Marks can move over time due to the action of tide or current, or they may be moved intentionally as a result of a wind change.

Whatever the reason, TackTracker lets you change the location of marks during a race playback. There are two mechanisms available, which may be used separately or together:

1.   Use the Mark Drag Tool to drag the mark to a new location at a point in the TimeLine

or

2.   Attach a GPS Tracker to the mark

Mark Drag Tool

The Mark Drag Tool offers a quick, easy way to have marks change position during playback. This may be necessary because the mark shifted due to tide, or was intentionally moved. 

1. Open the Race Editor to the "Course and Marks" page.

2. Navigate the TimeLine to a time at which you wish to drag the mark to its new location

3. Click the Mark Drag Tool in the Race Editor Course and Marks Tab:

 

Move the mouse to the plot window and select the mark you want to drag with the tool.   Then click to drag the mark to its new position.

Observe that the mark moves as you slide the Timeline back and forth, before and after the mark drag time.

Note: Your drag path will be lost if you re-lay the mark.

Back-Dating a Drag

In the example screen shot below, Mark 1 was in the correct position for the first rounding, but is badly out of position for the second rounding:

We need to drag the mark to the new position.  This is most conveniently done whilst the boats are rounding at the new position.  So:

Step 1: Drag the mark to its new location whilst the boats are rounding.

However, it is likely that we actually want the mark to move to the new location well before the boats reach the mark.  We achieve this outcome as follows:

Step 2: Move the timeline back to the time at which you want the mark drag to occur.

Step 3: Drag the mark again to its new location

You may be asking "How do I perform Step 3 as I won't know where the new location is?"  The answer is that you will know because you performed Step 1.

When dragging a mark that already has drag positions defined, all the mark's drag positions are displayed by a gray line.  Use this path to correctly place the mark in Step 3.

Tracking Marks

TackTracker supports the use of trackers to specify a mark's position.  To load a track from a tracker attached to a committee boat or mark:

1. Define your event in the normal way, and lay the marks in their estimated positions.  Save the event.

2. Load the track associated with a mark. 

3. Name the track (in the "Name:" field) to match exactly the mark name. 

You can also specify any of the pre-defined names: "StartBoat", "StartPin", "FinishBoat" and "FinishPin". 

The mark position will be obtained from the track, and will move accordingly during the course of the race.

Using the Mark Drag Tool to limit the travel of a Tracked Mark

Consider an example where you use a tracker to locate the StartBoat - but after the start, the boat up-anchors and drives around the course.    This will cause your start line to follow, which could be quite entertaining, but distracting.

You can use the Mark Drag Tool to override the StartBoat track.    At the desired point in the timeline, use the tool to select the start boat and locate its fixed position.

A similar situation occurs with the FinishBoat or FinishPin - however in this case it is the track before the finish time which is unwanted.   Again, use the mark drag tool, which will fix the position of the FinishBoat up to the current point in the timeline.

Go to Task Selection