Leg 3 brings the short sprint from Wellington to Sydney. One of the only two scheduled 2GW Legs should see the faster boats reach Australia's south-eastern coast within the first of those weeks, and just in time for Christmas, so fair winds and the right choice of rigging will enable any of fleet to rise quickly in the ranking.

Good Luck all - see you there.




Overall Standings (after Leg 2)



Previous Legs
Leg 1
Leg 2

I am showing disappointing form in this excellent side game - not sure what I can do about it though.. any tips Romyn?

Seeing as I'm only 2 ponts above you I'm not sure I'd be of any help - but this week is certainly an opportunity for points.

Thanks for the comment by the way - some tough acts to follow - it still amazes me when I look at the full side-game listing - with 2 more great one's still to start.

Not purple again! Oh well, my crew will have to live with it.

Right.... this week I intend to win the leg! btw, my little cup comp finished, if you wanted to update the side-game listing thread.

Sorry - it is completely random I promise

i have no idea what i am doing or how i am doing it or even why i am doing it ...but 2nd overall don't seem too bad to me

6th overall, but could've been better had it not been for my previously discussed problems on the home stretches of legs

But, now i have a lovely red boat for the Christmas season, so hopefully that will bring me some luck

As this is such a short leg, im hoping my crew will be able to maintain focus throughout, and shouldn't have enough time to get complacent on the home stretch, but im not counting on it

I think Slarty will be looking to consolidate his lead as the next 3 boats have all been drawn in the same pool of death!

After last week's record low score, there might be a bit of navigational mayhem if I get any decent scores - Darwin here I come

[edit]Leatherclad Portuguese fishermen Carvalho has just jumped overboard after the ship's cat spurrned his advances[/edit]

The Global Challenge Race Committee are proud to announce a major upgrade to the coverage inside Google Earth - Network Links and a Time Dimension

Network Links

Download the following tiny GE file GE NetworkLink File and save it in your GE "My Places"

This file when Selected and/or Refreshed will download other updated files automatically - so no more download/save as each GW passes - just get GE to get the new info by right-click - Refresh.

Refresh this link when first loading or after a new Leg has begun.
When open/selected tree-view now begins with a structure similar to before...
Each Leg is now a separate link with the current Leg having options for with or without Models.
Then as before.

So it hasn't changed drastically just how the updates can be seen.

Data is there for Leg 3 - I'm just adding the Time Dimension data to Legs 1 & 2 so they can be viewed as detailed below.


Time Dimension

All Placemarks and Paths now contain Time data. (Each Tack was given a nominal duration in each Leg, around 12 hours for most, so that the Leg started on time and finished within the time allowed).

When a Time element is introduced an extra control appears at the top of the GE viewer.



This control allows you to "play" a Leg/Gameweek through - with pause, rewind/ff/jump etc. You can also set it to loop etc.

The clock icon on the left brings up the Time dialogue box - which needs to be set like below for it the display The Race correctly.


(Play with the Animation speed if the playback is too fast/slow)

This control is independent so while you're playing the week through using it you can still fly around, zoom, switch Pools etc etc - and the time will just keep ticking over.

When playing through a Leg/GW the Boats' placemarks/path will build, per tack, as it plays. If you're using the one with Models they appear only at the current position, (at the right time) and not on every tack like the icons.



Gameweek 18 Progress.
(Week 1 of Leg 3)

The Link above is up to GW18 - GW19 will be added Fri/Sat with commentary and screen shots - however only one boat finished in the first week and virtually everyone is still in with a good chance.


PS. For some reason the first time you Load/Refresh a NetLink you may get an error saying file xyz can't be found - just click Ignore and Refresh again and everyting will be fine from then on.

RPG - I'm not sure, I don't like side games when we're expected to do stuff, I have to download a file?? too much like hassle, it's not as if you're putting much effort into this

I can't get it to update I've downloaded the file, and right clicked and selected "refresh", but nothing. When you say "save it in your GE "My Places"", where exactly is this? I tried looking in the directory structure, but ended up just saving the file and opening it with GE.

Save to My Places in the same rightclick menu as refresh IN GE - the file initially goes to Temporary Places if you double click on it to open GE

Brilliant stuff RPG

try opening up the *erm* "boxes" (??) below the main one in the thingy, that worked for me.

you're welcome

I hope you're as drunk as I am

Ok, here's what I did:
Saved the file to my general FPL directory, in lieu of finding a "my places" directory.
Left-clicked the file in Firefox's download window: this launched GE.
Right-clicked and refreshed where it says in Romyn's image.
This did nowt, so I followed Slarty's instructions and right-clicked and "saved to My Places".
Still nothing I tried refreshing again too. I've got the sea between NZ and Aus in view - no boats or tracks to be seen.

So, in VERY simple terms, right from the top - how do I do this?

sober but just crap with technology

I was in exactly the same place, till I expanded the options below the selected on (where you right clicked) and eventually it'll end up looking like the screen shot above..... honest!!!

I think you're only one step away

Open the box for the updates file in GE My Places as Barry suggests, then follow RPG's instructions for the timeline

I've got it to play the route of the boats etc, but the waypoints and lines between them have disappeared

Wanna know how many times i'll be crashing trying to get into that ridiculously small harbour entrance

see if Marquee Mark wins an oscar for most helpful with pc stuff, I'll be raging after my expert help here

Well I deleted it all and reinstalled it. Now it won't update, the orange/yellow ball just bounces back and forward.

Wish i was as good as you at this Barry

Ok, it's working now, cheers Baz

One strange thing about the time slider is that there seems to be 2 drag handles on it (at the top of the slider), so if you "open" the slider out, you can get 15 labels per boat (one for each tack)! Don't do that! The screen looks a mess! Just use the main slider which is at the bottom of the slider. Does any of that make sense?

After all that, I guess I'm doing ok, with a decent chance of some points next GW

Sorry all - wanted to get this out before I got too far behind - should have explained a bit more.

Once in GE save the above in your My Places (The tree-view to the left in GE). If you save the file first then once opened do the save.

Then select and open/expand the First NetLink. That should give you the Route and Legs. Each Leg is then a separate NetLink which itself can be selected/opened.

All the Netlinks can be Refreshed by right-clicking the Link and choosing Refresh.

If you get a Ignore/Continue - Can't Find File etc or the Netlink just sits there for a while - click off it and try again. It's usually quite reliable but can take some persuading on it's first update.

Do set your Time options as above and as mentioned by fkc just use to time slider in "closed" mode. "Closed" progresses an instant in time where-as "Open" expands a time range.

With ref to missing Waypoints etc - while it should open with Leg3's Route markers switched on - maybe they got turned off by mistake - just re-select it from the tree-view inside the Route Guide folder.

The Time Dimension can get a bit of getting used to if you haven't seen it before but once you get the hang it you can watch the race progress at the tack, rather than GW, level

Once a time cycle is running you can then zoom around, select different options and even play a placemark/path tour concurrently - that takes a bit of practice.

Even better with a Space Navigator

Gameweek 18 & 19 Progress.
(Both Weeks of Leg 3)

Google Earth Network Files updated - see above post for details.
(Currently Leg3 only - previous Legs will be added in the New Year)


The Race

Leaving Wellington for the short trip across had crews pushing to make Syndey in time for Christmas Day (whatever that is ).

With the Race Committee short handed over this time and with what time available being used to create the new Time-Plotted output - this update will be short and to the point - covering both gameweeks of the Leg.

The finish positions were very close with many boats finishing on the same tacks with very little between them - in some cases just 1% of tack distance used separated the crews.

Pool A
GW18 Screenshot - GW19 Screenshot - Standings

Quickly out of the blocks were Förbrytarbeteende IK and The 9 Commandments take a share of the early lead - a battle that continued throughout the Leg with Förbrytarbeteende IK finally winning on the last tack of GW18 - the only boat to finish with a week to spare.

Elsewhere more bad luck for Trigger Happy saw him run-aground at the end of tack 5 while leaving New Zealand. A similar fate befell SMELLY CRAZY SKUNKS later in the Leg while sailing to the finish - a misfortune that combined with a earlier Man-Overboard, (assisted successfully by The Doughboys and Trigger Happy), to leave SMELLY CRAZY SKUNKS the only boat in this pool to not finish in the allotted time.

Others to lose men over the side were A Smoked Cheese Pig, (assisted by grob's gobsmackers and Clearly No Way - both unsuccessfully) and Clearly No Way (aided by grob's gobsmackers and Sultan Of Barnet FC - the latter of which made it on time to save Clearly No Way an extra wasted tack).

Pool B
GW18 Screenshot - GW19 Screenshot - Standings

Honeyballs started badly - running aground at the end of tack 6 and never really recovered.

Athletic Philbao and IblameFlyman both lost crewmen over and while other boats (Ardley Athletic, The Bare Bones, Naked Pirates and Kazma United) all attempted rescues they were all in vain.

Special Riders picked up maximum points by crossing the line on the first tack of GW19.

Pool C
GW18 Screenshot - GW19 Screenshot - Standings

Tight racing brought no run-agrounds in this pool and with 12 boats finishing within 7 tacks it was probably the closest.

Easy Beesy and Halfway Up Virginia both lost men over but were successfully aided by Book 'Em Delgetti and Luke's Giants respectively - with Richt's Biscuit's and Trumpton Hotspur also responding to the SOS but failing to make i in time.

The King Of Kings managed to lose both crewmen Cole A and Calvalho with a couple of tacks of each other and while Book 'Em Delgetti and Richt's Biscuit's again coming to the aid of a fellow competitor (successfully) the first time no-one responded the second time round and The King Of Kings had to rely on what remained of his men to attempt the rescue.

Whiz Bang Wallop reached Sydney first to earn 14 points.

Bringing up the rear - for the third time was Team DDG 2658 - you may want to reconsider your choice of boat dandg



Pool D
GW18 Screenshot - GW19 Screenshot - Standings

Bullys Special Prize lost a man at the end of tack 2 and Busk When It's Xmas and Sligos Donkeys reversed course to help - Sligos Donkeys reaching the drowning man in time.

On the same tack Y'all be bad suffered the same fate and this time both Blue Scorpions FC and Getafe King Life were successfully on hand.

Lokomotiv Croydon sealed the win on tack 2 on GW19 and Nelson Admirals was the only boat not to finish in this pool having run-aground on the very last tack in a desparate effort to reach the line.


The Draw for Leg 4 will be made shortly.

Wow I came fourth

Any chance of one of those pictures thingies

Romyn, I'm not seeing the updates.

I downloaded the thingy I was meant to, and I'm seeing the top two lines, ie:
"FPL Global Challenge Updates
(right click and refresh to update)"
However I'm not getting the option to expand it to get the rest of the info.

I've done a little investigating, by right-clicking 'Edit', and the "Location" and "refresh parameter" boxes are empty (under 'Network Link Properties') - could this be the problem?


Onto shipping matters, I just had my worst gameweek ever so how the bloody hell did I win my race? Thank frick I had a good week last week and a decent tack 1 this week and managed to finish by then... if I'd still have been sailing when it came to crewmen 2-15 this week I'd have been hitting rocks and capsizing all over the place.

Also shock horror, I make it I'm joint top overall with andybarrell!

Absolutely fantastic game RPG, thanks so much!

Once you get the initial file loaded and see those 1st 2 lines as described you then Select it by checking the Check-Box to the left of "FPL Global....." - this should then get the Main File.

(If that gives an error click "Ignore" and then right-click - Refresh to try again)

The option to expand it only becomes available once the contents have been loaded at least once - as before doing so it doesn't know that there's any content to expand. Once loaded a Refresh will then load any new data.



Not sure where you go to get this - but wherever it is you shouldn't need to go there

Hope that helps.

Also good overall position to be in - nice job - any tips you can give me would be gratefully received!



Screenshots of the end of GW18 and 19 added to the post above.

I take it you don't have GE?