Calling All Speed Sailors
I think I feel a new fun day coming on its its its.......The clash of the hair and the tortoise speed trials at Ralphs Bay!!! 
Lets ask Dave and Steve to run a speed clinic first show us their speed gear with a BBQ and then give new speed converts the chance to log there fastest time on some GPS’s using the fastest machine they have in the shed.
So if you think you are fast or could be let’s see who is the fastest in our world class venue Ralphs Bay
Anthony I know there is a fast man in there, if not we can just swap your GPS with Dave’s on the day.
Ok Dave and Steve would you be interested in running a speed clinic? And when would you be available?
Dave has confirmed he will run the clinic, all we need is a date who is up for Sunday 11am next weekend??
Cheers Russ
yes might not be able to get there that day (mother's day),dad and i are keen if forecast is good there and not here.another Sunday would be great,because dad has yachting Saturdays at the moment.
Sounds like a great idea, but I'm going to be away for five weeks at the end of this week, so can't make it next Sunday unfortunately.
However, I have two GPS's and two waterproof pouches that can be used on the day - I can give them to Steve if he is able to go.
These will record the highest speed on a run over and back, plus the highest 10 sec run. This could be enough info to run a comp!! People could just strap on the GPS, sail out and back and have their speed recorded after each run.
Just spoke to Steve and he's going to be in Qld that weekend. Maybe it can be the following week as Mother's Day is sounding a little hard for some to get leave passes!!
OK, how about we try to get this going again!!
"Introduction to GPS day"
Perhaps we make it 12 noon at Doran's on Sunday 4th July.
I reckon a good format will be for everyone to meet for a briefing at midday. We'll then send sailors out with a GPS unit to do a run out and back across the bay (wind permitting). Once a sailor comes back in, we'll note down their top speed and then pass the GPS to another sailor.
I'm happy to go through a few techniques with sailors once they've done their first run. Then, as soon as a GPS becomes available again, we'll get sailors to go out and back for another run to see if they can improve upon their first top speed.
At the end of the session, I'm happy to go through the process of uploading the data from the day to a computer and displaying it on Google Earth.
If you're keen to attend let us know. If we have over 5 people, I'm happy to run it. For anyone who already has a GPS, come along and have a go. If you're keen to lend out your GPS, even better, as we'll be able to let sailors get more runs in.
Dave if I bring my GPS and laptop could you set it up, I'm computor iliterate got no idea to set it up
Yeh I'll be there if it looks like there is going to be some action. I'm guessing Dorans is at Lauderdale on Dorans Rd. Easty, is this where I met you at Lauderdale on the grass near the car park?
I’m keen to come along and have a look, don’t think there will be much speed involved for me but interested in seeing how the device works and having a sail if there’s any wind 
Excellent, looks like we have a few keen sailors. Wind should be a light WNW, so hopefully it'll funnel into Doran's a little. High tide is 2:30PM, so be good to run it off the grassy section before the carpark.
Anthony, if you haven't already got one, you should get a 1GB SanDisk Memory Card for your GPS. Stick it in and then turn the GPS on and go for a drive in the car or something with the unit up on the dash. Then turn the unit off and take out the Memory Card. You laptop should accept the Memory Card. Look for the file with the current date on it and copy it across to your laptop desktop (or any file that's there). Then go to the following website (http://www.ka72.com/freeUpload.aspx) and follow the instructions on how to upload your file. This website will automatically generate all the info you need (top speed, etc) and will also allow automatic posting to the GPS TC website (only do this if you were sailing!!). You can also select to see your tracks on Google Earth. Have a go and see if this all works before Sunday.
It really is as easy as turning on your GPS before sailing and turning it off when you finish. Then uploading that single file to the ka72 website which will post your results into the GPS TC. You should have your results in the system within about two minutes and there is no converting off files, checking data or anything else - it's all completely automatic.
If you do want to examine your files in detail and see where you got your fastest speeds, etc, then I recommend RealSpeed software. It costs around $28 on-line and can be accessed from the following website: www.intellimass.com/RealSpeed/Index.htm
Bugger just read this now.
I was so close to going to dorans as well. There was nearly some wind.
Oh well that'll learn me.
I would like to thank Dave for organising the Sunday session and taking Rod, Anthony and I through how to use the GPS’s (impressed with the manuals that you put together for us Dave!), explaining the GPS challenge and helping me with fine tuning my sail and answering my many questions. (I learnt a lot )
We took the GPS’s out on the water (Apart from Anthony, I think it was to cold for him & he only has small boards) for a bit of sailing in the light winds. Even though the wind was mostly light it was still good to get out on the water for a sail with Dave & Rod and surprisingly the water temperature was still nice. (If you were wearing a 4/3)
Still having some internet issues, so took the results from Sunday in to work today, but didn't get a chance to post them and then forgot to bring them back home!!!
Anyway, yes Rod did get the fastest speed for the day (well done!!) and did a very nice alpha as well. I'll post the results tomorrow. In the mean time here are Rod's tracks from the day.
Great effort from Rod to come down from St Helens and really good to meet Jeremy, who is now the most recent new addition to the Tassie Speed Seekers - welcome aboard Jeremy!!!!
Sounds like the whole "event" was a success and good to see a new tassie speed seeker. Welcome aboard Jeremy
You could send this pic to the government to let them know how we get so much use of Dorans and will continue to get so much use now that Walker can't destroy it.
Thx guys, my new GPS arrived today just need an Aquapac now and should be all set, well for for now anyway
OK, here are the results from the GPS Clinic. We had three competitors and the wind was rather light, but it did get up past 12 knots at times allowing planing conditions and data to be recorded on the GPS's!!!
It was a lot of fun to get out on Sunday, despite the light winds, and the results show that no matter what the conditions, you can hold a GPS event!!
Well done Rod on winning 5 out of the 6 divisions. Jeremy had a larger board with a centreboard which made planing a little harder, but had the others not managed to get on the plane, it would have been close. Another 300-400m Jeremy and you would have taken out the distance!!
The great thing about running a GPS comp such as this (not that it was billed as an official comp) is that you can actually compete wherever you like!!! We can just nominate the day and post the results to the GPS TC and the scores will all be tabulated. Makes posting fun and the results aren't known until that last person posts!!
It's not about the gear either, it's about picking the spot or the categories you want to target. If you go for the 1 hr and distance, plus do OK speed-wise, you can beat the faster sailor on the day. This is where the tactics come in!!
Anyway, here are the results and well done once again to Iceman!! By the way, the lowest score wins.
Hi Dave,
Would you be keen to do its again soon??
Kind Regards Russ
Fantastic work on the day and fantastic follow up on the forum
cheers Russ
^^^ what Russ said.
"Localising" things is what I had in mind, to make it more relevant and fun, thanks Dave for showing it can be done and incorporated into an existing format as well.
Northerlies on Saturday?
