Watch the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race in Google Earth, with yacht positions and standings updated every thirty minutes.
 
Google Earth is a 3D interface to the planet.  It combines satellite imagery with a model that can be zoomed, spun and tilted.
 
To view the race in Google Earth all you need to do is download and install Google Earth from http://earth.google.com/, then download and open the feed file from this site. See below.

This will install a network connection to the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race site and will show yachts from just before the race start at 6:00 PM on 7 August.

The Google Earth feed is for private, non-commercial use only.

Getting it working

1. Download and install Google Earth
2. Open the race feed file: rorc_sevenstarrbi_yachtrace.kml

Until the race starts at 6:00 PM on 7 August you will only see the start line, finish line and the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will I need to manually update the information?
A: No.  Whenever you are connected to the internet the kml file auotmatically updates the position information and the data contained in the fly-out panel for each boat.

Q: How do I view information about each boat?
A: Roll your mouse over the boat until a yellow square appears, then click to open a fly-out panel containing some notes about the boat, the information that appears in the instrument display in the map-based Yacht Tracker, the current standing of the boat in Line Honours and its Handicap Categories and a pictorial representation of the course of the boat relative to North.

Q: Can I view earlier times in the race and replay the race?
A: The feed is of real time data only.  After the race it will be possible to return to the site a re-run the race in Google Earth.

Q: What does the red line represent?
A: The red line is known as the "rhumb line".  It is the shortest course from the start in Cowes to the finish, also in Cowes.