Tracking Software for WMPC-2002

by John F. Clauser, PhD

Tracking software is again available for the 2002 West Marine Pacific Cup. Programs PCUP0 and PCUP0B (C), written by John F. Clauser, may be used for on-board recording of roll-call position and finish-time data, and for calculating both running and final division and overall standings and finish ETA's for all boats in the race. Optionally, boats still racing are seamlessly ranked together with boats already finished, and the inter-boat rankings vary smoothly with time throughout the race, including through the finish. Performance analysis and graphical outputs are provided by the PCUP0B program version for tactical decision making.

Except for the further inclusion of a complete WMPC-2000 result-data file, and a fleet/race definition file for the WMPC-2002 race, the programs are identical to those offered in 2000.
Important features include the following:

• The running positions will be found to be very stable with time during the race to give improved accuracy.
• The program accommodates and tallies missing or late position reports.
• The program accommodates boats that don't finish, don't start, and/or retire mid-race.
• Early in the race, the program knows which divisions have started and which have not, and prompts for input accordingly.
• Late in the race, the program seamlessly integrates into its relative rankings both the actual finish times of boats that have already finished, along with the position reports of boats that are still racing. Thus, as boats finish, the standings report slowly morphs itself into a final results report.
• The same program will be used by the PCYC Race Committee to calculate the final division and overall rankings. Unlike most scoring software (e.g. as used for day races), the program accommodates Month:Day:Hr:Min:Sec time inputs, and different time-zones for the start and finish (HST and PDT). Starts and finishes may span across a month's end.
• Both overall and division rankings are given daily and at the finish. Outputs may be formatted with or without divisions listed separately.
• Hard-copy of all reports may be generated.
• ASCII (.TXT) files of all reports are generated that then may be imported into a word-processor for custom formatting.
• Roll-call order for daily position reports is automatically provided and updated. A data-entry interface allows the user to input position data and still keep up with a rapid-fire roll call. Out-of-order position reports are also readily selected for entry, when needed.
• Errors in data input are readily corrected or erased.
• Potentially gross errors in data entry (>100 nm) are automatically flagged to allow immediate correction.
• A back-up file for previously-entered roll-call and finish-time data is automatically created at each new roll-call session.
• Sophisticated performance analysis and fleet graphical plotting capability are available. Neither requires a super high-powered navigator and/or computer-nerd to be on-board.
  
• Daily distance and direction traveled, remaining distance to go (rhumb and great-circle), and ETA for each boat are calculated and displayed.
• Windows-like look-and-feel, allows either mouse, first-character, and/or arrow and tab key selection of program options. First-time users familiar with Windows should feel immediately at home.
• Race definition (boats, handicaps, start-times, division make-up, etc) is defined for each year's race by a separate .ini file, allowing different year's races to be compared and independently archived.
• Complete data for the 1998 WMPC race are included for postmortem analysis.
• Internal "Help" package and README.TXT file are included to aid installation and use.
• Graphical display of the tracks of divisions or selected selected boats one either Mercator or Great-Circle chart formats are provided, along with zoom and pan.
• Hard-copy of graphical output is available on a wide variety of printers.
  

The new programs are available as the "Demo" version (PCUP0.EXE in ZIP format) and the "Bodacious" version (PCUP0B.EXE). You'll neede the latest PCup02.ini file in zip format for all of this to work properly. The Demo version is available for free and is licensed for use by all WMPC racers. The Bodacious version is sold for $50. These programs will run on almost any IBM-compatible computer (including laptops) running under Win-95, 98, 2000, ME, NT4, XP (Pro at least). (Has anyone tried a MAC-windows emulator?) The programs will be available at the BBQ and skipper/navigators' meeting. Also, the Demo version will be available for free download from the Pacificcup.org website. Complete results for the 1998 and 2000 races are supplied to allow pre-race scrutiny and track analysis of the winners and losers. The associated initialization file (race-definition file) for the 2002 race is also included. Race Definition (.ini) and roll-call data (.dat) files are interchangeable between the PCUP0 and PCUP0B program versions.

An important feature included in the data-entry interface of both program versions provides automatic and immediate error checking of input data. For each boat, the software estimates a crude dead-reckoning expected position at each roll call. It then compares the entered boat's position with its DR and immediately red-flags gross data-entry errors for immediate scrutiny and/or correction.

The Bodacious program version (PCUP0B) further provides detailed performance data and graphical displays of the tracks for all boats, previously available from only the most sophisticated navigators. These charts and calculations may be used for pre-race, mid-race, and post-race analyses, and for making tactical and strategic course choices. Detailed performance data for all boats are available to predict close finishes. Performance figures-of-merit also allow you to determine how close (or far apart) various competitors are at any given point during the race on a corrected-time basis.

PCUP0B additionally provides a plotting capability for the tracks of either whole divisions or of a user-selected set of boats. Zoom and pan capability, shorelines, optional finish-line range rings, and optional displays of great-circle and rhumb-line courses are also provided. Plots may be generated, either on a Mercator chart projection, or on a Great-Circle chart projection (see Bowditch, Chapt.III). On a Mercator projection, a rhumb-line (constant-heading track) plots as a straight line, while a great circle plots as a curved line. On a great-circle projection, however, the reverse is true. That is, on a great-circle chart, all great circles plot as straight lines, and all rhumbs are curved. A great-circle chart is useful in that it graphically displays just how much extra distance is sailed by deviating from the rhumb and/or great-circle courses. Hard-copy of these graphical outputs is provided for a wide variety of printers.

For additional information and/or for purchase of the Bodacious version, contact John Clauser or Bobbi Tosse at Ph:925-939-9885, Fx:925-906-9282, e-mail: jfcbat@compuserve.com.

Don't have a copy of a ZIP program? Try this old version of PKUNZIP.EXE. Once unziped into a folder the README file provides all the information you need to get this setup.