Nowadays, not less than 76.000 skippers accompany in Virtual Regatta real world runners. Among the players, many use one, or even several, routing applications available allowing them to optimize their trajectory. Among these applications, only one can be used identically – and synchronized – in all environments : Windows, macOS, Android, iOS/iPadOS : eSail4VR. Read more …
Author : Francis
Since 2009 Trainer independent consultant for boating. Translator of navigation under iOS applications : iNavX, AyeTides, Celestial, and under Mac OSX : GPSNavX, MacENC, Mr. Tides. Boating for more professional of 25 years ago, I propose that the applications training as well as advice and assistance on the integration of Apple Mac devices, iPad, iPhone aboard pleasure craft.
Sargassum, North Atlantic calamity
Sargassum (sargassum) are brown algae that grow in the Sargasso Sea, off Florida and the Bahamas, where they got their name from. Some floating species then drift in a long belt that sometimes extends for thousands of kilometers on the surface of the sea according to ocean currents and winds..
Until 2010 they developed mainly in their region of origin, the Sargasso Sea. In 2011, for a reason probably related to human pollution, but not only, the Sargasso Sea overflowed. Sargassum has formed a second sea in the ITCZ (Intertropical Convergence Zone) in the north of Brazil. Read more …
eSail4VR 1.11 available on platforms [Update]
In gestation and intensive testing for several months, the new version 1.11 is available on all platforms (¹). On the menu a large number of novelties, dont le « Mode Expert », a new routing engine, the support of the "boost" effect well known to specialists. Improvements mainly concern the user interface to meet the many requests and feedback from users. Let's see the details below…
[Update 29/01/2022] Fixes have been made to fix crashes on some platforms. See the latest releases at the eSail4VR page.
A new Expert Guide published by Voiles & Boat
Navigate with a Digital Tablet and a Smartphone has just been published by Editions Sails & Boat, available in bookstores and specialized stores, since the Sails shop & Boat, on FNAC Books and Amazon. One digital version specific is online at Apple Books Store.
- Tablets and smartphones : choose the right device and the essential accessories on board.
- Navigation apps : review and detailed description according to your type of navigation, per day, coastal, or offshore.
- The integration from mobile devices to on-board instruments : understand and implement.
A step by step 128 pages to update yourself with the latest developments and equip yourself wisely today. 19,90 € Read more …
eSail4VR for Virtual Regatta is available on all four stores
Cross-platform app eSail4VR dedicated to routing for Virtual Regatta, I wrote about a few days ago (¹), is available for download on online stores Mac App Store (macOS), App Store (iOS/iPadOS), Google Play, Windows Store (soon activated). Just in time for the Route du Rhum !
To know everything in one click about this revolutionary application, it's on its website to install in your favorites. The application also has its FaceBook page, and its FaceBook Users Group. Read more …
eSail4VR The cross-platform revolution
In a few days the new application for Virtual Regatta will be released eSail4VR. Jointly developed by Henri Laurent (SailGrib) and Olivier Bouyssou (Weather4D), currently in intensive beta testing, the application will be available for the mythical race : the Route du Rhum. The real revolution is that it works on all platforms ! Read more …
Iridium Certus 100, a step towards yachting ?
Since the operational commissioning of the constellation Iridium NEXT (¹), the Iridium company has started to offer its new range of services called " Certus® ". These services are based on the considerably increased technological capabilities of the new satellites., which allowed, among others, to Iridium to be approved as a second satellite communications provider for the GMDSS maritime security service (²), whose competitor Inmarsat had held a monopoly for 1979.
Certus®, besides showing that American businessmen are also literate (³), is a range available in six bandwiths levels starting from 22 Kb/s up to 704 Kb/s, and up to 1408 Kb / s in the near future. Read more …
Update "Introduction to Marine Weather"
Update 1.7 of the Manual « Introduction to Marine Weather »For Amazon Kindle.
- Addition of a summary allowing direct access to the pages by a tap on their number.
- Addition of a back to summary button on all pages.
- Addition of new illustrations.
- Correction of links.
- Minor fixes and improvements.
Urgent ! Iridium GO firmware update!® et app GO!®
A new version of the firmware 2.1.22 is now available for the’Iridium GO!®. This release includes an update to correct an incorrect time and date issue for l’appareil Iridium GO!® and l’application GO!®. This issue results in incorrect time and date on device and app, which however does not affect the functionality of the device / application in any way. The calls, the data, SMS, SOS and tracking are still working normally. Only cases where a message (Fast gps, regular, SOS) contains a date / time, this will be incorrect. The order of messages in the Iridium GO application!® may not be observed, as well as missed voice calls. Upgrading the device to the new firmware version 2.1.22 will solve this problem.SHOM removes facsimiles from UK charts
With the latest update of the SHOM charts portfolio 16 September, 2021, Geogarage announces the removal of 18 facsimile charts from British charts covering, mainly, the south coast of England and Gibraltar. These areas are now only covered by the British Admiralty portfolio. (UKHO).
Indeed, SHOM recently announced (¹) rationalization of its catalog of nautical charts, onwards September 2021, by the deletion of many foreign charts reproduced under historical reciprocity agreements with some foreign hydrographic services. Read more …