By Christian Le Pape, Coach and Director of the Pôle “Finistère Course au Large”
Debriefing tool
The main interest of the REPLAY function is to visualize, during a debriefing session for example, the trajectory that was followed by one or several competitors during a training or a race. The track recorded by ADRENA integrates all the data transmitted by the CPU. By using the REPLAY function, you have at your disposal a complete dashboard of the conditions encountered during the navigation as if you were navigating on board.
This track can simply illustrate CPU data or can be more elaborated thanks to various comments, pictures and videos that can be added in order to compare the trajectory and above all to understand elements of efficiency and errors.
It is also possible to compare the Grib forecast selected for a trajectory simulation with data collected by the CPU.
Requirements
To use the REPLAY function, it is necessary to have a .erz track in good condition. The embedded computer automatically records this track in the following file: C : ProgramData/Adrena/bateau/name of the boat.
On quite long courses, it is necessary to proceed to a clean-up of this track by using the “track files repair tools” function in the “Tracks” tab.
Increasing the digitizing permits to reduce the number of bytes and, as a consequence, to increase the speed of the Replay.
To illustrate the presentation, you will find below the recorded track on board Yann Elies’ one-design Figaro Beneteau 2 during Solo Maître Coq Race. Pole Finistere Course au Large skippers systematically send their tracks after each training or racing navigation. Accurate comparison between performances and trajectories can be made thanks to this procedure. We also use these recorded tracks to optimize routing polars or sailects.
Organization of the screen
In “Course phase settings”, it is possible to organize the tracks data that you want to visualize in terms of content and windows localization. It is useful to add a little bit of color in order to underline priority information. Don’t forget to save the configuration.
In the collective debriefing of Solo Maître Coq, I want to know the “Ground wind” of the boat in terms of strength and direction in order to compare it with the Grib file forecast which appears on screen 4 at the bottom.
In this debriefing of the Solo Maitre Coq race, we would like to emphasize our analysis on wind evolution and the difference between predictions and recorded data.
Launch the Replay
Once the track is displayed on the screen, it is possible to position the boat by clicking right on the track. Time corresponding to the position is displayed at the top left of the screen.
The screen shot indicates the buttons to be used in order to start the Replay function. Boats localized on the tracks can be moved forward or backward as you wish. The following icons are provided: “play”, “pause”, “back”, “stop the Replay” and “return to the start of the track”. In play mode, it is possible to slow down or speed up the movement from 1 to 100.
Master Boat
The name of Master Boat appears in the Replay function. When making comparisons linked to wind analysis, it is quite interesting to load several tracks of competitors located in different places. By switching the Master Boat – the boat that gives the track – it is possible to make a thorough comparison between the tracks recorded by the two boats. In one click, you can determine if it is useful to launch a speed-test or to select a segment on a section in order to collect compared data.
AIS data
To drive a debriefing and in order not to have too much tracks displayed on the screen, it is sometimes better to select the track of only one boat and to integrate AIS information given by the Master Boat. Thus, it is possible to compare the positions and the various options chosen by all the competitors that are within reach of VHF in the race (boats in blue on the screen shot).
Modification of the data visualized on the track
By clicking on the “track display” icon, it is also possible to highlight data that seem important.
The display of wind measured on the track and its evolution by color variation have been selected in this illustrated case.
Addons in the track in Replay function
It is possible to integrate comments or multimedia files (photo, videos, etc.) in order to synthetize data on the track.
Thanks to this procedure, and by reading the track in Replay function, it is possible to collect recorded data but also to bring more details to the track in order to understand and to explain situations encountered during navigation.
Integrate a note
There are two methods to integrate comments, images or videos to a track.
Method 1: click right on the track where you want to add a note, chose the “text” or “multimedia” pictogram, click on “browse” and chose the image or picture to integrate.
Photos or videos icons appear on the track.
Method 2: In the “Tracks” tab in the upper bar, click on “integrate multimedia” and chose the track on which you want to integrate the files.
Data are automatically positioned to the place where they have been recorded. It is important to check that cameras are set to GPS time. Be careful not to modify the data recording by changing the name of it for example. In this case, date and time of the file will correspond to the date and time of the modification.
Visualize comments, photos or videos
You can display the data integrated into the track by clicking right on the element. You are offered to display with several applcations, you can also choose to display in synchro mode. The master boat will be plotted at the place of the video or image. So, looking at a photo or video integrated into a track, you are able to know what were the conditions recorded at this T time.
Managing the sail choice
Thanks to this function, it is possible to analyse and validate the Sailect used by ADRENA. Doing a right click on the boat, choose “boat”, thick “isochrones” and “colour isochrones according to sail”. In the case reported below, you can note that the boat’s TWA is between Genoa and light spi. The window “sails” at the bottom of the screen displays Genoa. This configuration at sea is confirmed by the skipper. The modelisation is corresponding to the reality at sea.
Recording the track
You can, by storing the data in the same folder, keep the track with its annotations and photos by saving it this way : > tracks > save under.
This way, launching the function replay, you can visualize the track and all the accurate data you want to save, like a movie of your navigation.
