TRUDEAU RACING THREAD!!

[Jane Fossett]

I'm starting a thread to discuss issues and share information about Trudeau boat racing.
I think the 'Trudeau Classic Yachts' are remarkable examples of graphic artistry and technical performance. The boats are fun to sail, and equally exciting to race.
I'd like to use this thread to share information and ideas about racing these wonderful digital sail machines with other members of the SLSF group. Please feel free to voice your opinions, experiences, and desires here... [well, at least those desires limited to Trudeau boats, anyway].

[Jane Fossett]

!!! NYC BIG-BOAT RACES each SUNDAY @ 6pm SLT!!!!
If you have a Defender, Trucordia Yawl, or any other Trudeau Yacht that can use race wind, this is your chance to show it off against the pack.
Beginning February 11, 2007, the notorious Tuesday Big-Boat Races will permanently move to Sunday evening at 6:00pm SLT. The new time should be more convenient for many sailors.
If you think you have the stuff to 'run with the big boats,' please join us at the Nantucket Start Line on Sunday. If you don't yet have a boat, feel free to put on your boat shoes and crew for one of the racing skippers.
We'll try to fit in at least three races each week, usually starting with the tried-and-true 'BETA 5.0' course.

[Jane Fossett]

Here are charts for classic BETA v5.0 course and a new, untested, "tentative" course... the "Nantucket Long."
If you want to see past, individual results on the Beta 5.0, please check out the "Hot Laps" racing thread. If you want to be the first Big Boat to rip a record on new course... show up on Sunday...

[Jane Fossett]

Here are some basic suggestions for the NYC Sunday evening big-boat races:

BOATS:
1. The NYC big-boat races are primarily open to Trudeau Defender II and Trucordia Yawl classes using “Race Wind.”
2. A new race wind update was released for both boats on January 30 2007. If you have not yet installed the update, please IM Jacqueline Trudeau for a free copy of the new file.
3. Please IM me in SL (Jane Fossett) if you would like to race using a different boat class or with different wind settings.
RACE NUMBER:
1. Please make sure your boat has a “number ID.” The start line will not recognize you without a number ID.
2. To ID your Defender II or Yawl, rez the "Rez and Sit" part of the boat.
3. Right click on it, and select "edit." Under the “general” tab, click “more.”
4. In the “name” box, at the end of the boat's name, put #XX (where XX is 2 numbers).
5. Once your boat has an ID number, it will show up in your Inventory with that number. You can then use that file as you normally would.
6. You may also need to show your Yacht Club affiliation as your Avatar’s Active Group. You can change your Group by clicking “EDIT/GROUPS” on the top SL menu bar.
WIND:
1. The races will use “Race Wind” (see “BOATS” above).
2. The current versions of the Defender II, Yawl, and Ketch will all automatically switch to race wind at the start line.
3. As discussed above, please make sure you have the 1-30-2007 patch from Jacqueline Trudeau; otherwise your wind settings will be 180° off.
TRUDEAU YACHT RACING GROUP:
1. I’ve started a new SL Group titled: “Trudeau Yacht Racing.” The TYR Group will make it easy to distribute announcements and share information about big-boat racing issues. If you're not a member, please sign up!

Jane Fossett
Nantucket Yacht Club
February 6, 2007

[Jacqueline Trudeau]

Thanks for the work on this, Jane - it looks exciting! I'd also like to point out that current versions of the Trudeau 32 and Sea Sharp are now also race wind cognizant (if you have the older model of either of those, IM me for a replacement. The update is free, gotta charge for a naming though). The Bluewater Schooner is in dry dock for refitting as we speak and the updated version should be ready in a week or so.

Not all boats perform equally, each one has it's script tweaked a bit to reflect sail area, waterline length and hull shape. As Jane and I started to discuss, eventually a handicapping system could be put in place once a boat's capability against the others is determined.

[Jane Fossett]

By popular demand, beginning February 11 2007, the NYC Big-Boat Races are moving to Sunday evenings @ 6pm SLT!
Please see the revised race announcement posted above for all the details, and watch the SLSF Events page for any new schedule updates.
See you at the Start Line!

[Alabama Leavitt]

By popular demand, beginning February 11 2007, the NYC Big-Boat Races are moving to Sunday evenings @ 6pm SLT!

to bad races start 3:00am in the morning in Holland, but i'll try to be there,

i'll try to get some practice too

[Jane Fossett]

"Alabama" is in the Netherlands?
I don't buy it!
Next you'll tell me that "Georgia" was previously part of the Soviet Union...

[Jane Fossett]

With apologies to Cory, I'm reprinting below the official "Copeland" SL graphics recommendations for sailboat racing. The information is a little bit dated, but I think it's still valid and extremely helpful.
[Speaking of which, I'd love some feedback about how new "duo processors" influence performance factors critical to SLSF racing.]
IN ANY EVENT... Here are Cory Copeland's recommendations [with slight editorial changes from me. Please keep them secret!]
--Jane
___________________

Go to the EDIT pull down menu at the top of your screen and click "Preferences"(it's towards the bottom).
1. Don't forget to write down your "non sailing" settings so you can reset them later.
2. Click on the network tab.
(a) Make sure your network bandwidth is set slightly lower than your maximum upload speed to your ISP.
(b)Set your Disk Cache Size to match your computer's cache.
3. Click the "Graphics" tab.
(a) Display resolution is your choice, but you will obviously gain the most performance the smaller it is. Experiment with the resolution that you can live with.
(b)You will get the best performance from being in full screen mode as well.
(c)"Draw Distance:" the higher your draw distance, the farther you can see and the more your computer has to see and think about. I like to sail around 300 but if it gets laggy, I reduce this and compromise visibility for a frame rate I can live with. In general, the more boats that are around you, the lower the draw distance you should use.
4. Click the "Graphics Detail" tab.
(a)Uncheck the top two boxes
(b)Avatar rendering should be set to Normal for best performance
(c)Lighting Detail (IMPORTANT): Should be set to Sun and Moon only for maximum performance
(d)Terrain Detail: Set to Low. (THE DETAIL SLIDERS - THE FURTHER LEFT THEY ARE, THE BETTER)
(1)Object Mesh Detail - set to LESS than 1/3 from the left
(2)Flexible mesh Detail - set to LESS than 1/3 from the left
(3)Tree Mesh Detail ALL THE WAY LEFT (there are no trees in the ocean) (4)Avatar Mesh Detail - set to LESS than 1/3 from the left
5. Advanced Graphics Tab:
(1) Uncheck Anisotropic filtering
(2)Check Agp if you have an AGP card
(3)Set your Graphics Card Memory to the maximum setting for your computer. (4)set "Fog Distance Ratio" to 2.0 or less
(5)set "Maximum Particle Count" to less than 1000
(6)set "Outfit Composite" to 5 or less (zero works too).
6..Recommended but not absoulutely necessary... Go back to the "Network" tab and click “clear cache.”
7. After you make the above changes, hit "Apply" or "OK", and restart if necessary.
8. There are additional settings changes you can make in your graphics adapter's control panel, typically choosing performance, or the option that DOESN'T provide best image quality is what you want to do. Remember Second Life is OPENGL so you don't need to worry about Direct3d settings.

[Jane Fossett]

How should we handicap different boat classes that race against each other?
In other words:
1. Is a Defender II equally matched with a Trucordia Yawl?
2. Are they both faster than a Tahiti Ketch?
3. How much faster?
4. I know a feline racer at Mowry who hot-wired her Tahiti Ketch with a Trucordia Yawl HUD. Is that… legal?
5. What if a Salty Dog wanted to do that?
6. Bottom line: If a Tako finishes in 8:15, and a Defender finishes in 9:00, who the hell “won” that race, anyway?

In order to deal with this stuff as SL racing fleets become more diverse, I think it would be fun to develop a handicapping system that allows different boats to sail against each other.

Obviously boat ‘physics’ has a lot to do with how fast a boat can go, but I think in a race context the answer turns out to be a lot more complicated. There are at least a dozen practical SL factors that can contribute to race performance, and probably many more.
Lots of people have opinions about this issue. I'd be interested in an ongoing discussion here that could gradually develop into a broadly accepted and useful handicapping system.

I have a couple personal thoughts on the topic to start the discussion:
A. For the present, I think we should “Let one hundred flowers bloom,” and just encourage everybody to race and report the race results by their finish time. (That's the status quo)
In mixed races or regattas, however, we should also include info about each boat’s one design class, and race coordinators should have the option to include comments about any boat modifications that might impact race outcomes (like #4 above).
B. As we go along, I think the best handicap scheme might come from a practical head-to-head comparison of different boats on the same race courses.
We actually may already have it: I think the ongoing “Hot Laps” data from various clubs could end up providing strong evidence for any handicapping system we use.

[Alabama Leavitt]

How should we handicap different boat classes that race against each other?

Since we are all racing Trudeau yachts, i think the most accurate information could be provided by Jacqueline Trudeau, since she knows how the boats are built and how they compare.



chaotic start yesterday,



but mighty competative..

[Jane Fossett]

Thank you Alabama!
What great pictures!

[Cybrid Keats]

Agreed, they are awesome pics.

[Alabama Leavitt]

Thank you Alabama!
What great pictures!

Agreed, they are awesome pics.

thank you guys, *blush* lets do two more



doesn't it just look real?



view from my slip, one good spot

[Jane Fossett]

Due to overwhelming demand, The Trudeau Racing Group Shameless Promotion Department announces Yet Another Shameless Promotion: Free personalized tee-shirts!
If you'd like a tee shirt that incudes your name, a classic picture of your Trudeau yacht, and options for your race number, yacht club, and boat name... and you don't want to pay for it... we have a deal for you.

As part of a brief introductory offer that could last the next decade, you can receive two such T-shirts for the easy, affordable charge of $0.00 Linden, or 'free,' [whichever amount is less].

If you would like a free unisex T-shirt similar to those pictured below, please IM me in Second Life and include the information you would like displayed on the shirt.