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I've tried doing real time automated finish times tied into a automatically updating race sheet, and for me its just too stressful. For 90% of the fleet it works fine, and then three or four boats come in together, or for some reason I can't quite find Fred on the list or something and it all goes pear shaped, and because I've committed to the electronics then I'm in deep trouble. So for me it only works if I have full paper backup with someone else doing that part.

The other thing that was interesting was for Bart's Bash last year I was on the CB calling the boats through to another writing it down, and when I came to do the results formally I reviewed the video against the paper copy, and found more errors than I would have hoped, but also discovered that it took me well over an hour to review about 15 minutes of finish video.

Another issue is that every electronic device I've got is very difficult for me to use reliably on a committee boat in bright sunshine. That was another lesson from using the electronics at BB and also at other events. A radio link to a shore based operator of the electronics could help with that, but then its all upping the headcount needed to run the racing, which is fine for major events with lots of volunteers, but not so clever if you're trying to keep the headcount down on the duty team for ordinary club racing.

I'm not saying it can't be done, but every time I try it it goes pear shaped. Probably easier for clubs who have a fixed finish line and a permanent race box,but we've abandoned that.

On line sign on, on the other hand, ought to be very practical. I've put a proposal together to my club for a system where we'd have a touch screen like a Doctors surgery in the clubhouse or entries, which would be client server/web driven so that people could also sign on using mobiles or tablets or whatever. That would give us a more accurate list of entrants with less effort, which would certainly help get results out more quickly. You'd still have the people who forget to enter to chase up of course unless you get all draconian and refuse to count anyone who doesn't sign on properly. That feels too 1950s to me, we just have a quid in the RNLI box for anyone who forgets.

Edited by JimC - 13 May 15 at 10:32am

Originally posted by JimC I've tried doing real time automated finish times tied into a automatically updating race sheet, and for me its just too stressful. For 90% of the fleet it works fine, and then three or four boats come in together, or for some reason I can't quite find Fred on the list or something and it all goes pear shaped, and because I've committed to the electronics then I'm in deep trouble. So for me it only works if I have full paper backup with someone else doing that part. The other thing that was interesting was for Bart's Bash last year I was on the CB calling the boats through to another writing it down, and when I came to do the results formally I reviewed the video against the paper copy, and found more errors than I would have hoped, but also discovered that it took me well over an hour to review about 15 minutes of finish video. Another issue is that every electronic device I've got is very difficult for me to use reliably on a committee boat in bright sunshine. That was another lesson from using the electronics at BB and also at other events. A radio link to a shore based operator of the electronics could help with that, but then its all upping the headcount needed to run the racing, which is fine for major events with lots of volunteers, but not so clever if you're trying to keep the headcount down on the duty team for ordinary club racing. I'm not saying it can't be done, but every time I try it it goes pear shaped. Probably easier for clubs who have a fixed finish line and a permanent race box,but we've abandoned that. On line sign on, on the other hand, ought to be very practical. I've put a proposal together to my club for a system where we'd have a touch screen like a Doctors surgery in the clubhouse or entries, which would be client server/web driven so that people could also sign on using mobiles or tablets or whatever. That would give us a more accurate list of entrants with less effort, which would certainly help get results out more quickly. You'd still have the people who forget to enter to chase up of course unless you get all draconian and refuse to count anyone who doesn't sign on properly. That feels too 1950s to me, we just have a quid in the RNLI box for anyone who forgets.

Edited by turnturtle - 13 May 15 at 10:46am

Originally posted by turnturtle One of the ideas I had for this app would be that could re-order the boats by simply dragging and dropping..This would enable you sort the race order, more or less, ahead of the finish.

It doesn't seem to help nearly as much as you'd think it ought to... When I tried it the trouble with having folk in previous lap order or anything time based was that if someone was way out of position, after a capsize or something I had to go scanning the entire sheet to find them, which again escalated the stress levels... Its amazing how long it takes to resort a sheet by alphabetical order, find Mr Jones, and resort again by time, even if you've got sort buttons on the columns...

Its funny too how prone people are to finish in bunches. We do an annual event which is a lap of the reservoir round all the marks, best time wins, with everyone starting separately, and even with people encouraged to start at well spaced intervals some still finished in groups. The first time we did this I'd written a full on automated click start, click finish system with automated display of lap charts, the idea to be something like Formula One qualifying coverage, and it just fell to bits within the first hour with dead heats, people sailing through the line when they weren't starting or finishing and other stuff. I'd love to learn how the Formula One presentation is done in detail, but fear it just involves resources way beyond a typical club.

hmmm... I guess another function could be a simple upper right hand search box..... if it's panic stations, even a partial sail number should reduce the display count down to two or three boats in most instances.  

Originally posted by chrisg ...they may not choose to identify themselves.

And of course if we did regularly identify ourselves much the same people who make accusations of lack of transparency would make accusations of status hunting power crazed ego trippers and all the rest of it.

Edited by JimC - 13 May 15 at 12:47pm