There is no need to fill in anything on this form! Just click the "Set
Course" button and go ahead setting a course. The form allows the software
to help set courses that allow for the tide and wind, as well as predict how
long any particular race will take. All the times may be filled in as four
digit numbers, like 1030, or with separators between the hours and minutes,
like 10:30 or 10.30 The committee boat position is in the format dd:mm.mm,
with a colon separating the degrees from the minutes. If more than one class
is to be set a course, the name of that class should be entered, so that the
classes can be distinguished.
The Chart
This is a stylistic representation, and not to be used for navigation.
The depth contours are marked Olive for drying areas, blue for areas within the
2 metre contour and lavender within the 10 metre contour. Deeper water is left
white The special controls are in a box at the top left of the screen, and
the coordinates of the mouse are shown here. As the mouse is moved (without
clicking) over a mark the name and code designation of that mark show in an
information pop-up.
The screen controls are:
To Zoom In Move the slider in the control box. For tablets use the pinch or spread gestures.
To scroll
Holding the left button down drag the mouse and then release the
button. This will move the chart as the mouse moved. For tablets drag a finger over the screen
Push the mouse to one of the extemities of the screen. The chart
will scroll in from that edge.
Right click the mouse when close to one of the sides. The chart
will scroll in from that side. Clicking the right button in one of the corners
will scroll the chart in from that corner.
Hold the control key down and click the left mouse button. This
will recentre the chart on the mouse.
Hold the shift key down and click the left mouse button to centre the plot on the current committee boat position.
To move the committee boat. Right click the mouse on the committee
boat, then move the mouse to the new committee boat position and left click the
mouse. The committee boat will follow the mouse. An alternate method is to use the move CV button or the lat CV to Leeward button. This will prompt for a reference mark and a time, and will move the CV so that the reference mark will be that time to windward.
To lay a mark. Click on the "Lay Mark" button. A window will pop
up asking for the mark code, description and position. The position values will
normally be filled in as the position where the mouse was last clicked.
Clicking the mouse somewhere else will change thevalues. When the "lay"
button is clicked the mark will be placed on the chart. If the Move CV button is clicked the Committee boat will be moved to that position,
There are two other buttons that can be used to lay a mark Lay Windward and Lay Leeward, These will both prompt for a code and decription of this mark, with a reference mark code (0 for the CV) and a time in minutes and will position the mark that time to windward or leeward of the reference.
To move a mark. Only a mark that has been layed can be moved.
Either
Right click on the mark, drag it to its new location and left
click the position it, or
Use the "Lay Mark" button and enter the mark code that you want
to relay. You will be asked to confirm that you want to relay that mark.
To Set a course
Left click on each mark in turn. As the mouse is moved over any
mark after the first one has been selected, the information pop up will show
the range and bearing of the mark, and if the initial form has been completed,
the wind angle (allowing for tide) and expected sailing time for the leg. As
the mouse button is held down on the mark the infomation pop up will show the
total course length so far, and the ETA of the fleet at that mark.
To Undo the last mark set, click on the Undo button in the
control box. This may be repeated until there are no marks in the course.
To finish setting the course, either click the last mark a second
time, or the "Show Course" button.
Show Course Options When the course has been completed the course
details screen will be shown. There are some option buttons:
Publish: The course is laid out as text that may be edited, shch as changing the description of the laid marks, or the rounding side of a mark
Within this there are two buttons
Copy to clipboard for use with social media
Speak the course This uses speach synthesis to speak the course and possibly to broadcast it
Show Summary: If the class name has been entered this will show
an abbreviated summary for all the courses that have been set so far, in a
format that may be read out over a radio.
Print Map: Will print the chart with the courses set. Make sure
that the printer is printing in landscape format.
Print Course: This will either print the course or the summary,
depending on what is displayed at the time.
Start Again: This will show the original screen, with the
committee boat position and course set filled in. Any of the original
parameters may be changed, or a course code changed. Clicking the "set course"
button will redraw the chart and course taking into account any changes.
Previously set courses remain unchanged.
Clear All Courses: Deletes all the courses that have been set,
but does not change the initial parameters.
Next Class: Goes back to the original screen so that the class
name and start time can be changed. When you go on to set the next course the
previous couses will be shown on the chart in different colours. The current
course always has the same colour, and each course will be slightly offset as
marks are rounded.
Continue: This returns to the chart so additional marks can be
set (or undone).
Port Or Starboard. The program will choose, based on the bearing
to a mark and away from the mark. If the next leg is an exact reciprocal, then
the choice will be port. These are suggestions only. There are often
constraints such as tide, other clubs using the mark or race officers judgement
which may make the suggestion the wrong choice.