Quick Start

This is a quick tour through the concept of VelumNG.
It describes also how a regatta should be structured in the sense of VelumNG. This desciption just shows the basic functions of VelumNG for organizing and evaltuating a regatta. You will find more detailed descriptions in the help information of the menues.

  1. Open an existing or create a new race File.

  1. Characterize your regatta: Settings

       Enter the name and a lot more text strings to describe your regatta.

       Define the point system to be used.

       Adapt VelumNG to your type of regatta by setting the appropriate global options and
       switches:
       e.g.: which type of scoring will you have: Scoring by class only or handicap scoring,
       do the races last longer than a day (requiring the day in addition to the time), etc.

       Number of races, day and time of the starts are also part of the Settings menu.

       The start time of each race means the day and time of the first start of each race
       (Startingtime).
       If you have more than one starting group, you can declare individual time offsets with
       each group!
       However, if you do not know the time yet, you can enter it any time later.


  1. Define the classes

       You should declare appropriate classes as soon as you know which scoring classes and
       scoring types will be required by your regatta.
       A class comprises a name, a scoring type, optionally a time offset to the 1st start of the
       regatta, and a couple of things more.
       With registration of the yachts you can manually select the class(es) in which this yacht
       is to be scored.
       Finally, a very powerfull tool is to link classes together: You can create a new class by
       combining existing classes! That means that the new class automatically comprises all
       the yachts that are assigned to the included classes, without any explicit assignment. Of
       course this new class may achieve any scoring type you want, independed of that what
       the included classes have.

       If you have an extensive structure of classes, you have the option to define the
       participation of classes in particular races (User definable participations), e.g. those
       basic classes that are defined just for building other classes but which are not used for
       evaluation themselves (class linking).


  1. Enter the yachts

       You can now start to register the yachts.
       It is not necessary to know e.g. all the scoring classes/options in advance. Just type in
       what is known and complete the list later on.

  1. Assign the yachts to scoring classes

       When entering a yacht, you can directly assign her to one or more scoring class(es) she
       shall belong to. This is done in the yachts dialog: Select the subpage detail view and
       there the subpage groups.

       Keep in mind:
       You are only required to select the basic class(es). Afterwards, you can achieve many
       additional evaluations by creating new classes that link some of the basic classes
       together (class linking).

  1. Useful to know:

       Don't worry if you enter any incomplete data. You will always have the chance to return
       and to complete or change the data.
       There is no fixed processing order.

       A check of plausibility is performed each time before a result is calculated.
       If there is some inconsistence or missing data, then you will receive an error message
       that tells you what kind of problem occurs.
       E.g.: If a yacht was assigned to two classes that have different starting time offsets, you
       will receive an error message, because one particular yacht cannot take part in two
       different starting groups!
       Similar, if a yacht is not assigned to at least one class that provides a starting time offset
       VelumNG will generate an error message.

  1. Results, Output and Printout

       All available output lists for viewing and printout are accessable over the Views menu.

       You will find yachts lists, finishing-times list, single-race results, race-series results list,
       and ORCint-Handicap-Calculation list.
       A large set of options is applicable to all of them.

       Open as many windows as you like and select the types of listings you want to get
       (view).

       There is no automatic update of your view window! If you intermediatelly switched to an
       input dialog and changed the data of your regatta which is shown in a list, the displayed
       information will not change. You might want to update the view window by pressing its
       refresh-button.

       According to the process order described in this text, the actual state of your input allows
       you to generate some yachts-lists, including those that are splitted into classes.

  1. To step forward you need to: Enter the data of a race

       The date and time of the start (1st starting group) is to be entered in the Dialog
       Settings - Race Settings.
       Please note: If there is more than one starting group, you can declare this in advance by
       entering the particular offset times for each class.

       The finishing times of the yachts (as well as "status" like DNS, DSQ, etc.) are entered in
       the Race Dialog

       A listing of the finishing times can be selected within the Views windows

  1. Race Result

       The results lists are accessable through the view windows, which were already introduced
       (see above).

  1. Enter the 2nd, 3rd, .... race.

  1. Getting out the race series results.

       As you have entered more than one race you can calculate race series results.
       Calculation is done by adding the points given in the single races.

       The results lists are accessable through the view windows, which were already introduced
       (see above).

  1. Award ceremony!