Dry training is fun

Dry training isn't sailing without capsizing. It isn't sailing in sunshine either. Nono, - usually dry training sucks. Big time. It is about lifting weights, interval training, running, training balance, and maybe go over a few cases to sharpen up on the rules, when your arms are no longer able to lift anything but a piece of paper anyway.

Grab a favourite boat

That's all changing. Today, virtual sailing is good enough to provide live tactics training. Starting tactics and infight tactics can be trained intensely under specific conditions; Winds, shifts, currents, waves. The excact same conditions can be recreated, which is very usefull for training a specific maneuvre. Everchanging conditions can be created too, to create realistic conditions reading a course.

Laylines drawn  on the water

That's not all. Hawk has been doing some fantastic work with "painted" starting lines. It's just like the ones they use in the AC races. Only we had them first, and ours are better. Our lines can be seen not only by the spectators but also by the sailors.  That way we can choose to have lines on the "court". Just as they do in tennis. Have a look at the image above, where I am rushing towards the starboard pin - on the layline.

Just tacked...

And I know for sure, that I am on that layline. Not a shred of doubt in my mind, I can lay that mark. In fleet race, those lines are usefull for planning a good start; In match race, they are critical. Countless evening classes are held every day explaining new match racers about those lines. Be here at a certain time, don't go there, get over here, chase him out there, do the dial up in this section et.c. et.c.

Full speed ahead!

That's actually very hard to explain in a live RL situation. When you are out there, and you must steer, trim, balance, track time and position for infight, all this while the wind howls, sails flap and waves are spraying every other second, the other skipper yells starboard and ur jibman just lost the genoa-sheet, it gets pretty intense. Who cares about those lines? Turns out - those who care, they usually come out on top.

The helicopter view

And there's more. The timer is floating over the line, so everybody knows the time. Some boats even have an onboard display, that feeds from the RD's timer. Check the shot above. Helicopter view is great. In SL the coach, the judge and the RD can fly over the course and watch and comment on the action. My dad couldn't do that, when I was in the Opti. Better yet, rounding marks and using rule 18 is easier, because the zone is painted on the water too.

Relaxing after a training session in a nearby marina

So how do you get in on the action? Easy! Create an account in SL. It's free. Go through the SL training courses. Takes an hour or so. Search for Tradewinds and get a free boat, maybe even buy one. The QSM40 I am sailing above is very nice. Check the calendar on slsailing.co for a race, and you are on your way. Those shots here - they were taken in Fruit Islands. Beautiful area for leisure sailing too, - when ur done training and racing. See you there...

Qurved sails

I talked to Qyv a few days back. We discussed realism. Yesterday I got a new QSM40 from Qyv with curved sails, and it is a real beauty. I rushed inworld to get a few shots, and so - here is a look up the main sail.

Mainsail with curves from Qyv.

Huh! If that isn't nice, I dunno what is. Here is another one taken whilst swimming and having a friend sail by. Not easy, but the shot was worth it. Mmmhmmm... Those curves are almost as good as mine:

Curvy jib.

This morning I got another very nice surprise. Elbag called me and said Qyv made a special mouselook version of the QSM40. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou. Mouselook sailing is probably the single most important thing making you feel onboard for real. Not watching yourself in a pixel boat, but looking through your virtual eyes, seeing whatever you choose to look at.

Full speed ahead in the QSM40.

The hud also moved. It is now placed right after the mast, below the main sail, just as you would expect it to be on a real boat. So now, we can watch real sails, see the boatspeed, the course and the competitors and get the angles just as in real life. Yumsy. What a great training boat this is. Still misses a few points though. Speed feedback via changing sounds would be nice, and ticklers and wind vane would be sooo nice too. Try the QSM40. You won't regret it.

The QSM40

Had a great night sailgeeking with Hawk and Qyv; So nice to meet people with real sailing experience. So much easier to talk about the feel, ISAF rules, navigation and what not. Tried the new QSM40 built by Qyv. Very nice sailing. Lag free, easy to handle, very responsive, no crashes and good looking too; Even the sim crossings are handled quite well. A really nice matchracer. Qyv tells me it is modelled after Pelle Pettersons SM40; Yes, that SM40... from the WMRT. Feels great being back in a PP boat. Spent many hours in the International 806.

Me and my latest toy, the QSM40... 

Above you see me aboard my latest toy. In the back the builder, Qyv, and another sailor, elMegro. And do we race these boats? You can bite your nose we do, and its intense. This first night I learned, that it stalls at 29 degress apparent wind. Optimum downwind angle is 171. At least with the spin up and with tonights winds. Realism is good... the feel is definately there. Sounds are good too.

Cruising in Fruit Islands

Still missing the windvane, the telltales and the curved sails. The option of sailing in mouselook would be nice too. U need to be able to see the course and the angles. There is a hud giving speed, course and a few other figures. Sailing by numbers floating above the boat a few meters behind it just isn't my idea of sailing. Besides, in matchrace you'd care little about your absolute speed. What you care about is  moving faster than the other boat.

Excellent racing conditions in Fruit Islands

On the realism thing, the Flying Fizz still has an edge. More on that later. Oh... and Hawk gave me a matchrace training boat too. Will try that sometime soon and take a few notes. It is smaller, less complicated and meant for beginners and learning.