The second lesson from Steve Hunt (aka on SailX as flow) is "Sail in More Wind."
Pretty obvious, right? The darker the water, the stronger the wind. The stronger the wind, the faster the boat.
I find this easier in SailX than in real life. I'm pretty good at spotting the gusts on flat water on lakes. But on the sea, where there are more little waves and chop, I find it much harder to see small changes in wind strength. I do have polarized lenses in my sunglasses which is supposed to help. And some days I can spot something and take advantage of it. But usually I'm not very good at spotting the stronger wind on the sea. My eyesight is certainly deteriorating as I get older and even my prescription lenses can't totally correct all the problems. Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Once again, Steve makes it look easy in the video....
There is more wind on the left so he fights for and wins the pin which is slightly favored.
This video is actually just as instructive about how to win the pin. Notice how Steve refuses to allow any boats to get to the left of him and then actually has to luff a bit above close-hauled to make the pin. As I was saying in the previous lesson, unless you are really sure of your boathandling, fighting for the pin can be a high risk choice. Notice how, of the five boats closest to the pin, three are OCS and one is penalized by the system for a collision with flow. The latter boat immediately protests flow. I wonder who won the protest?
Anyway, Steve is in the stronger wind and in the lead. Some wind fills in more in the middle of the course so he tacks back for it. He can't quite cross the boat in second place so he leebows him and then is pretty soon on the port tack layline for the mark. Notice how fast that came up. It's very easy to get pushed beyond the layline on these short courses in SailX.
Steve rounds the windward mark in first place, but then somehow is passed on the run by the boat that was in second place boat who used her windshadow to slow Steve down and pass him. In Lasers in real life, I always try and get clear of groups of boats behind me on the run. The wind shadow from a group of boats can really mess up your day.
But never fear. Our hero sees more wind on the right before his rival and heads over there to regain the lead.
Doesn't he make it look easy?
So why don't we all do that?
It's another one of those "words of wisdom" that everyone knows but it always seems to be the same guys that make it work for them time and time again.
Why is that?
Showing posts with label SailX. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SailX. Show all posts
Monday, March 04, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Start Near the Favored End
SailX, the online interactive regatta racing game and virtual trainer, is currently running a weekly series of training videos by one of the best sailors on SailX, a fellow who goes by the name of "flow". It turns out that flow is, in real life, Steve Hunt, a well known American professional sailor and coach. Among other achievements he is a seven-year member of the US Olympic Team in the 470 Class, two-time Etchell World Champion, and Congressional Cup Winner.
Flow certainly knows his stuff when it comes to teaching mere mortal midfleet mediocrities like me how to sail smarter and faster, and SailX is an excellent visual tool to support his teaching. So I thought I would write a few posts linking to his lessons, and supplementing them with my own ill-informed and insane ramblings just to confuse my readers.
The first lesson in the series is about starting near the favored end of the start line...
In the first race, the pin is only favored by about 5 degrees and flow mentions that there appears to be more wind on the right hand side of the course. (The darker shaded areas mean more wind.) The questions I asked myself were (a) would I even be able to spot a 5 degree bias on the line? and (b) would it really be worth going for the pin in that situation?
Flow doesn't make a very well-timed start at the pin (he was distracted talking to us) and it certainly looked to me as if two other boats ESP-500 and notainslie got better starts near the middle and right half of the line and were more or less even with flow up the beat. Flow was also lucky in that no other boat seriously contested the pin with him. It's not always as easy as he makes it look here to win the pin and then tack and cross the fleet!
So let's do the math...
It looks to me as if the start line is about 25 boat lengths long. If we assume these are 15 foot dinghies that means the start line is about 375 feet long. If I remember my high school trigonometry correctly that means the the pin end of the line is about 33 feet to windward of the boat end, or just over two boat lengths. Which means that you are only one boat length further to windward than the boats in the middle of the line. Is that a big enough advantage to be able to tack and cross them, assuming you all get equally good starts?
Hmmm.
In the second race example (clip starts at about 3:35) the pin is 8 degrees favored, and flow goes for the pin again. This time he has a group of boats just to windward of him on the line but he still manages to tack at the pin and cross them. Based on my math that shouldn't have been possible but I think he pulled it off because he was going faster at the start and was closer to the line at the start than they were. The tack (in a Laser) didn't cost him much and he just managed to cross the whole group. Not sure I would have had the balls to attempt that move in a real race!
The wind is clocking right and there is more wind on the right, but because of his tack at the start, flow is sailing into the stronger wind with the other leaders and is looking in good shape again.
He makes it look easy.
In real life (and in SailX sometimes) going for the pin like that can be a high risk/ high reward gamble. Sometimes several other boats have exactly the same idea and there can be a huge pile-up at the pin with perhaps only one or two boats coming out of the mess cleanly. In such situations it can be safer to start a little farther up the line.
Part of the skill in deciding what to do depends on "reading" the intentions of the rest of the fleet. Is a whole bunch of boats going to fight for the pin or are they all hanging out near the boat (as in the first example)? That's one thing I currently find hard to do. If I commit to a place on the line too early it sometimes turns out to be a bad choice because that's where the crowd chooses too. If I watch what the fleet is planning to do too long, I can leave it too late and there are no holes left.
I guess I need to practice on SailX more.
So what do you think?
How would you have handled those starts?
Do you think SailX is a useful training tool?
You can find all the videos in the Steve Hunt coaching series in this SailX article.
Flow certainly knows his stuff when it comes to teaching mere mortal midfleet mediocrities like me how to sail smarter and faster, and SailX is an excellent visual tool to support his teaching. So I thought I would write a few posts linking to his lessons, and supplementing them with my own ill-informed and insane ramblings just to confuse my readers.
The first lesson in the series is about starting near the favored end of the start line...
In the first race, the pin is only favored by about 5 degrees and flow mentions that there appears to be more wind on the right hand side of the course. (The darker shaded areas mean more wind.) The questions I asked myself were (a) would I even be able to spot a 5 degree bias on the line? and (b) would it really be worth going for the pin in that situation?
Flow doesn't make a very well-timed start at the pin (he was distracted talking to us) and it certainly looked to me as if two other boats ESP-500 and notainslie got better starts near the middle and right half of the line and were more or less even with flow up the beat. Flow was also lucky in that no other boat seriously contested the pin with him. It's not always as easy as he makes it look here to win the pin and then tack and cross the fleet!
So let's do the math...
It looks to me as if the start line is about 25 boat lengths long. If we assume these are 15 foot dinghies that means the start line is about 375 feet long. If I remember my high school trigonometry correctly that means the the pin end of the line is about 33 feet to windward of the boat end, or just over two boat lengths. Which means that you are only one boat length further to windward than the boats in the middle of the line. Is that a big enough advantage to be able to tack and cross them, assuming you all get equally good starts?
Hmmm.
In the second race example (clip starts at about 3:35) the pin is 8 degrees favored, and flow goes for the pin again. This time he has a group of boats just to windward of him on the line but he still manages to tack at the pin and cross them. Based on my math that shouldn't have been possible but I think he pulled it off because he was going faster at the start and was closer to the line at the start than they were. The tack (in a Laser) didn't cost him much and he just managed to cross the whole group. Not sure I would have had the balls to attempt that move in a real race!
The wind is clocking right and there is more wind on the right, but because of his tack at the start, flow is sailing into the stronger wind with the other leaders and is looking in good shape again.
He makes it look easy.
In real life (and in SailX sometimes) going for the pin like that can be a high risk/ high reward gamble. Sometimes several other boats have exactly the same idea and there can be a huge pile-up at the pin with perhaps only one or two boats coming out of the mess cleanly. In such situations it can be safer to start a little farther up the line.
Part of the skill in deciding what to do depends on "reading" the intentions of the rest of the fleet. Is a whole bunch of boats going to fight for the pin or are they all hanging out near the boat (as in the first example)? That's one thing I currently find hard to do. If I commit to a place on the line too early it sometimes turns out to be a bad choice because that's where the crowd chooses too. If I watch what the fleet is planning to do too long, I can leave it too late and there are no holes left.
I guess I need to practice on SailX more.
So what do you think?
How would you have handled those starts?
Do you think SailX is a useful training tool?
You can find all the videos in the Steve Hunt coaching series in this SailX article.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Playing Tacti-Crack
What else I am supposed to do?
I did my back in last week from a combination of too much running, sailing in too much wind, too much gardening, and too much Facebook and Twitter.
Or something.
It's getting better. But slowly.
It's not better enough yet to risk Laser sailing with it.
And this is the best time of the year to go sailing.
It's killing me.
So today I played SailX the best online multi-player sailboat racing simulator on the planet.
Hey, it may be the only online multi-player sailboat racing simulator on the planet, for all I know.
Back in the day, I was pretty good at SailX, formerly know officially as Tacticat... or Tact-Crack for the addicted.
Hey, I was even interviewed about one regatta by the famous sailing interviewer, Barry Dobson.
But now I'm crap.
I'm out of practice.
I fouled other sailors at the start. I was OCS all the time. I fouled other sailors at the marks. It was awful.
Also I have a different computer now. The Shift key is where the arrow keys used to be. This means that every time I try to put the bow down I accidentally let go of the sheet instead. Not fast!
I did see some of my old sailing buddies. Sailing_Rugger. Bluenose. Litoralis.
Geeze those guys are fast. They probably "sail" on Tacti-Crack every day.
The worst thing is that I know that when my back is better and I do get back into real Laser sailing again, I'm going to be so out of practice that I will be as bad as I was today on Tacti-Crack.
Getting old sucks.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Breaking the Rules
Which of the Racing Rules of Sailing are broken the most frequently?
It's a tough question on which to find hard data. It's not necessarily the same as the frequency at which protest committees find violations of the various Rules. Or the frequency in which competitors voluntarily take on-the-water penalties. Or even the rate at which protests are made. I'm asking about actual Rule violations, protested or not, accepted or not.
The clever folk who run the online racing simulator SailX have come up with an answer for their environment. They measured the total number of Rules breaches recognized by their Rules Engine in one year in just a couple of their sailing fields. The grand total was 661,023!
More interestingly the histogram above shows the breakdown by Rule of some of the most common breaches on SailX. For those of you who (like me) can't always remember their Rule 15 from their Rule 16, here is a cheat sheet.
Rule 10 - On Opposite Tacks
Rule 11 - On the Same Tack, Overlapped
Rule 12 - On the Same Tack, Not Overlapped
Rule 13 - While Tacking
Rule 15 - Acquiring Right of Way
Rule 16 - Changing Course
Rule 17 - On the Same Tack; Proper Course
Rule 18 - Mark Room
Rule 21 - Starting Errors; Taking Penalties; Moving Astern
And if you don't have all of the Rules remembered by heart here is a link to the full Racing Rules of Sailing.
It's no surprise to me that the most common breach is of Rule 18 - Mark Room. SailX mark roundings are almost as crowded, confused and chaotic as they are in our local Laser frostbite fleet.
The Rules Engine also has some pretty good logic for calling the next two most frequent breaches, Rule 15 - Acquiring Right of Way and Rule 16 - Changing Course, but I don't think there are that many protests under those Rules in real life. That's not to say that they aren't regularly broken though.
So what do you think? Is this similar to the breakdown you see in real racing? What do you think the three most frequently breached Rules are? If the SailX pattern is different from real life, why would that be?
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Strange Names
Other bloggers have blogged on their blogs about boat names. Some are cute. Some are puzzling. Some are puns. Some are just plain weird.
Much could be said of the names chosen by players for themselves (or is it their boats) in the online virtual sailing community and racing simulator SailX.
Some of them such as Sailorski, MiamiSailing and MOTHSTER have fairly obvious inspirations.
But why BustedGristle? What does that mean?
And why did someone call himself whereiswaldo?
Of course you don't have to register and choose a name. You can sail as a guest and be temporarily allocated a name like Guest_54. It's best to keep out of the way of guests. It's usually someone who is totally clueless or some hotshot sailing anonymously to wreak havoc on his enemies. Either way they will cause you grief. But why did someone call himself UnwantedGuest?
And then there is HamB. No idea what it means. Someone took the piss out of him by creating an ID called EggsB. Strange people these sailxors.
Bluenose is a fine sailing name. Someone strange had fun at his expense by registering as Rednose. Very droll.
Some of the names are not very modest. We have SofaKingFast and BigTwingGuy for example. And the outrageously boastful SexOnThe Reach. I wonder what kind of boat he has? (I assume that 99% of players are male. Women have more sense.)
Some are a little rude... suckmywake, kissmystern and eatmybeno for example, although I'm not really sure what a "beno" is.
And others just puzzle me. Anyone know what 21minsmalone means?
And why would anyone call themselves VomitComet?
Me, I'm just tillerman. Same as here. Some of the other players even ask me about my blog (to distract me during a race usually.)
Yup. We SailX players are pretty strange dudes.
What name would you choose if you played SailX?
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Interview With Buff Staysail
Thought you might like to read my recent interview with world-famed roving sailing reporter Buff Staysail. He caught me earlier today, not long after I had completed sailing a regatta in the online sailing simulator SailX.
How does it feel to win the gold medal at the last SailX Euro Regatta of 2009?
I'm very pleased with my overall result, and am looking forward to repeating on my success in the 2010 SailX season. Going into the event my goal was not make any fouls and hopefully to finish in the top ten, so the win exceeded my expectations. I've been training hard over the past couple of weeks by ignoring real sailing and practicing on my computer at least an hour a day so it feels rewarding to see all of my work pay off.
What were your strengths in this regatta? What were the keys to your success?
I think I did a good job of processing the conditions and making quick decisions. Some races the current was the major factor; some times it was the shifts; some times the gusts. Having good starts also helped me, as I had the freedom to go where I wanted. I aced the start in the first of the two Laser races and went on to win the race in spite of pressure all round the course from Spanked1. That gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the regatta... especially for the four races in cats and skiffs in which I'm less experienced.
What were your challenges?
Racing at 3pm was tough for me as my mind is usually much sharper in the morning. It was also stressful racing against such good sailors as 249, paulprotocol and Blackdog824 currently ranked 3rd, 16th and 23rd in the world respectively. The young Peruvian 249 won three of the six races... but he also had to count a 15th which hurt his overall score. Going into the final race in skiffs I knew I had to put two boats between me and the cat sailor from Colorado paulprotocol. I just did it, but only after a thrilling tussle on the last downwind leg with Blackdog24 from Toronto. I beat him by three pixels and took the regatta by one point.
How were the conditions in Lisboa?
Excellent. It was snowing outside at home but we had sunshine and winds between 10 and 20 knots in all the races, with none of the crazy strong stuff that always makes me capsize in skiffs.
Anything you would do differently?
Yes, I need to keep my head out of the computer and be more aware of what's going on in the house. Just as the regatta finished I heard the garage door open and assumed it was Tillerwoman going out to shovel snow off the drive, so I went out to help her. But I was wrong. It was Tillerwoman coming in after shoveling the whole drive on her own. Now I'm in the doghouse. What a way to start the new year!
How does it feel to win the gold medal at the last SailX Euro Regatta of 2009?
I'm very pleased with my overall result, and am looking forward to repeating on my success in the 2010 SailX season. Going into the event my goal was not make any fouls and hopefully to finish in the top ten, so the win exceeded my expectations. I've been training hard over the past couple of weeks by ignoring real sailing and practicing on my computer at least an hour a day so it feels rewarding to see all of my work pay off.
What were your strengths in this regatta? What were the keys to your success?
I think I did a good job of processing the conditions and making quick decisions. Some races the current was the major factor; some times it was the shifts; some times the gusts. Having good starts also helped me, as I had the freedom to go where I wanted. I aced the start in the first of the two Laser races and went on to win the race in spite of pressure all round the course from Spanked1. That gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the regatta... especially for the four races in cats and skiffs in which I'm less experienced.
What were your challenges?
Racing at 3pm was tough for me as my mind is usually much sharper in the morning. It was also stressful racing against such good sailors as 249, paulprotocol and Blackdog824 currently ranked 3rd, 16th and 23rd in the world respectively. The young Peruvian 249 won three of the six races... but he also had to count a 15th which hurt his overall score. Going into the final race in skiffs I knew I had to put two boats between me and the cat sailor from Colorado paulprotocol. I just did it, but only after a thrilling tussle on the last downwind leg with Blackdog24 from Toronto. I beat him by three pixels and took the regatta by one point.
How were the conditions in Lisboa?
Excellent. It was snowing outside at home but we had sunshine and winds between 10 and 20 knots in all the races, with none of the crazy strong stuff that always makes me capsize in skiffs.
Anything you would do differently?
Yes, I need to keep my head out of the computer and be more aware of what's going on in the house. Just as the regatta finished I heard the garage door open and assumed it was Tillerwoman going out to shovel snow off the drive, so I went out to help her. But I was wrong. It was Tillerwoman coming in after shoveling the whole drive on her own. Now I'm in the doghouse. What a way to start the new year!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Cheers
So who should I invite to my own imaginary dinner party for sailors real or fictional, living or dead, my own version of the dinner party I asked other bloggers to write about for this month's group writing project Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?
Should I go for famous real life sailors I admire like Robin Knox-Johnston and Ben Ainslie, or should I sail off into the lands of myth and legend and invite Ulysses and Erik the Red? Should I get together with some of my real life sailing pals like That Guy and The Other Guy, or should I invite some of the friends I have made through blogging?
None of the above.
Here is my guest list...
Never heard of them? Let me enlighten you. The sailors on my list are some of the leading lights in the online multi-player sailing tactical simulator known as Sailx.
I've never met any of these guys in the flesh. (At least as far as I know. You never know who the people you are sailing against really are in Sailx. And I'm assuming they are all guys, not gals. They sound like guys.) But I have "interacted" with them all in various ways within the Sailx universe and so, although I only know them as little groups of pixels looking like toy sailboats, I do feel I have learned something about their personalities.
Sailing_Rugger is currently leading the Sailx rankings so I'd want to pick his brains about how he manages to sail so well. We "met" quite a while ago during the wild and woolly early days of the game when it was still known as Tacticat so he feels like an old friend.
CAN_2809 is a pretty fine sailor too, and I'm inviting him because he's also a software engineer and, judging by what he's written in the Sailx forum, he's super smart at working out ways to "hack" Sailx like finding ways to see the start line or the wind over the course better. Hey, a duffer like me who is as bad at virtual sailing as he is at real-life sailing needs all the help he can get.
LaserManDan is one of the Sailx regulars, and founder member of one of the top teams on Sailx. I'm inviting him because we discovered while chatting in between races that he is the son of one of the guys I used to sail with at my first (real-life) sailing club, the one I wrote about in Where It All Started. Hey Dan, bring your Dad to the party too.
And then we have Dogwatch and Enterprise. I'm inviting them because they were the main players in a couple of virtual protest hearings I recently got involved in on the Sailx protest forum. Yeah, I know I complained before about how the "sea lawyers" have ruined the game. But Dogwatch took the trouble to protest me in a couple of races, so I entered into the spirit of the game by doing a bit of sea-lawyering to defend myself.
Neither of the protests were clear cut so I argued my case with every technique I could devise. When the facts were against me I argued the rules. When the rules were against me I argued the facts. I introduced various side-issues to muddy the waters. I pounced on the slightest mistake made my opponent and used his own words against him. Emotions ran high. The arguments raged on and on as Dogwatch turned out to be as fierce and as devious an advocate as myself.
Enterprise was the "moderator" who effectively volunteered to be the protest committee chairman for us, to hear all the arguments from the protagonists and any other players or moderators who wanted to express an opinion, and then to make a decision. I probably drove him crazy with my persistence and verbal diarrhea. In the end he exercised the wisdom of Solomon and decided to leave one protest "unresolved" (effectively a win for me in its scoring impact) and decided the other one in Dogwatch's favor.
So I'm inviting Enterprise and Dogwatch to the party to show there are no hard feelings and because they both sound like chaps who are extremely knowledgeable about sailing and the racing rules. I'm sure we'd probably all be enjoying another heated argument after a couple of beers.
Last but not least, we couldn't have a Sailx party without aestela. Aestela is the founder, creator, chief programmer, chief moderator, chief "everything" behind Sailx, a.k.a as "god" within the game. Sailx wouldn't exist without his drive and vision. I'm sure the rest of us would raise a toast (or three) in his honor at the party.
Cheers.
Should I go for famous real life sailors I admire like Robin Knox-Johnston and Ben Ainslie, or should I sail off into the lands of myth and legend and invite Ulysses and Erik the Red? Should I get together with some of my real life sailing pals like That Guy and The Other Guy, or should I invite some of the friends I have made through blogging?
None of the above.
Here is my guest list...
- aestela
- CAN_2809
- Dogwatch
- Enterprise
- LaserManDan
- Sailing_Rugger
Never heard of them? Let me enlighten you. The sailors on my list are some of the leading lights in the online multi-player sailing tactical simulator known as Sailx.
I've never met any of these guys in the flesh. (At least as far as I know. You never know who the people you are sailing against really are in Sailx. And I'm assuming they are all guys, not gals. They sound like guys.) But I have "interacted" with them all in various ways within the Sailx universe and so, although I only know them as little groups of pixels looking like toy sailboats, I do feel I have learned something about their personalities.
Sailing_Rugger is currently leading the Sailx rankings so I'd want to pick his brains about how he manages to sail so well. We "met" quite a while ago during the wild and woolly early days of the game when it was still known as Tacticat so he feels like an old friend.
CAN_2809 is a pretty fine sailor too, and I'm inviting him because he's also a software engineer and, judging by what he's written in the Sailx forum, he's super smart at working out ways to "hack" Sailx like finding ways to see the start line or the wind over the course better. Hey, a duffer like me who is as bad at virtual sailing as he is at real-life sailing needs all the help he can get.
LaserManDan is one of the Sailx regulars, and founder member of one of the top teams on Sailx. I'm inviting him because we discovered while chatting in between races that he is the son of one of the guys I used to sail with at my first (real-life) sailing club, the one I wrote about in Where It All Started. Hey Dan, bring your Dad to the party too.
And then we have Dogwatch and Enterprise. I'm inviting them because they were the main players in a couple of virtual protest hearings I recently got involved in on the Sailx protest forum. Yeah, I know I complained before about how the "sea lawyers" have ruined the game. But Dogwatch took the trouble to protest me in a couple of races, so I entered into the spirit of the game by doing a bit of sea-lawyering to defend myself.
Neither of the protests were clear cut so I argued my case with every technique I could devise. When the facts were against me I argued the rules. When the rules were against me I argued the facts. I introduced various side-issues to muddy the waters. I pounced on the slightest mistake made my opponent and used his own words against him. Emotions ran high. The arguments raged on and on as Dogwatch turned out to be as fierce and as devious an advocate as myself.
Enterprise was the "moderator" who effectively volunteered to be the protest committee chairman for us, to hear all the arguments from the protagonists and any other players or moderators who wanted to express an opinion, and then to make a decision. I probably drove him crazy with my persistence and verbal diarrhea. In the end he exercised the wisdom of Solomon and decided to leave one protest "unresolved" (effectively a win for me in its scoring impact) and decided the other one in Dogwatch's favor.
So I'm inviting Enterprise and Dogwatch to the party to show there are no hard feelings and because they both sound like chaps who are extremely knowledgeable about sailing and the racing rules. I'm sure we'd probably all be enjoying another heated argument after a couple of beers.
Last but not least, we couldn't have a Sailx party without aestela. Aestela is the founder, creator, chief programmer, chief moderator, chief "everything" behind Sailx, a.k.a as "god" within the game. Sailx wouldn't exist without his drive and vision. I'm sure the rest of us would raise a toast (or three) in his honor at the party.
Cheers.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Tillerman... "Important Enough"
Do you know who I am?
I discovered today that I made the Sailing Hall of Fame. Well, not exactly.
But I did make the Sailx.com "who is who" page which is only for "people who are important enough". Wow. Apparently I am important "enough". (Sailx is the online multi-player tactical sailing simulator that I wrote about last year when it was known as Tacticat.)
But wait. Am I getting the recognition I deserve? I see that some of the other sailors are described in such terms as "one of the strongest sailors on Sailx", "really top quality sailor", and "top team racer, top match racer, sexy". Whereas my entry just says, "You have to read his blog".
Hmmm. Who writes this crap? Don't they know who I am? How come I'm not described as "sexy"?
Actually Sailx is not as much fun as it used to be. In the old days if two boats collided the program would decide which boat it thought was at fault and impose a penalty. Of course it wasn't perfect but, hey, it's only a game and when did you ever meet a perfect protest committee in real life?
But somebody decided to "improve" the game so, now, if you think that another sailor broke a rule and the game didn't apply the rules correctly you can "protest" him. There's a whole forum for these protests where the sea lawyers spend hours arguing the toss back and forth about whose pixels were in the right and whose pixels were in the wrong. Here's an example of one dude pressing his case in favor of his pixels being right ...
Oh geeze. It's only a game dude. Chill out.
Another example of how bad it has become... Regular readers of this blog, all three of you, will know that I am quite a vocal sailor in real life. Sometimes I like to sing while sailing. Sometimes I hail a magic spell that makes my competitor capsize. I'm much the same in Sailx. One day I was having a free and frank exchange of views with a fellow sailor during a Sailx race and I accidentally typed "u geard" instead of "you heard". This dude then "protested" me for making a derogatory remark and went on the protest forum to recommend that, among other things, I should be banned from the game. Apparently he thought I had called him a "geard"! In what language is "geard" an insult? What does it mean in any case? What a hoot!
Wait a minute. This "who is who" page is part of a wiki. Hmmm. Let's see. Quick edit. Save. That's better.
It now reads: Tillerman. Handsome, sexy and wicked. Thinks Sailx used to be more fun before the sea lawyers ruined it. You have to read his blog.
Truthiness rules.
Take that. You Geard.
I discovered today that I made the Sailing Hall of Fame. Well, not exactly.
But I did make the Sailx.com "who is who" page which is only for "people who are important enough". Wow. Apparently I am important "enough". (Sailx is the online multi-player tactical sailing simulator that I wrote about last year when it was known as Tacticat.)
But wait. Am I getting the recognition I deserve? I see that some of the other sailors are described in such terms as "one of the strongest sailors on Sailx", "really top quality sailor", and "top team racer, top match racer, sexy". Whereas my entry just says, "You have to read his blog".
Hmmm. Who writes this crap? Don't they know who I am? How come I'm not described as "sexy"?
Actually Sailx is not as much fun as it used to be. In the old days if two boats collided the program would decide which boat it thought was at fault and impose a penalty. Of course it wasn't perfect but, hey, it's only a game and when did you ever meet a perfect protest committee in real life?
But somebody decided to "improve" the game so, now, if you think that another sailor broke a rule and the game didn't apply the rules correctly you can "protest" him. There's a whole forum for these protests where the sea lawyers spend hours arguing the toss back and forth about whose pixels were in the right and whose pixels were in the wrong. Here's an example of one dude pressing his case in favor of his pixels being right ...
So, you are suggesting that R11 and R17 conflict with R18? I disagree and find the opposing arguments insufficient. Rules 11, 17 and 18.2(a) do not conflict and can be applied simultaneously.
The applicable part of R18 required me to give X room to round the mark. I did so. The requirements of R11 that X keep clear of a leeward boat DO NOT conflict with the requirements of R18 that I give room to round. "Room" and "keeping clear" are two DIFFERENT requirements imposed on two DIFFERENT boats and both can (and must) be simultaneously met without conflict.
Likewise, the proper course required by R17.2 is not in conflict with the requirements of room to round under R18. X's proper course around the mark and his proper course after gybing in no way conflicted with my requirement to give him room to do so. In fact, I did give X room to round the mark and to gybe. Contact only occurred because X was sailing below his proper course (R17.2) and failed to keep clear of a leeward boat (R11).
Oh geeze. It's only a game dude. Chill out.
Another example of how bad it has become... Regular readers of this blog, all three of you, will know that I am quite a vocal sailor in real life. Sometimes I like to sing while sailing. Sometimes I hail a magic spell that makes my competitor capsize. I'm much the same in Sailx. One day I was having a free and frank exchange of views with a fellow sailor during a Sailx race and I accidentally typed "u geard" instead of "you heard". This dude then "protested" me for making a derogatory remark and went on the protest forum to recommend that, among other things, I should be banned from the game. Apparently he thought I had called him a "geard"! In what language is "geard" an insult? What does it mean in any case? What a hoot!
Wait a minute. This "who is who" page is part of a wiki. Hmmm. Let's see. Quick edit. Save. That's better.
It now reads: Tillerman. Handsome, sexy and wicked. Thinks Sailx used to be more fun before the sea lawyers ruined it. You have to read his blog.
Truthiness rules.
Take that. You Geard.
Friday, August 08, 2008
My Taylor Is RIch
In the early days of the online sailing simulator, Tacticat (now sailx), some bright spark discovered that, by causing the skiff class boat to execute a certain combination of unseamanlike maneuvers, it was possible to fool the program into allowing you to keep flying the spinnaker when heading up to a close-hauled course. For a few days, anyone in the know was able to make huge gains by using this trick to sail upwind with the spinnaker flying, as the rest of the fleet looked on in awe and claimed that it was all totally unfair.
It didn't take long for the Tacticat overlords to identify what was obviously a bug in the program, and it was soon fixed.
Who would have thought that this weird anomaly from the world of sailing software would be replicated in real life? And at the Olympic Games no less?
In the Tornado catamaran class, the Dutch and American Olympic teams have developed so-called code 0 gennakers which are designed to be carried upwind as well as downwind. Although they may be slower downwind than a normal Tornado spinnaker, the code 0 sails are apparently so much faster upwind in the expected light wind conditions in China that these two teams are almost certain to win the gold and silver medals.
So now those energetic and competitive Australians are rushing to copy the Americans and Dutch.
The British, superior and aloof as only true Brits can be, say they already tried that idea and it will only work in a narrow wind range.
And the Austrians, dour and disgruntled, are threatening to boycott the whole regatta.
Ohmigod. The Olympics are just like Tacticat. All it needs now is someone hailing, "The darker the windier" or "My taylor is rich" all the way round the course and they will be identical. (Sorry. Tacticat in-joke. You had to be there.)
Apparently there is nothing in the Tornado class rules that prohibits using a smaller spinnaker or the use of it upwind. Just to be sure the Aussies posed a couple of questions to the Chief Measurer and, according to SailJuice Blog received the following answers...
I have no idea what "non-one design" means or what a "dolphin strike" is but it's all starting to sound more like the America's Cup than the Olympics. It's only a matter of time before the lawyers jump into the fray.
My immediate reactions....
As they say in Tacticat, "Why cats are not olympic any more?"
It didn't take long for the Tacticat overlords to identify what was obviously a bug in the program, and it was soon fixed.
Who would have thought that this weird anomaly from the world of sailing software would be replicated in real life? And at the Olympic Games no less?
In the Tornado catamaran class, the Dutch and American Olympic teams have developed so-called code 0 gennakers which are designed to be carried upwind as well as downwind. Although they may be slower downwind than a normal Tornado spinnaker, the code 0 sails are apparently so much faster upwind in the expected light wind conditions in China that these two teams are almost certain to win the gold and silver medals.
So now those energetic and competitive Australians are rushing to copy the Americans and Dutch.
The British, superior and aloof as only true Brits can be, say they already tried that idea and it will only work in a narrow wind range.
And the Austrians, dour and disgruntled, are threatening to boycott the whole regatta.
Ohmigod. The Olympics are just like Tacticat. All it needs now is someone hailing, "The darker the windier" or "My taylor is rich" all the way round the course and they will be identical. (Sorry. Tacticat in-joke. You had to be there.)
Apparently there is nothing in the Tornado class rules that prohibits using a smaller spinnaker or the use of it upwind. Just to be sure the Aussies posed a couple of questions to the Chief Measurer and, according to SailJuice Blog received the following answers...
Question:
Does the non-one design ‘code zero’ upwind spinnaker contravene the class rules?
Decision:
The concept of a smaller gennaker does not contravene the class rules. Class Rule G.5.3 does not specify minimum dimensions.
Question:
Is a “dolphin strike” permitted on the bowsprit?
Decision:
No. The addition of a compression strut and associated rigging below the bowsprit spar would contravene class rules F.5″
I have no idea what "non-one design" means or what a "dolphin strike" is but it's all starting to sound more like the America's Cup than the Olympics. It's only a matter of time before the lawyers jump into the fray.
My immediate reactions....
- I'm glad I sail a strict one-design class where such shenanigans are almost inconceivable.
- Who would have thunk that even a bug in Tacticat would emulate real life so well?
- If the Tornado class had aimed to ensure that they will never ever ever be invited to sail in the Olympics ever again, could they have devised a better strategy?
As they say in Tacticat, "Why cats are not olympic any more?"
Thursday, June 19, 2008
What Would Ben Do?
How important is it to be aggressive if you want to be a successful racing sailor?
A sailing magazine that I picked up in Australia started me thinking about this whole question of the role of aggression and boldness in racing. There was an article in the mag about Ben Ainslie, surely one of the accomplished sailboat racers of his generation... and likely by the time he has finished (he's only 31) to rank as one of the greatest racers of all time.
The essence of the article was that Ben is so good because he is not afraid to be aggressive in tight situations. If the pin end of the start line is favored he will fight to win the pin. If approaching the windward mark close to the port tack layline he will not hesitate to tack under and close to starboard tackers to squeeze between them and the buoy. If the left side of the run is favored he will immediately gybe on to port after rounding the windward mark even in heavy traffic.
Hmmm. I don't do those things. In fact most of the books I have read about sailing preach the exact opposite. Be conservative. Don't take big risks for small gains. Play the odds. If you like the left end of the start line, avoid the crowd at the pin and find a gap a bit further up the line. Don't jam your bow into a potential pile-up at the windward mark; instead duck a couple of starboard tackers and round in clear air above the mayhem of boats trying to luff around the buoy. Stay out of trouble. Sail clean.
I started wondering. What came first the chicken or the egg? Is Ben great because he goes for these risky, bold, aggressive moves? Or is he only able to pull off these moves because he has nerves of steel, superb boat-handling, razor-sharp reflexes, an uncanny ability to foresee developing multi-boat interactions... etc. etc.
More to the point, if an averagely talented mid-fleet sailor suddenly started to sail like Ben would their race results improve? Or would they be spending every evening of every regatta in the protest room? Speaking for myself, I suspect that if I changed my style tomorrow to always go for these daring maneuvers... win the pin in a tough fleet, approach a crowded windward mark on port tack and tack inside all the starboard tack boats... nine times out of ten I would screw up and end up doing 720's.
On the other hand, the top sailors do have the ability to succeed in these aggressive tactics. So how do the rest of us become more like them? Do we just do it? Start going for it every time, recognizing that we will make lots of mistakes (and maybe lots of enemies) at first, but over time we will develop the skills to be more successful? Or do we ease into it slowly by being bold when racing in small fleets in which we feel our abilities are as good or better than the opposition; and continue to sail a conservative game when playing against the big boys?
Just as an experiment I've been practicing the aggressive approach recently in SAILX (the tactical simulator formerly known as Tacticat). I'm not sure how true a simulation of real life it is in this respect but I'm coming to believe that trying to win the pin or tacking into the inside of a pack of starboard boats at the windward mark are not as high risk moves as I once thought. Even if you end up doing a 360 I figure you usually come out ahead of where you would have been by playing a more conservative game. (Did someone say Rule 31.2? Ah yes indeed. "If a boat has gained a significant advantage in the race or series by touching the mark she shall retire".)
So what do you think? How do you weigh up when to be daring and when to play it safe? How can a mid-fleet sailor develop a more aggressive style? What comes first... the mental attitude to be bold and daring, or the boat-handling skills to execute bold and daring moves? Chicken or egg?
A sailing magazine that I picked up in Australia started me thinking about this whole question of the role of aggression and boldness in racing. There was an article in the mag about Ben Ainslie, surely one of the accomplished sailboat racers of his generation... and likely by the time he has finished (he's only 31) to rank as one of the greatest racers of all time.
The essence of the article was that Ben is so good because he is not afraid to be aggressive in tight situations. If the pin end of the start line is favored he will fight to win the pin. If approaching the windward mark close to the port tack layline he will not hesitate to tack under and close to starboard tackers to squeeze between them and the buoy. If the left side of the run is favored he will immediately gybe on to port after rounding the windward mark even in heavy traffic.
Hmmm. I don't do those things. In fact most of the books I have read about sailing preach the exact opposite. Be conservative. Don't take big risks for small gains. Play the odds. If you like the left end of the start line, avoid the crowd at the pin and find a gap a bit further up the line. Don't jam your bow into a potential pile-up at the windward mark; instead duck a couple of starboard tackers and round in clear air above the mayhem of boats trying to luff around the buoy. Stay out of trouble. Sail clean.
I started wondering. What came first the chicken or the egg? Is Ben great because he goes for these risky, bold, aggressive moves? Or is he only able to pull off these moves because he has nerves of steel, superb boat-handling, razor-sharp reflexes, an uncanny ability to foresee developing multi-boat interactions... etc. etc.
More to the point, if an averagely talented mid-fleet sailor suddenly started to sail like Ben would their race results improve? Or would they be spending every evening of every regatta in the protest room? Speaking for myself, I suspect that if I changed my style tomorrow to always go for these daring maneuvers... win the pin in a tough fleet, approach a crowded windward mark on port tack and tack inside all the starboard tack boats... nine times out of ten I would screw up and end up doing 720's.
On the other hand, the top sailors do have the ability to succeed in these aggressive tactics. So how do the rest of us become more like them? Do we just do it? Start going for it every time, recognizing that we will make lots of mistakes (and maybe lots of enemies) at first, but over time we will develop the skills to be more successful? Or do we ease into it slowly by being bold when racing in small fleets in which we feel our abilities are as good or better than the opposition; and continue to sail a conservative game when playing against the big boys?
Just as an experiment I've been practicing the aggressive approach recently in SAILX (the tactical simulator formerly known as Tacticat). I'm not sure how true a simulation of real life it is in this respect but I'm coming to believe that trying to win the pin or tacking into the inside of a pack of starboard boats at the windward mark are not as high risk moves as I once thought. Even if you end up doing a 360 I figure you usually come out ahead of where you would have been by playing a more conservative game. (Did someone say Rule 31.2? Ah yes indeed. "If a boat has gained a significant advantage in the race or series by touching the mark she shall retire".)
So what do you think? How do you weigh up when to be daring and when to play it safe? How can a mid-fleet sailor develop a more aggressive style? What comes first... the mental attitude to be bold and daring, or the boat-handling skills to execute bold and daring moves? Chicken or egg?
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Tacticat Action Replay
Tacticat the online sailing tactical simulator just keeps improving. In the last week or so tides have been added to the program introducing all sorts of fun new realistic effects such as being swept on to the windward mark by the current.
There's also an action replay feature which I suggest you try if you want to gain a feel for the simulator. Go to the American Gold regatta from last night and click on where it says #6 REPLAY [SKIFF]. (You will see why I suggest this race shortly.)
I hope this works on your computer. For some reasons I have to click on the link, wait a few seconds, and then click on it again to get the Java applet to load properly. (Hey, I never said it was perfect.)
Once the applet starts you can click on F1 to see the full list of commands some of which you will need to control the view in the replay. Z and X zoom in and out. W controls different displays of wind. U controls display of current. You can left-click on the display to re-center what part of the race course you are viewing.
The race countdown clock is in the top left-hand corner. There are controls at top center to pause or slow the action, and a slide to fast forward at top right.
You will see the sailors chatting to each other before the start and during the race. The exchanges about ICISC relate to my Small World post from a few days ago. You will see some dude called Litoralis foul himself on my transom just before the start and then see him complaining at other boats that he thought were too slow at the start.
But note how that yellow boat aces the start, picks the correct side of the course, nails the layline (well almost) and leaves the fleet in his wake. As they say, "Even a blind nut can find a squirrel occasionally." Or something like that.
There's also an action replay feature which I suggest you try if you want to gain a feel for the simulator. Go to the American Gold regatta from last night and click on where it says #6 REPLAY [SKIFF]. (You will see why I suggest this race shortly.)
I hope this works on your computer. For some reasons I have to click on the link, wait a few seconds, and then click on it again to get the Java applet to load properly. (Hey, I never said it was perfect.)
Once the applet starts you can click on F1 to see the full list of commands some of which you will need to control the view in the replay. Z and X zoom in and out. W controls different displays of wind. U controls display of current. You can left-click on the display to re-center what part of the race course you are viewing.
The race countdown clock is in the top left-hand corner. There are controls at top center to pause or slow the action, and a slide to fast forward at top right.
You will see the sailors chatting to each other before the start and during the race. The exchanges about ICISC relate to my Small World post from a few days ago. You will see some dude called Litoralis foul himself on my transom just before the start and then see him complaining at other boats that he thought were too slow at the start.
But note how that yellow boat aces the start, picks the correct side of the course, nails the layline (well almost) and leaves the fleet in his wake. As they say, "Even a blind nut can find a squirrel occasionally." Or something like that.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Virtually Perfect
To answer my own request for good news about regatta organizers and race committees, I did sail in one regatta this year that was virtually perfect. Even though the winds were sometimes shifty, the start lines and courses were as square as could reasonably be expected. Start sequences and signals were spot on. Finishes were recorded accurately and, as soon as one race had finished, the RC started the sequence for the next race without any waiting around. There were no peanut butter and jelly unmentionables posing as regatta lunches, and the regatta results were posted on the web an hour or so after the last race. About the only thing to complain about as far as race management was concerned was that the start lines were a little short for the size of the fleet.
Off the water there was absolutely nothing to which one could take exception. No parking problems. No extra charges for food or drink. No dead skunks Brian.
On top of all that I had my best overall score in any regatta this season with a fifth place ranking. Then today I discovered that the regatta was written up on the Yachts and Yachting web page, with a brief description of a typical clumsy blunder by myself in one race. Still, there's no such thing as bad publicity and I will try not to let the fame go to my head.
Here's a picture from the Y&Y site of myself making a perfect mid-line start away from all the chaos at the pin end. That's me in the pink boat with my bow just hitting the line as the gun went off.
Oh, didn't I mention? It wasn't a real regatta. It was the first weekly Tacticat regatta last Monday, hosted in Europe this week. For those of you not in the know, Tacticat is an Internet environment where sailors of different countries and sailing classes meet to train tactics by virtually racing each other.
As I said, virtual perfection in regatta management thanks to the brilliant minds that invented Tacticat and continue to improve it in response to feedback from users. Come join us.
Off the water there was absolutely nothing to which one could take exception. No parking problems. No extra charges for food or drink. No dead skunks Brian.
On top of all that I had my best overall score in any regatta this season with a fifth place ranking. Then today I discovered that the regatta was written up on the Yachts and Yachting web page, with a brief description of a typical clumsy blunder by myself in one race. Still, there's no such thing as bad publicity and I will try not to let the fame go to my head.
Here's a picture from the Y&Y site of myself making a perfect mid-line start away from all the chaos at the pin end. That's me in the pink boat with my bow just hitting the line as the gun went off.
Oh, didn't I mention? It wasn't a real regatta. It was the first weekly Tacticat regatta last Monday, hosted in Europe this week. For those of you not in the know, Tacticat is an Internet environment where sailors of different countries and sailing classes meet to train tactics by virtually racing each other.
As I said, virtual perfection in regatta management thanks to the brilliant minds that invented Tacticat and continue to improve it in response to feedback from users. Come join us.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Gates
So there you are screaming down the run in Tacticat trying to keep out of the way of the Tactifools gybing and capsizing and steering all sorts of unpredictable courses and before you know what's happening the leeward gate is coming up fast and there are crowds of boats stopped, crashed, tacking, gybing, swirling around each mark like a swarm of bees and you have to make a decision about which side of the gate to round in about three milliseconds and........ disaster strikes.
And even though all the other advice you have read here about Tacticat sailing hasn't helped you one iota you are back here again for some help on how to deal with the leeward gate? Never learn, do you?
As with my last post on Downwind in Tacticat let me adopt my modest posture and confess that there is probably a lot more I don't know about gate rounding than I do know. So if you are a Tactichampion then please feel free to abuse me in the comments and to improve or correct my advice. But here's a few things I try and remember to do as I approach the bottom of the run...
First thing is to decide which gate you are going to round. Seems to me that there are two strategic factors -- and one tactical issue -- to consider...
Which side of the course has stronger wind? Other things being equal round the gate mark on that side and start heading to the pressure. Sure you could round the other mark and then tack but the problems with that strategy are
- you have further to sail to the stronger wind,
- you have to cross through the mayhem of boats still on the run. (Remember there's a reason all those idiots are behind even you.)
So make your mind up well before you approach the gate and position yourself to approach the desired mark, preferably on the inside of those 17 other boats that rounded the windward mark with you.
Then as you approach your preferred mark let's suppose that you notice that there is total chaos there. Boats jammed up in a raft six deep. Capsized boats. Usual Tacticrap. This is where quick thinking comes in. Do not under any circumstances plow right into the back of the raft of boats at the mark. Seems to me you have five choices...
- Slow down and hope the mess clears quickly.
- Aim for that tiny gap between the inside boat and the mark, get penalized for hitting both, and then spend the whole of the second beat complaining about how unfairly you were treated.
- Take the long route around the slow boats going nowhere.
- Change your mind and make a nice close rounding of the other mark and sail away in clear air with time to hit the M key and leave a sarcastic comment for the 23 other boats still stuck on the mark.
- Pray.
Your choice.
And in case you think this has nothing to do with real world sailing then let's see what a real world real expert has to say about real gates. However, sometimes weird things happen at a real world gate that would never happen in Tacticat.
So what have I missed? Anything else to say about Tactigates?
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Downwind in Tacticat
So the race is going pretty well. You made a good start, did well on the beat by watching the wind and heading for the side of the course with more pressure, found a good lane and sailed the whole beat in clear air, stayed out of trouble by avoiding the idiots, bots and other general mayhem, avoided getting trapped on the port tack layline, judged the starboard tack layline perfectly and rounded the windward and offset marks with the leaders.
Now you're ready to sail the run and you've come to Tillerman's blog to seek advice. What? You must be joking.
Sure. There are places to be gained and lost downwind in Tacticat. But it's the part of the game that I understand the least. So I will expose my ignorance by telling you what little I do know and perhaps some more experienced Tacticat players will tell you their secrets in the comments.
First some obvious things that apply to all three kinds of Tacticraft: cats, skiffs and Lasers...
1. Tacticats. Tacticat catamarans are boring. (Or am I missing something). Head down to the "sail by the telltales" course by hitting space bar. Is there any more to know? As I said, Tacticats are boring.
2. Tactiskiffs. Tacticat skiffs are the opposite of boring. They will capsize at the slightest opportunity downwind. So hoist the kite and prepare to swim a lot. In a blow the person who capsizes the least will win.
So what do I know about avoiding capsizes? Not much. The little flashing dots and the "Flip Prob" number of the display you get by hitting the "E" key will give you some clue as to how much danger you are in. If the hairs on the back of the neck are telling you that you are about to invert then try one of the following...
Beyond that I know nothing.
3. TactiLasers. Ahah. The most popular boat to race in Tacticat (and in the real world). To be honest the TactiLaser doesn't behave exactly like a real Laser downwind (except perhaps when there are real world waves). The best way to sail the TactiLaser is to start it planing and keep it planing while sailing as deep an angle as you can. Avoid excessive rudder movement. Use the space bar to bear away rather than down arrow or page down keys. Use the I or E keys to display your speed and keep it in the range that planes.
Sound easy? See you at the windward mark later.
Update: Apparently some of the above is crap. Check the comments for real expert advice.
Now you're ready to sail the run and you've come to Tillerman's blog to seek advice. What? You must be joking.
Sure. There are places to be gained and lost downwind in Tacticat. But it's the part of the game that I understand the least. So I will expose my ignorance by telling you what little I do know and perhaps some more experienced Tacticat players will tell you their secrets in the comments.
First some obvious things that apply to all three kinds of Tacticraft: cats, skiffs and Lasers...
- If there is more wind on one side of the course go there.
- Keep your air clear.
- Sail the headed tack -- the one heading more in the direction you actually want to go.
- Think about the leeward mark rounding. Which side of the gate will you round and how will you approach it for maximum gains. (More on this in the next Tacticat Tip). Unlike real sailboat racing the end of the run will come up much faster than you think. Or to be honest much faster than Tillerman can think.
1. Tacticats. Tacticat catamarans are boring. (Or am I missing something). Head down to the "sail by the telltales" course by hitting space bar. Is there any more to know? As I said, Tacticats are boring.
2. Tactiskiffs. Tacticat skiffs are the opposite of boring. They will capsize at the slightest opportunity downwind. So hoist the kite and prepare to swim a lot. In a blow the person who capsizes the least will win.
So what do I know about avoiding capsizes? Not much. The little flashing dots and the "Flip Prob" number of the display you get by hitting the "E" key will give you some clue as to how much danger you are in. If the hairs on the back of the neck are telling you that you are about to invert then try one of the following...
- Ease the mainsheet.
- Head down to a dead run.
- Try sailing without the kite.
Beyond that I know nothing.
3. TactiLasers. Ahah. The most popular boat to race in Tacticat (and in the real world). To be honest the TactiLaser doesn't behave exactly like a real Laser downwind (except perhaps when there are real world waves). The best way to sail the TactiLaser is to start it planing and keep it planing while sailing as deep an angle as you can. Avoid excessive rudder movement. Use the space bar to bear away rather than down arrow or page down keys. Use the I or E keys to display your speed and keep it in the range that planes.
Sound easy? See you at the windward mark later.
Update: Apparently some of the above is crap. Check the comments for real expert advice.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Clouds
How do we value ourselves? Some folk take pride in how well they have managed their investments or in the supposed value of their houses or in how far they have risen up the ladder in their careers. Students (and parents of students) compare their grades or their test scores.
Athletes are obsessive about numbers. Runners talk about their personal best at their favorite distance. Baseball players compare minute differences in batting averages or earned run averages. Golf players brag about their handicaps.
Elite sailors can look at their ISAF rankings, or their performances in the last big regatta, or how many world championships or Olympic medals they have won.
Numbers, numbers, numbers. We all want to keep score.
Even we puny winter-time Tacticat sailors like to see our names up there in the Top Ten. Someone even left a note on their blog today pointing out how well I was doing at that silly sailing game. My little chest puffed with pride.
This afternoon Tacticat had an announcement...
We all lost our rankings. Our numbers are gone. Our achievements are deleted.
We are VERY sorry to announce that due to a database corruption and our bad habit to forget to backup, ALL RESULTS OF LAST 15 DAYS ARE LOST. The responsible will suffer punishment and humiliation from the rest of Tacticat team.
How foolish we were to take pride in our scores, grades, rankings...
It's a reminder of what really matters in life. Health. Family. And the time to enjoy looking at the clouds.
Update: Thanks to soulsailor for the link to the Cloud Appreciation Society.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Clear Air
So if all the boats in Tacticat are sailing at the same speed, why is that some of them seem to pull ahead in the race and others fall behind?
It's just like real estate. The answer is location, location, location. Or as Stuart Walker would say Positioning: The Logic if Sailboat Racing.
I already wrote a post about one way to go faster: find the stronger wind. Another vital key to boatspeed and racing success in Tacticat is to sail in clear air. Don't get caught in the wind shadow of another boat. Just like real sailboat racing again.
It's actually easier in Tacticat than it is in real life to know if you're in another boat's wind shadow. Hit the S key and you will see the shadows cast by every boat. And if you hit the E key you will see a text display of various aspects of boat performance. The percentage shown against the word "Free" will be 100% when you are sailing in clear air and less if you are in dirty air or a wind shadow.
So when should you check if you are in clear air? Basically any time you are near other boats. Upwind and downwind. When you tack or gybe. When boats tack or gybe on your wind. Working upwind you want a lane where you will have clear air. Downwind you don't want another boat on your wind. Immediately after the start you need clear air. After you have rounded a mark you want clear air. Think about it. Plan ahead. What will you do if that boat tacks on your wind? Where should you tack to approach the mark in clear air?
To me this is one of the most valuable teaching aspects of Tacticat. It is constantly letting you know how to position yourself with respect to other boats to keep your wind clear. After a while playing it you will absorb the lessons and positioning will become second nature. Do you have a lane which enables you to tack on every shift and still be in clear air? Should you tack before or after that boat near to you? It will all become natural the more you play.
And then it will become even more interesting because you will move on from playing a defensive game and start to become aggressive about using your wind shadow to slow down other boats.
Be mean. Be nasty. It's fun.
And just to reinforce my message that looking for clear air in the silly game of Tacticat will serve you well when you play the equally silly game of real life sailboat racing, here's an article from Sailing World about Top of the Beat Tactics.
Location, location, location. Be a "vulture".
It's just like real estate. The answer is location, location, location. Or as Stuart Walker would say Positioning: The Logic if Sailboat Racing.
I already wrote a post about one way to go faster: find the stronger wind. Another vital key to boatspeed and racing success in Tacticat is to sail in clear air. Don't get caught in the wind shadow of another boat. Just like real sailboat racing again.
It's actually easier in Tacticat than it is in real life to know if you're in another boat's wind shadow. Hit the S key and you will see the shadows cast by every boat. And if you hit the E key you will see a text display of various aspects of boat performance. The percentage shown against the word "Free" will be 100% when you are sailing in clear air and less if you are in dirty air or a wind shadow.
So when should you check if you are in clear air? Basically any time you are near other boats. Upwind and downwind. When you tack or gybe. When boats tack or gybe on your wind. Working upwind you want a lane where you will have clear air. Downwind you don't want another boat on your wind. Immediately after the start you need clear air. After you have rounded a mark you want clear air. Think about it. Plan ahead. What will you do if that boat tacks on your wind? Where should you tack to approach the mark in clear air?
To me this is one of the most valuable teaching aspects of Tacticat. It is constantly letting you know how to position yourself with respect to other boats to keep your wind clear. After a while playing it you will absorb the lessons and positioning will become second nature. Do you have a lane which enables you to tack on every shift and still be in clear air? Should you tack before or after that boat near to you? It will all become natural the more you play.
And then it will become even more interesting because you will move on from playing a defensive game and start to become aggressive about using your wind shadow to slow down other boats.
Be mean. Be nasty. It's fun.
And just to reinforce my message that looking for clear air in the silly game of Tacticat will serve you well when you play the equally silly game of real life sailboat racing, here's an article from Sailing World about Top of the Beat Tactics.
Location, location, location. Be a "vulture".
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Starboard Tack Danger
My last Tacticat Tip was about the dangers of approaching a crowded windward mark on the port tack layline.
So here's the bad news kiddies: even if you approach the mark on starboard tack you can still screw it up and lose many places in the race. The easiest way I find to achieve this disgrace is when I approach the mark just shy of the layline with boats to windward of me or on my windward hip so I can't tack twice to clear the mark. So I try and shoot the mark and end up hitting it and maybe fouling a windward boat too. I lose way, stop altogether, start drifting backwards as other boats start piling into the traffic jam at the mark that I created. By the time the mess clears the rest of the fleet is sailing down the run.
So why would you approach the mark shy of the layline Tillerman? You may well ask. Sometimes it's because when I approach the parade of boats on the starboard tack layline I am tempted to tack below them rather than find a gap to sail through. Or maybe when I tacked on to starboard tack I was above the layline but then there was a header. It's easy to do, believe me. Done it many times in Tacticat.
So learn from my mistakes. Think ahead. Is the wind oscillating? Are you likely to experience a header before reaching the mark? Also, try and find a slot in the starboard tack parade where you have freedom to tack out again if the worst happens. Easy to say, harder to do.
And just to reinforce the point that it's not only crap Tacticat sailors like me that can make this mistake, here's another post from CampbellSailing.com where Andrew owns up to a similar error in real world sailing.
Do other Tacticat sailors have this problem? Do you have any other tips on how to avoid it?
So here's the bad news kiddies: even if you approach the mark on starboard tack you can still screw it up and lose many places in the race. The easiest way I find to achieve this disgrace is when I approach the mark just shy of the layline with boats to windward of me or on my windward hip so I can't tack twice to clear the mark. So I try and shoot the mark and end up hitting it and maybe fouling a windward boat too. I lose way, stop altogether, start drifting backwards as other boats start piling into the traffic jam at the mark that I created. By the time the mess clears the rest of the fleet is sailing down the run.
So why would you approach the mark shy of the layline Tillerman? You may well ask. Sometimes it's because when I approach the parade of boats on the starboard tack layline I am tempted to tack below them rather than find a gap to sail through. Or maybe when I tacked on to starboard tack I was above the layline but then there was a header. It's easy to do, believe me. Done it many times in Tacticat.
So learn from my mistakes. Think ahead. Is the wind oscillating? Are you likely to experience a header before reaching the mark? Also, try and find a slot in the starboard tack parade where you have freedom to tack out again if the worst happens. Easy to say, harder to do.
And just to reinforce the point that it's not only crap Tacticat sailors like me that can make this mistake, here's another post from CampbellSailing.com where Andrew owns up to a similar error in real world sailing.
Do other Tacticat sailors have this problem? Do you have any other tips on how to avoid it?
Monday, February 12, 2007
Barry Dobson Interview
Last Friday I was surprised to get a call from the renowned sailing broadcaster and writer Barry Dobson who wanted to interview me. Here is the full text of the interview (which probably won't be appearing in Sailing World any time soon).BD: Congratulations Tillerman on your second place finish in the Altea Cup.
Tillerman: Thanks very much Barry. There was some tough international competition and I was lucky to be able to string together some consistent results.
What was your strategy for the regatta, Tillerman?
Well Barry, I figured that with a large fleet and a short course it would make sense to start at the starboard end of the line and stay to the right of the fleet. I didn't want to get trapped on the left and end up coming to a crowded first mark on the port tack layline. Also with no throwouts in a three race regatta it would be important to sail clean races and stay out of trouble. So I started near the right-hand end of the line, tacked out immediately for clear air, and then headed for the side of the course with better pressure.
Well it certainly seemed to work for you. What about your equipment?
Glad you asked Barry. I've been very pleased with my decision to use the Dell loft in Austin. I think the wider cut of the Inspiron 6000 series is a definite plus downwind and the crisp keyboard action helps in the tacks and gybes. All my lines are by Cablevision, specifically the Optimum Online range. Their reliability is excellent. You can't afford to have a line breakage in mid-race.
Any special preparation for the regatta, Tillerman?
Oh yes Barry. I always give my screen a polish with isopropyl alcohol before an important race. You know what they say: a clean screen is a fast screen. And I trained hard in the days leading up to the regatta. A lot of the credit must go to my training partners, Guest_23 and Guest _47. Those guys are awesome.
What was the highlight of the regatta for you, Tillerman?
No question Barry, it was the end of the first beat of the second race when I was approaching the windward mark in second place right behind my sailing hero, Litoralis.
Why is he your hero?
Barry, need you ask? Lito was the brains behind the Tacticat Laser!!! That puts him right up there with Bruce Kirby and Julian Bethwaite in my book. And as a Tacticat sailor he is in a class by himself. Let me give you an example. We were sailing together in a practice race a couple of days before the Altea Cup. We were luffing below the line just before the start and he told me to "Go". Well, when a sailing superstar like Lito says go, I go. I accelerated to the line, and it was amazing, he had timed it just right so that I was OCS and he had a perfect start. What an evil genius! I try and emulate his style of aggressive sailing but I think you just have to be born with a mean streak like that.
Who are the other sailors you admire?
Well, windvane of course for winning the regatta. And trencher, always up there in the rankings. And dwsc:Foiler, he has amazing downwind speed. Oh, and pudge.... how many other sailors' names have become verbs as in, "I was pudged at the start"?
Why are British sailors doing so well in Tacticat?
It's all the support we get from the National Lottery, innit.
So how much funding have you received from the lottery, Tillerman?
Sorry mate, that's a state secret. If I told you, I'd have to kill you.
Thanks for the interview Tillerman.
You're welcome Barry.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Beware the Port Tack Layline
Tillerman's Tacticat Tip #4 is Beware the Port Tack Layline.
Here's the scenario. Before the start in Tacticat it looks like the wind is stronger on the left side of the course. You read Tillerman's Tacticat Tip #2 Watch the Wind and so you decide to start near the pin end of the line. You get a good start but boats to the left and right of you get slightly better ones. As you head out to the left side of the course you never extend far enough ahead of the boats to windward of you to be able to tack and cross them safely.
Now you're starting to approach the port tack layline and still you can't tack. Maybe you start sending messages to that boat on your hip...
"Tack."
"Tack now!!!!"
Eventually he gets the message. He and the six boats to windward of him flop over on to port, but by now you are on the layline, or perhaps even above it. Worse, it turns out that there was some decent pressure on the right too and some of the boats that went right are going to cross you. There are already fifteen boats lined up on the starboard tack layline and you can't see any gaps in the line.
Now you're approaching the mark.You can't tack inside the starboard tackers; they are too close to the mark. What are you going to do? Bear off and duck a dozen or more boats? Sheet out and wait? There are boats ahead of you on starboard. There are boats to leeward of you. There's nowhere to go. You're screwed.
So how do you deal with this situation and get around the mark cleanly and still be up with the leaders? Beats me. Basically you can't get there from here. I guess you should have anticipated the problem earlier and maybe slowed down earlier so you could tack on to port, duck some transoms and get into the starboard tack parade before all the gaps filled up.
If it makes you feel any better this happens to top sailors too. Check out this Monday Morning Tactician tale from CampbellSailing.com. Andrew thought he had an opportunity to round the mark with the leaders but ran into extra complications caused when another port tacker stole a late inside overlap.
Here's the scenario. Before the start in Tacticat it looks like the wind is stronger on the left side of the course. You read Tillerman's Tacticat Tip #2 Watch the Wind and so you decide to start near the pin end of the line. You get a good start but boats to the left and right of you get slightly better ones. As you head out to the left side of the course you never extend far enough ahead of the boats to windward of you to be able to tack and cross them safely.
Now you're starting to approach the port tack layline and still you can't tack. Maybe you start sending messages to that boat on your hip...
"Tack."
"Tack now!!!!"
Eventually he gets the message. He and the six boats to windward of him flop over on to port, but by now you are on the layline, or perhaps even above it. Worse, it turns out that there was some decent pressure on the right too and some of the boats that went right are going to cross you. There are already fifteen boats lined up on the starboard tack layline and you can't see any gaps in the line.
Now you're approaching the mark.You can't tack inside the starboard tackers; they are too close to the mark. What are you going to do? Bear off and duck a dozen or more boats? Sheet out and wait? There are boats ahead of you on starboard. There are boats to leeward of you. There's nowhere to go. You're screwed.
So how do you deal with this situation and get around the mark cleanly and still be up with the leaders? Beats me. Basically you can't get there from here. I guess you should have anticipated the problem earlier and maybe slowed down earlier so you could tack on to port, duck some transoms and get into the starboard tack parade before all the gaps filled up.
If it makes you feel any better this happens to top sailors too. Check out this Monday Morning Tactician tale from CampbellSailing.com. Andrew thought he had an opportunity to round the mark with the leaders but ran into extra complications caused when another port tacker stole a late inside overlap.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Stay out of Trouble
Tillerman's Tacticat Tip #3 is Stay out of Trouble.
What do I mean? Well, just go to Tacticat and enter a "field" where 20 or more boats are racing. Sit back and watch a couple of races. What will you see?
Even before the start, boats will be crashing into each other. Those boats with red dots on them are the ones that Tacticat decided were at fault in the collisions and they will be penalized by being forced to sail more slowly at the start.
Then there is that crowd of boats luffing at the right end of the line, hitting each other and the buoy. More boats trying to start at that end are smashing into the back of the boats at the buoy in a forlorn attempt to sail through them.
There goes the start signal. Off they go.
Now boats are trying to tack from port to starboard and fouling other boats. There's a boat on port trying to cross a starboard tacker and failing. There's a clump of three or four boats all stuck together and going nowhere.
Look, now the leaders are lined up on the starboard tack layline to the windward mark. Port tackers are trying to cross that line of starboard tack boats and fouling them.
Oops. Now a boat is stuck on the windward mark and other boats are piling into her.
There go the leaders off down the run. The best sailors are planing. Here come the six leading boats on a screaming reach approaching the gate, some on starboard, some on port. Ouch. I daren't look. Total mayhem.
You get the picture. Half the competitors (at least) are putting themselves out of contention through collisions with other boats, trying to sail through other boats, hitting marks, etc. etc.
So the best thing you can do when you want to do well in a Tacticat race is just... stay out of trouble. Watch out for starboard tackers. Look out for packs of boats stuck in a raft on a buoy ahead of you and sail round them. Even if you have the right of way you can't sail through or over other boats and you will lose distance. Stay sharp. Keep your eyes open. Sail safe.
Does this bear any relation to real sailboat racing? Sure. Just ask this young man.
Thomas Barrows took a first place finish in the recent Miami Olympic Classes Regatta but then disaster struck when an oncoming boat at full speed T-boned him and put a hole in the side of his Laser the size of a small water-melon. The photo shows the subsequent repair in progress. It's amazing what you can do with duct tape.
Update: I didn't know when I first wrote this post that the coach repairing the boat is Rulo from the Laser Training Center in Cabarete. Rulo is an amazing coach and was hired by five sailors to aid them at the OCR, including Thomas. With all due respect to duct tape one also needs the brains and imagination on how to apply it. Also, the details of how to get the Laser on to the RIB for the repair does not come with the duct tape roll instructions manual.
Thanks to Sailing Anarchy for the story and photo from the OCR.
What do I mean? Well, just go to Tacticat and enter a "field" where 20 or more boats are racing. Sit back and watch a couple of races. What will you see?
Even before the start, boats will be crashing into each other. Those boats with red dots on them are the ones that Tacticat decided were at fault in the collisions and they will be penalized by being forced to sail more slowly at the start.
Then there is that crowd of boats luffing at the right end of the line, hitting each other and the buoy. More boats trying to start at that end are smashing into the back of the boats at the buoy in a forlorn attempt to sail through them.
There goes the start signal. Off they go.
Now boats are trying to tack from port to starboard and fouling other boats. There's a boat on port trying to cross a starboard tacker and failing. There's a clump of three or four boats all stuck together and going nowhere.
Look, now the leaders are lined up on the starboard tack layline to the windward mark. Port tackers are trying to cross that line of starboard tack boats and fouling them.
Oops. Now a boat is stuck on the windward mark and other boats are piling into her.
There go the leaders off down the run. The best sailors are planing. Here come the six leading boats on a screaming reach approaching the gate, some on starboard, some on port. Ouch. I daren't look. Total mayhem.
You get the picture. Half the competitors (at least) are putting themselves out of contention through collisions with other boats, trying to sail through other boats, hitting marks, etc. etc.
So the best thing you can do when you want to do well in a Tacticat race is just... stay out of trouble. Watch out for starboard tackers. Look out for packs of boats stuck in a raft on a buoy ahead of you and sail round them. Even if you have the right of way you can't sail through or over other boats and you will lose distance. Stay sharp. Keep your eyes open. Sail safe.
Does this bear any relation to real sailboat racing? Sure. Just ask this young man.
Thomas Barrows took a first place finish in the recent Miami Olympic Classes Regatta but then disaster struck when an oncoming boat at full speed T-boned him and put a hole in the side of his Laser the size of a small water-melon. The photo shows the subsequent repair in progress. It's amazing what you can do with duct tape.
Update: I didn't know when I first wrote this post that the coach repairing the boat is Rulo from the Laser Training Center in Cabarete. Rulo is an amazing coach and was hired by five sailors to aid them at the OCR, including Thomas. With all due respect to duct tape one also needs the brains and imagination on how to apply it. Also, the details of how to get the Laser on to the RIB for the repair does not come with the duct tape roll instructions manual.
Thanks to Sailing Anarchy for the story and photo from the OCR.
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