Forum: Share your SI/NOR language.

Race course diagrams

Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
Sail Canada has published a suite of race course diagrams. See https://www.sailing.ca/course-diagrams/

I am the author. I found that I preferred a more simple and concise graphical style, so wrote some software to do the job.

I will consider adding diagrams that may see wide use.
Created: 23-Dec-14 18:53

Comments

P
Grant Baldwin
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • International Judge
  • National Umpire
1
Bravo Robert! Well done.
Created: 23-Dec-14 19:20
Craig Evans
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
  • Regional Umpire
  • National Judge
  • Regional Race Officer
0
Many thanks, should be useful
Created: 23-Dec-14 19:23
John Siegel
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • National Race Officer
0
Thank you Robert.  Very helpful.
However, I'd really like to see course WA with gate and finishing line opposite starting line.
Created: 23-Dec-14 20:42
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
Hi John
I'm not sure what you mean by "gate and finishing line opposite starting line." Could you make a rough sketch?
Created: 23-Dec-14 21:16
John Siegel
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • National Race Officer
0
I'm suggesting diagram LA(gate), but with a finish opposite the start as in diagram L.
Created: 23-Dec-14 21:33
Dave Steenbergen
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • Club Race Officer
0
A number of clubs in the Toronto area are using the course that John Siegel suggested.

By the way I noticed a glitch on the Sail Canada page. The link to the Optimist Trap course with mark roundings is going to the wrong png file. The link without mark roundings is OK.
Created: 23-Dec-14 22:05
P
John Allan
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • Regional Race Officer
0
Up to 2021, sample courses diagrams that could be copied and pasted into SI were included as N Addendum to Appendix L.

In 2021 Appendix L was removed from the RRS and published separately as Appendix LG.

The diagrams, however, were moved into Apoendix S, where they can still be found.

You courses in Appendix S are designated by alphanumeric triggers, which are almost impossible to signal using flag signals.

Robert,

Do you think the course designations you use should match up with those used in Appendix S?
Created: 23-Dec-14 22:37
Nick Hutton
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
0
Thank you Robert. Great work. You may wish to look at how the Moth Course is represented in your list of class courses. The supplied diagram, with top and bottom gates is correct, but the graphic in your list is a simple W/L. But love your work!
Created: 23-Dec-14 22:38
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
1
Some great comments so far. I'll collect the errata for a few days and send a package of corrections to the SC webmaster.

On Appendix S, there is a problem. Two problems actually. First, Appendix S and the WS Race Management manual are not consistent. Generally, I have followed the WS manual. Second, the course designators do not cover smaller course features, principally gates and finish lines. So, for instance, each L course has at least four variants: gate vs gate, single start/finish line vs separate lines.I will figure out how to best present all four variants and get it published. 

Correct me if I am wrong, but all WS courses have alphanumeric triggers--this is a feature of the WS system itself. While I agree that these are really hard to signal using flags, I would respond by suggesting that course boards are more effective. 


Created: 23-Dec-14 23:23
Matt Bounds
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • National Race Officer
0
Did someone mention course boards?
Created: 23-Dec-15 02:24
Nick Hutton
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
0

All hand made! Ws are hard to make so always use L courses. 
Created: 23-Dec-15 02:48
Matt Bounds
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Judge
  • National Race Officer
1
Just a general comment, Nick - yellow on black is the highest contrast combination for a sign and it doesn't get lost in the visual clutter on a signal boat (which have a lot of white and black).  "W"s are not that hard . . .
Created: 23-Dec-15 03:49
Andreas Knospe
Nationality: Germany
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
0
Hello Robert,

great work but if you correct litle mistakes, here is another one. Pleace put mark 1a in the direction of the course axxis in stead mark 1


Created: 23-Dec-15 08:30
Christian Hartmann
Nationality: Germany
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
0
best compilation i've see so far!  

what kind of software did u wrote? platform? GUI / CLI? Git Repo? best regards
Created: 23-Dec-15 09:27
Christian Hartmann
Nationality: Germany
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
0
would love to see 'NR' (No ;) loop, Reaching finish) added. we've recently had some good responses by the sailors for that (single handers, non foiling boats). it's a mix of up&down and T, but with limited space sideways on the water.
Created: 23-Dec-15 09:30
Steve Harris
Nationality: United States
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
1
Matt Bounds...  Your course boards have multiple and varied uses, such as displaying the current wind conditions.  LOL





Created: 23-Dec-15 14:54
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
I used LaTeX and the TikZ/pgf graphics package. These provide very fine control over 2D graphics.
Created: 23-Dec-15 17:20
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
World Sailing is not consistent on the location of Mark 1a. At first thought, a sensible location for Mark 1a might be so that the outbound rounding vector of Mark 1a aligns with the inbound rounding vector of the next mark. This makes the downwind leg true (at the expense of a slightly skewed upwind leg, which is OK from a race management perspective).

With these diagrams, scale effects mean that some dimensions, alignments and angles will be distorted. Ideally, these distortions should be chosen to matter less than the "correct" dimensions, alignments and angles. 
Created: 23-Dec-15 17:31
Christian Hartmann
Nationality: Germany
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
0
\draw[ultra thick, ->] (6.5,0) arc (0:220:1); 

realy smart approach!  always though about using programmed SVGs, but this seems to be way more reasonable!
Created: 23-Dec-16 09:56
P
Peter van Muyden
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
1
Here is a link to my target time models:  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dpum6zdg3j81cx8/AAC0LQWejFjG3VpY2kqXImEka?dl=0  They are Excel based and for those with Excel skills you can make your own for particular classes.  All you need is the times a boat sails 1nm upwind, downwind and reach (if needed) in different wind strengths.  The spreadsheet uses a nonlinear regression for the calculations.    In addition to the target time the spreadsheet displays the finish time predictions based a mark rounding times.   
Created: 23-Dec-17 01:48
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
An update to the L course diagrams. There are at least 44. Not included are the M course, the most basic L course (pin is mark 2), and the slalom variants. Nor have I yet done the WS manual's generic mark trick -- need to work out a good graphic for that.

Created: 23-Dec-25 17:38
Christian Hartmann
Nationality: Germany
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
0
Great!  the first LRA (middle in the top row, second of all) seems to be incorrect labeled. just LR?
Created: 23-Dec-26 12:12
Nick Hutton
Nationality: Australia
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
0
Great work Robert. Would it be too pedantic to suggest that there is an option for an LG (and variants) finish? And the Match Racing simple L course is a starboard hand rounding. 
Created: 23-Dec-26 12:22
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
Thanks Christian. I fixed the incorrect label and replaced the image in my post.
Created: 23-Dec-26 16:46
Robert Woodbury
Nationality: Canada
Certifications:
  • National Race Officer
  • Club Judge
0
Thanks Nick. Yup, the WS manual has LG. That adds another four courses. Then, the difference between the WS manual (mark 4) and Appendix S (mark 2) doubles the count. Then there is the most basic course--pin is the leeward mark. Then the W variants. And, then, the slalom variants. Is there more?
Created: 23-Dec-26 16:49
P
Roger Wilson
Nationality: United Kingdom
Certifications:
  • International Race Officer
  • Regional Umpire
  • National Judge
0
Robert,

These are wonderful and will be really useful. Thank you.

However I work in an area where there is rarely less than 2 knots of current and often over 3. The current is often at 90 degrees to the wind and in lightish winds it is often almost impossible for any but the leading boat to get round the windward mark to Port. We therefore often give ourselves the option to set marks to starboard rather than port. 

If you have time sometime would you mind producing some diagrams with starboard roundings, esp mark1, mark1 with offset, trapezoids, trapezoids with a Mark 5 finishing behind the committee boat and Optimist courses? 

Wishing you a very Happy New Year and lots of fun events in 2024.

Berst Regards,

Roger




Created: 23-Dec-31 11:23
[You must be signed in to add a comment]
Cookies help us deliver our services. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more