ObiQuiet Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 http://www.virtualregatta.com/en/index_jvabre2015.php Let us know how you do! 3
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted October 26, 2015 Posted October 26, 2015 I popped in there as Triptyx in a Multi-50. Should be fun. Feel free to add me as a friend at their site if you're racing.
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 I started two days late, there is a "Pilot Boat" that effectively travels the great circle route at a speed that is generally behind the leaders and you start at the pilot boat's location. My starting point was in 8500th place (out of around 23,000 boats I think), and I found myself near the French coastline. A quick check of the weather showed that I wanted to head westward as fast as I could to attempt to catch the back side of a large low spinning through on its way towards France. I immediately set a westerly course, following some other well-ranked boats with the same idea. Unfortunately, my late start left me caught briefly in the eye of that low, with contrary and variable winds, and after Day 3 of the race had fallen to 13,350th place. Despite my encounter with the eye, I was able to finally set a southerly course designed to catch another low forecast to come through. The first low, meanwhile, failed miserably to affect the boats that had set a straight southerly course (and that were in the lead after Day 1-3). At the end of Day 4, I'd risen to 9,000th place, and decided I was in good shape to pass the Azores to the east, which should leave me in good position to catch good wind for a few days yet. Just now, I'm up to 8,131st place, and appear to be gaining ground in the rankings with each update. I'm currently about 305 nautical miles behind the first place boat, which is a bit south of the east side of the Azores at the moment, but I'm hopeful the wind forecasts that show my having a better wind angle for the next thousand miles will hold and allow me to close that gap a bit. I'll attach an image of my route to date: 1
ObiQuiet Posted October 29, 2015 Author Posted October 29, 2015 Hey, that's great! Thanks for the detailed update! Seems like you are enjoying it - I did a similar one for the VOR some years ago. It took some diligence because they didn't have scheduled course changes back then. (apologies for the late notice of the start :-) Here's to your continued progress up the rankings!
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 They still don't have waypoints or auto-helm unless you want to pay them money per race for an upgrade - so I'm currently managing the boat entirely manually. At least the purchased sails don't offer more than a half-knot of speed benefit than the free ones, so it's not totally pay to win, but it's close. That's ok, I don't plan to win any races, I just want the challenge of course planning and sailing tactics. No worries on the late notification - I'd never have known it was there if you hadn't posted. I'll be starting another boat in Leg 3 of the Clipper Round the World Saturday morning.
maturin Posted October 29, 2015 Posted October 29, 2015 They should really add a square rigger version. Actually, I would love it if someone worked some API magic on this site: https://www.windyty.com/?38.000,-97.000,4 You could sail the trades in real time. 3
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted October 31, 2015 Posted October 31, 2015 Day 7: I took advantage of a slot of nice wind just to the East of the Azores, avoiding a large mess over near the European coast. The leaderboard has swapped places, with the ships that took an initial northwesterly course now running in the lead. Their location to the westward of me has given them a slightly more advantageous wind direction (I have a little more wind to work with, but it's more out of the north than I'd like, which is negatively impacting the course I'd like to sail). I'm currently planning to pass just west of the Cape Verde islands, at which point I'll start looking for a slick way to start working westward towards the South American coast and the finish line. I'm currently nestled in with a wave of front runners in 2,860th place (out of around 24,000). The race leaders are still about 300 miles southwest of me (you can just see a blob of gold color in the bottom bar of the image below - that's the current lead race group). 1
maturin Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 Heh, I guess other people touch the wheel more than once per day, because I'm bringing up the rear!
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 I monitor off and on. Most often, I check right after the wind updates every 12 hours and make course corrections as necessary. At least twice I day I look at forecasts up to 7 days out and pre-plan the rough positioning I'd like to be in. Maturin - what is your name there? I'd love to add you as a friend.
maturin Posted November 1, 2015 Posted November 1, 2015 Ehhm, not sure I remember. ppitm, maybe? Just look way up north.
maturin Posted November 6, 2015 Posted November 6, 2015 Heyhey! I've recovered to the middle of the second (slower) pack, after starting off pretty much dead last.
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted November 6, 2015 Posted November 6, 2015 I made a couple of bad choices, drifting too far to the west, and have fallen to 3,162nd. Not too bad, but I think I could have done better. Meanwhile, I entered leg 3 of the Round the World Clipper race, Africa to Australia, and am running about 2,990th. I think my positioning is decent, but it looks like the southern route boats are putting in a strong performance for now.
BrutishVulgarian Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 I think this may be just the ticket. Perhaps I don't understand spinnakers, but my top speed with a spinnaker seems to be at an 90 degree angle to the wind? I'm in the Imoca class, this seems like a good way to capsize, maybe I don't know modern keels.
ObiQuiet Posted November 9, 2015 Author Posted November 9, 2015 90* off the wind with a spinnaker can't be right... for the race I participated in, theY published the polars for each type of sail you could buy. Maybe this game has those?
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted November 9, 2015 Posted November 9, 2015 Depends Obi. Multi-hulls, foils, there have been a lot of very interesting things done to modern boats. They do publish Polars (there's a graph available by clicking the button at the bottom of the screen on the web version of the app that lets you see your current wind direction and speed, and what the different sails will give you speed-wise), but they also might be "handicapping" the free Spinnaker to ensure it's competitive with the paid sail sets. An example for a Multi-50 (Trimaran) in the Jacques Vabre: And an example for a 70 foot monohull in the Clipper Round the World: 1
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted November 13, 2015 Posted November 13, 2015 I crossed the finish line overnight in my Multi-50 in 3,275th place (out of about 20,000) with 18 days, 18 hours, and 17 minutes elapsed. Overall, not bad. My Clipper Round the World 70' is currently running in the low 2,000's. 1
maturin Posted November 13, 2015 Posted November 13, 2015 Turns out this company actually ran a Pirates of the Caribbean race once, but the soulless jackasses who are into this sort of thing didn't play it because the ships were too slow.
BrutishVulgarian Posted November 21, 2015 Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Right now is a good time to start or restart the Jules Verne Spindrift race, a good northerly blow. I was actually in first place for about 5 seconds, now in 40th. Looks like a bunch of top players started about the time I posted this and I'm dropping like a rock, 30 minutes later and I'm 390th. Edited November 21, 2015 by BrutishVulgarian
maturin Posted November 21, 2015 Posted November 21, 2015 Shit guys, I was all excited to finish in the mid-4000s, having passed over a 1,000 bots since my late and negligent start off Spain. But either the plotted course takes currents into account, or the lines isn't accurate, because I ran aground overnight and dropped down several hundred places. Oh well.
BrutishVulgarian Posted November 22, 2015 Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) Shit guys, I was all excited to finish in the mid-4000s, having passed over a 1,000 bots since my late and negligent start off Spain. But either the plotted course takes currents into account, or the lines isn't accurate, because I ran aground overnight and dropped down several hundred places. Oh well. I think there must be leeway or currents because on my first Spindrift attempt, the same thing happened to me. It turned out good because it encouraged my restart during this north wind. I still feel good, even though I've dropped into 2200's, the #'s 1,5 and 10 players are nearby and I can learn watching them. I think everyone who started during the peak of the storm, immediately shot to the top of the rankings, but the front may pass them by, that's my theory, at least. It would be nice to have a ranking of only folks using bare bones features. Looks like the real thing may start its attempt, it shows up on the map now. http://www.spindrift-racing.com/news/code-vert-tjv-en Edited November 22, 2015 by BrutishVulgarian
ObiQuiet Posted November 22, 2015 Author Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) If I were doing this, I'd mentally divide my position # by 1000, just to alter the feel. I'd consider 4th (4,000th something) a great result! And 2nd (2,000 something) to be outstanding! Edited November 22, 2015 by M.Cmdt. ObiQuiet
Henry d'Esterre Darby Posted December 1, 2015 Posted December 1, 2015 That's not a bad idea actually. So far, I've placed 3,275th in the TransAt, and 2,628th in Leg 3 of the Clipper Round the World.
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