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maitai · 04-11-2012, 05:35

I can if you (we) are enough create a team for that race, let's say OCPN_team with a special flag. Who's in?

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 04:37

Maitai, I'm in if you'll have me. OCPN Flag sounds like a good idea. I need to practice, but have signed up for the race. Can I put in the waypoints next? What preparations for this specific race should I make, other than as you said..

Quote:

If you intend to participate I strongly advise to train a bit before for instance with this race Virtual Loup-De-Mer, which is using the same boat/polar and that you can start/restart at leasure. You need to learn a bit about VLM's navigation modes and especially autopilot (pilototo as we call it)

Thanks for the shove into the water! ..Sinbad7, Tore I hope you are in?

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 05:51

Tried doing VLM-SNSM with 60' Imoca -
Okay to get started in qtVLM, went to Boat/Account Management/ and
Logged in with user name and pass
Picked VLM (Virtual Loup du Mer) Boat radio button.

Then entered WP for all of the Marks and the finish.
Then downloaded an 8 day Grib file of the area.
Then tried to move the boat over to the start, by changing the boat position with the start WP. The boat disappeared. Then just right clicked in the area of the start and picked Place boat here, it appeared near the start.

I then did a Routing from WP00 to WP01. Apparently to route was too short because the boat went out and then came back again. I think I have to set the calculation time to be shorter, so I redownloaded the grib setting it to 3 hours. Then I did a Routing to WP03 and it happened to take WP02 to starboard. The converted the routing to a route, see attached csv.

I can't seem to get connected to the autopilot or the race. What am I missing?
Do I pick the Race from somewhere within qtVLM? or am I supposed to run the race from the website login, and calculate the route to take from qtVLM on my computer and just export and import the route into my loggin for the race on the web?

Thanks.Rick

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 06:04

Also, it would be nice if I could optimize a route with the 19 or so Wpts given in the Race Notice. What am I missing?

Additionally, should I be adjusting the waypoints so that I clearly leave them to starboard, and WP19 to port to cross the finish rather than run them over?

maitai · 05-11-2012, 06:12

Rick,

First of all you need to register at VLM (create a player account). Then you need to create at least a boat for that player, and register it in a race.

Then of course you need to switch qtVlm to VLM-Mode. I assume you have done that. If you enter correctly your VLM login and password in qtVlm then automatically you will find your boat on the starting point of the race, the race WPs will be shown too, the correct polar loaded, etc... and you are ready to sail. In VLM mode qtVlm has a different dashboard with autopilot and some other buttons, the route and routage dialogs also are a bit different. Of course in VLM mode you cannot move your boat by hand

If your boat is registered on a "record" race you can start whenever you want, by placing a navigation order (for instance define a POI as the VLM-WP and set the navigation mode to ortho, and your boat will start moving). Please note that VLM will calculate a new positionj every 5mn (or 1mn depending on the race). The time remaining until the next "vacation" is shown on the status bar at the bottom of the screen. When it restart the sync button on the dashboard becomes red, meaning that you need to press it to see the new position of your boat.

If you want to restart the race you need to go to the VLM site, unsubscribe to the race and subscribe again.

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 06:23

Here's a png of what I've done so far in qtVLM. I am going to have to read your notes above to get started (perhaps tonight). I think I have registered at VLM and created a player account, also I thought I created a boat "rgleason" also user name "rgleason" and I thought I had registered for the two races, ---I will check this though.

Then I guess when I loggin correctly through qtVLM the screen will change for the race.

Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes..

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 06:27

Here is the png. Need to work on the login I think.

maitai · 05-11-2012, 07:01

This screen-shot clearly shows that you have set qtVlm in real-boat mode. You need to set it up in VLM-mode to join a virtual race (boat->manage account and create a new one)

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 08:09

Ok I got it into VLM mode, but it still complains about my boat name 'rgleason' which is also my user name. Tried a "new" login still same thing. Why does it still complain?

I checked Le Vent de Globes and my user name is rgleason.
I could not find out where to sign up for SNSM-Imoca 60'

I has autopilot to the left, but is titled wrong because I can't seem to get to SNSM-Imoca60 Race. I'll do more tonight. Thanks

rgleason · 05-11-2012, 08:18

I've been having trouble with attachments sorry

maitai · 05-11-2012, 08:47

Your user name is your full email adress (the one you have given on VLM server when you registered). Not just 'rgleason'. And maybe you confuse Virtual-Winds (the forum) and VLM, it's 2 differents things

The VLM server is here: Virtual Loup-De-Mer

rgleason · 06-11-2012, 05:35

Logging in on Virtual Loop de Mer Virtual Races (not real boat mode) from within qtVLM under "Boat" / "Accounts Management"

Login: = full email used on the VLM server
Password = password used on VLM server
Type of boat: Real Boat or VLM Boat, pick VLM Boat

Yes, Maitai. This worked.

Under "Boat" / "Boat Settings" the Boat List contains rgleason for Le Vent des Globe with an active check. It also lists "Psuedo" = rgleason and "ID" = 21743

Under "Boat" / "Races Settings" A message immediately comes up "Download Races and Boats" and since I have joined the "Le Vent des Globe" Race through the website Virtual Loup-De-Mer , I am asked to select boats and download this race. I now see that the waypoints and gates (including so called Ice Gates are downloaded and showing on the chart). Everyone is at anchor and there are no Arrivals because the race has not started. I see on the chart there is a line from the boat "rgleason" to WP1.

Now I need to sign up for "learning" race, and I believe that is done from the browser on the website, (there does not appear to be a way to do it from within qtVLM). The race I'd like to sign up for is SNMA- Imoca 60 Virtual Loup-De-Mer
I see the waypoints and course instructions and have cut and pasted the waypoints into qtVLM, but there does not seem to be a way to do that. I see that other racers have logged in under "Rankig"

maitai · 06-11-2012, 06:20

Good start.

All you need to do now is to create another boat and sign it up in a training race. All this has to be done at VLM's website. Then in qtVLM you can refresh your account (boat->account management) and go to boats->settings to activate this new boat (there is a checkbox for that in the settings). Finally you can switch to this boat from the boat selector in the toolbar and hopefully start sailing.

I recommend for the time being that you don't take care of the gates, just head let's say towards spain to try a bit the various options.

rgleason · 06-11-2012, 07:53

Okay from the Virtual Loup De Mer website I signed in and under "Profile" just under "Recent Actions" selected "Create your boat":

Boat Description: Nell
Owner: rgleason (you)
Boat Id: 21960
Boat Pseudo: Nell
Boat Name: Nell

Currently not subscribed to any races.

Now under "Profile" under "Boats of this Player" there appear two boats
21743 rgleason assigned to Le Vent des Globes
21960 Nell currently not assigned to a race.

Sign up boat Nell for a Race
1.I click on 21960 Nell and it shows details about the boat and Owner but no place to sign up for a race. I would like to sign up for a training race, ideally 2124402, Record SNSM - Imoca 60'

2. Change Boat Name to "Nell" in the blue box upper right under your user name, pick the dropdown menu, pick the new boat name you just created. Now you can assign it to a race. Click on "Home" and Races are listed with a "Subscribe to this Race" on the left of the particular race information. I picked SNSM Imoca 60' and Voila'

Thank you Maitai, Now I go back to the program qtVLM and log in and pick this race.