using "normal" NOAA gribs directly does not match to SOL WX for the first two weather data frames (around 1.5h differs per wx update period).

--
i.
Hi,
Thanks for your help. Unfortunately I'm not much code guy... just a sailor - so I'm going to try and play the game with sailor tools (Expedition Software) and no java script or other tools you online pros use that probably are a lot better for the application. A few follow up q's

1) what is the "html5 client" you refer to?
2) I saw a youtube presentation where an expert seemed to know that the NAMAWIPS model would be used for the game - but in your answer it looks like the game uses a bunch of different models and might mix them around - so you have to look at the "update time" and follow your hints about which model comes out at what time - to know what model to "play" with. Is tht correct? And then if I use the "normal" NOAA gribs - they won't be the same as the gribs the game uses for the first 1.5h or so after every model becomes available?)

Thanks, sorry to be such a newby.
Also a follow up - best source for polar files of the four boats in this Bermuda Race?
Hi, I'll try to keep the answer simple so you can participate in the sailonline Bermuda simulation and route using Expedition. You can get your polar and the latest grib for the Sailonline Bermuda race from http://sol.brainaid.de/sailonline/toolbox

Here you will find the latest weather updates (they come at approximately 16:30, 22:30, 04:30 and 10:30 UTC, and are always available from Brainaids under the Weather tab.

You can also downlaod the Expediton polar for your chosen boat from the same site, using the Polar button. You can also get the waypoint co-ords from there, and also you can enter your steering commands there using the DC Editor button.

You don't have to make any changes to the grib you download from Brainaids - it's ready to use without scaling etc.

There are no currents in the simulator.

If you want extra, you can also look at http://solfans.org/wxinspector/ where, if you log on using your boatname and password, you will find under the Optimal Angles button, your max upwind and downwind vmg angles for the current wind, for those times when Expedition gives you dotted routing solutions (outside max vmg values).

Hope that helps and fair winds.
Some further notes: we're using effectively NOAA .25 gfs not nam wips as the latter does not extend far enough east. However, my notes above referring you to Brainaids site is the best source for your grib updates to use in Expedition. These Brainaid gribs already contain the smoothing which is applied by the simulator so that there are not jumps between one grib update and the next.

Re the html5, the simulator used flash, and now we are developing an html5 version so that we are ready when flash is no longer supported. If you press the Go To Race button, you will get the old flash-based simulator, and if you press the html5 button you will get the newer version. They both are suitable for use and give the same results, performance, etc.
Minor correction to what Dingo said. Current GFS grid can go down to 0.5x0.5, not below that despite NOAA providing also 0.25 GFS. This may change in the future though. In some races, the weather data size is reduced by using larger wx grid cells such as 1x1 or even beyond that in some long ocean races.

--
i.

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m


Current Races:

SSANZ Northern Triangle 2025 - Leg 1 - Auckland to Mangonui


Welcome to the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand's 2025 Evolution Sails Northern Triangle series, and to this first leg of c 150nm, out of Auckland, north up the coast to Mangonui. In our Sailonline boathouse, our Young 11 has remained forever young. She is your boat of choice for the series, and we fully expect her to give the boats of today in the real-life SSANZ fleet a proper run for their money. The second and third race of the Triangle will start in full sync with the real fleet, so be aware that these start times will not be confirmed until after 60% of the real fleet have finished the prior leg!
Race #1892
INFOby brainaid.de
Young 11 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - NTR
Race starts: Feb 21st 21:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cape Horn TIMED Resupply 2025

Word has reached Puerto William that supplies are needed 172nm away for some RTW yachtsmen sheltering inshore near Noir Island. SOLers respond in their Pelagic 77s and race against the clock to deliver grog and vittles in this TIMED race!!! Which route will be quicker - inland or inshore? Make as many trips as you like!! This is a TIMED race, so you may RE-REGISTER HERE to try again, after finishing a run. You will have 13 days and 11 hours to test your skill and decision making after the race opens.
Race #1896
INFO by brainaid.de
Pelagic 77 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
TRQ1 - TRCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
01 March at 23:00 UTC
Race starts: Feb 16th 12:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Auckland to Noumea 2025


The ARCH competition is transitioning now from the Arabian Sea to the Pacific Ocean, featuring a 1000 nm route from Auckland to Nouméa. Organized by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, the race last occurred in 2018 and was set to resume on May 25, 2024, after a lengthy hiatus. However, due to political unrest in New Caledonia, the event has been cancelled. Fortunately, those situations do not impact our virtual race, so prepare your Open 60 for another exciting adventure.
Race #1888
INFO from brainaid.de
Open 60 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
ARQ1 - ARCH - SUPSOL – SYC
RACE CLOSE: Wednesday,
February 19 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Feb 10th 17:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Sinbad by Balloon 2025 - Dondra to Toamasina


Above you see a stratospheric balloon, that if only we had gribs at that altitude would get blasted along quite rapidly and predictably. Alas we just have our SOL balloon that sails rather lower to the sea and that we have crossed the Atlantic in, west to east, last year for the first time in the southern hemisphere. So much fun was had by all, that this year we will attempt the Indian Ocean, but in four legs. Another great piece of fiction, the voyages of Sinbad By Balloon not magic carpet, although you may need a bit of magic to make any progress at times. Pack your wicker basket full for your first leg of at least 2300nm from Sri Lanka to Madagascar; it’s not a picnic hamper, you could be in the air for longer than you hoped!
Race #1883
INFOby brainaid.de
SOL Balloon PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC - SBB
Race starts: Feb 05th 11:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Barbados to Tristan da Cunha 2025

Sailonline is proud to present to our virtual sailors, an all new series RWW 2025 (Round our Water World). Sailing from remote island to remote island with forever only a faintly curving line between sea and sky on the horizon. "Dry land is not a myth". The series ranking uses best 7 from 8 races for scoring, and this first race, from Barbados to Tristan da Cunha, a 4000nm leg into the Southern Atlantic, will be sailed in ex-Volvo OD65s (version 3). The race is also part of the OCCH 2025, ranking best 10 from 12 races.
PRIZE: SMPF
Race #1889
INFO by brainaid.de
OD65v3 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: OCQ1 - RWW - OCCH - SUPSOL - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Thursday,
February 27 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Feb 03rd 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 CriticalHippo
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Patrick70119
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member FreyjaUSA
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Kipper1258
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Satori
  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