Frequently Asked Questions

Scroll down the page to read about:

• Downloading Tips – Windows
• Downloading Tips – Macintosh
• Windows Download File Names
• Macintosh Download File Names
• Windows Troubleshooting
• Macintosh Troubleshooting
• General Issues – Security, Simulators, Upgrades etc.

DOWNLOADING TIPS - WINDOWS:

1. After your credit card is processed, a Thank You screen appears. On it, click the link (underlined text) to access the Download screen.

Be sure to “Bookmark” or “Favorite Place” the Download screen BEFORE you start downloading. To download your simulator, click on the link CLICK HERE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD. Your simulator starts downloading.

When it is done, if you purchased a second simulator, click your browser’s Back button to return to the Download screen. Click the next link to download the second simulator.

If a simulator download is interrupted before it is complete, go back to the Download screen using your browser’s “Bookmark” or “Favorite Place” function. You have 180 minutes to complete all downloads.

2. Windows download files are compressed zip archive files. If you do not have software that opens zip files, you can download free WINZIP software that will unzip your simulator. It is available at www.pkware.com.

3. While the simulator is downloading, your browser shows where on your computer the simulator is going. For example: You may see “From http://www.poseysail.com To C:\My Download Files\xxx.zip” where xxx is the letter mnemonic for the simulator folder. In this case, to find your simulator after download ends, quit your browser and go to My Download File folder in your C Drive. This download folder may sit by itself in your C Drive or it may be located inside your browser folder in your C Drive.

Note: See WINDOWS DOWNLOAD FILE NAMES that follows for simulator file names that you will see downloading to your computer.

Note: Some vigorous (usually business) firewalls and virus protection software may block .zip archives or may actually go into the .zip archive and remove our .exe file, which is the simulator itself. If you cannot find the .zip or the .exe is missing from your .zip, you may have to give us another email address. But, first email us about the missing .zip or .exe and we will try emailing it to you. See item 6. for how to email us.

4. Before you use the simulator, quit your browser or email application and move the simulator ZIP folder out of your download folder. To do this, right-click the ZIP folder icon and drag it out into the C:Drive . Release the mouse. Left-click Move Here from the pop-up menu. The simulator ZIP folder is now sitting in your C:Drive . The simulator is a standalone application and should reside in its own folder on your C Drive.

5. BEFORE you use the simulator, please read the one page Read Me document. Then read GETTING STARTED and COPYING instructions in the xmanual document to get started quickly using your simulator.

6. If you have a problem with a download, email us at poseysail@compuserve.com. Please include your Order ID Number* and a brief explanation of the problem. We will see to it that you receive your simulator!
* Obtained from the purchase confirmation, which is emailed immediately to the address you provided.

DOWNLOADING TIPS - MACINTOSH:

1. After your credit card is processed, a Thank You screen appears. On it, click the link (underlined text) to access the Download screen.

Be sure to “Bookmark” or “ Favorite Place ” the Download screen BEFORE you start downloading. To download your simulator, click on the link CLICK HERE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD. Your simulator starts downloading.

When it is done, if you purchased a second simulator, click your browser’s Back button to return to the Download screen. Click the next link to download the second simulator.

If a simulator download is interrupted before it is complete, go back to the Download screen using your browser's “Bookmark” or “ Favorite Place ” function. You have 180 minutes to complete all downloads.

2. After you download the simulator, exit your browser/email application. Locate the ZIP icon on your desktop.

Note: See MACINTOSH DOWNLOAD FILE NAMES that follows for simulator file names that you will see downloading to your computer.

3. Create a new folder and label it with the simulator name. Drag the ZIP icon to the simulator folder.

4. Double click the ZIP icon. The window that opens contains the following files: The OS X simulator version, Read Me document, manual document providing operating instructions, and an advice e-book document.

5. In this window:

1. Double click the first file you want to expand (unstuff).


2. b. After the first file has expanded*, double click the next file you want to expand. Repeat step a. for every file. *You may not see the actual expansion.


3. When done, close the ZIP window.


4. If you do not see the expanded files, click on the window containing the ZIP icon and the icons for all the files you expanded will appear.

6. You can rename the icons.

7. BEFORE you use the simulator, please read the one page Read Me document. Then read GETTING STARTED and COPYING instructions in the manual document to get started quickly using your simulator.

8. If you have a problem with a download, email us at poseysail@compuserve.com. Please include your Order ID Number* and a brief explanation of the problem. We will see to it that you receive your simulator!
* Obtained from the purchase confirmation, which is emailed immediately to the address you provided.

WINDOWS DOWNLOAD FILE NAMES:

When the simulator folders and demo folders download, they are assigned abbreviated file names. Inside these folders you will find the latest Edition simulators.

MACINTOSH DOWNLOAD FILE NAMES:

When the simulator folders and demo folders download, they are assigned abbreviated file names. Inside these folders you will find the latest Edition simulators.

WINDOWS TROUBLESHOOTING:

Q: The simulator display is distorted, partly missing, there is a black band across the top of the screen, the simulator won’t open, or the cursor blinks badly.

A: These problems could either be caused by the screen resolution setting or the graphics acceleration card in your computer.

1. For 2009 and later Edition simulators, look at the Simulator Title Screen to check for distortion. If the circle around the image of the boat looks squashed, your display is distorted. You may want to change the Screen Resolution. A little distortion is not a big problem.
   
   
2. For all recent Edition simulators, to adjust Screen Resolution (screen area), change these Windows Settings : Right-click on the Desktop area. Select Properties from the pop-up menu. In the Display dialog box, select Settings tab.
   
   On a regular screen (not wide screen) a good choice for Screen Resolution (screen area) is 1024x768 . Larger is usually ok. 1152x864 seems to work well. 1280x768 works well on a wide screen display. 1680x1050 also is good on a wide screen but does not fill the screen. 800x600 with Small or Normal Fonts will work, but appearance is not as good.
   

   On some systems, you may need to try other Screen Resolution settings until you find the one that gives you the most round boat image circle on the Simulator Title Screen.
   
   If you select Colors or Color Quality of 16 Bit , the screen refresh rate is faster. Higher color quality does not improve simulator graphics much.

3. Recommended Font Size is Small or Normal Fonts . In the Display dialog box, select Settings tab, Advanced , then Small Fonts . Windows XP: In the Display dialog box, select Appearance tab, then Normal.

4. In rare cases, a Screen Resolution setting larger than 1024x768 and some Graphics Acceleration Cards may distort the simulator display. If the simulator display is distorted, partly missing, or the cursor blinks badly, first change the Screen Resolution setting to 1024x768.
   
   If the problem persists, adjust the amount of Graphics Acceleration, as follows: Right-click on the Desktop area. Select Properties from the pop-up menu. In the Display dialog box, select Settings tab, then Advanced . For Windows XP, select Troubleshoot tab. For All Other Windows versions, select Performance. Reduce graphics acceleration.

Q: The Taskbar covers the Steering Zone and button explanations at screen bottom.

A: If you use Large Fonts or 800x600 Screen Resolution, you may not see the entire simulator display. (Button explanations and part of Steering Zone may be missing.) To fix: Right-click Taskbar. Select Properties from the pop-up menu. UNselect Always On Top or Keep Taskbar On Top ……. This hides the Taskbar when the simulator is running, so you can see the entire display. The Taskbar reappears when you exit the simulator. You also can increase viewing area by UNselecting Show Menu Item Help in the simulator Help Menu.

Q: My simulator won’t run. It gets an error message that says “Can’t Create Empty Document”.

A: Your preference file is corrupted. Delete the preference file in the same folder (directory) as the simulator. This file's name always starts with the letter “p”. The icon usually has DOC1 in it (except for Coastal Cruising). The file's full name is “p” or “pa” or “pd” or “ps” or “p.cru”. Note: If the simulator icon is sitting alone on your desktop, the p document is also sitting somewhere on your desktop.

Q: My simulator works for a while and then goes crazy.

A: If you have not used your keyboard or mouse for a few seconds or minutes, a Screen Saver may start interrupting. Change the controls on the Screen Saver so that a longer time passage is needed before it starts.

Q: Advanced Racing Simulator 2000 Release 7.01 hangs up during a race. What is wrong?

A: Your computer is running out of memory. Email us at poseysail@compuserve.com to get the current release that uses less memory. Include a description of your problem and your serial number.

Q: In Advanced Racing Simulator 2000, the boat jibes continuously. What is going on?

A: Using the + and – keys when you are going downwind can cause this. These keys are intended for fine-tuning your pointing angle while beating upwind. To fix, steer using the Steering Zone or by Control Button commands such as Reach, Run, Jibe, etc.

Q: I can’t “install” my simulator?

A: There is no installation. Just COPY the simulator icon from your CD-Rom onto your hard drive, using the Windows COPY and PASTE Commands. Or, if downloaded, see Downloading Tips – Windows at the beginning of this FAQ document. Also see Copying in the xmanual document provided with your simulator for step-by-step instructions.

MACINTOSH TROUBLESHOOTING:

Q: For OS X, the Dock covers the Steering Zone or Control Button explanations.

A: Before opening the simulator, hide the Dock or greatly reduce its size or increase screen resolution. Set Dock Preferences in the blue Apple Menu.

Q: For OS X, the simulator or demo file will not open or says it is corrupted.

A: There is a file compression incompatibility. Email us at poseysail@compuserve.com and we will email a version to you that you can use.

Q: The simulator does not completely fill the screen. What is up?

A: This problem could be caused by screen resolution setting or you have a wide computer screen.

1. For 2009 and later Edition simulators, look at the Simulator Title Screen to check for distortion. If the circle around the image of the boat looks squashed, your display is distorted. You may want to change the Screen Resolution. A little distortion is not a big problem.
   
2. Change Screen Resolution in System Preferences in the Apple Menu. The simulator is designed for a minimum Screen Resolution (screen area) of 1024x768 . Higher is ok, but may not completely fill the screen.
   
3. If your Macintosh display is wider than 1024 pixels, you can make the simulator view wider. While viewing the Simulator Title Screen, select Wide Screen from the Options Menu or press the W key. Width increases to 1150 pixels. Select again to increase width to 1280 pixels. Select again to return to 1024 pixels.
   
4. If you make the simulator view width greater than the computer screen width, part of the simulator and “Eyeball” Control Buttons will be off the screen when you start racing.

Q: My simulator works for a while and then goes crazy.

A: If you have not used your keyboard or mouse for a few seconds or minutes, a Screen Saver may start interrupting. Change the controls on the Screen Saver so that a longer time passage is needed before it starts.

Q: For OS Less Than 10: The simulator icon will not open or the boat hull is invisible. What is up?

A: If your operating system uses Millions of Colors , the simulator will not open. Use the Control Panel (Apple Menu) or System Preferences to change to Thousands of Colors . Older Macs must use 256 Colors . If the simulator will not open, reduce the number of colors.

Q: For OS Less Than 10: The program quits unexpectedly (especially at the start of a race or when going aground).

A: There is a conflict with the sound card in your computer. Use the Apple Control Panel to change the Alert Signal to “Simple Beep” or select No Sound from the SIMULATOR Control Menu . (Do NOT turn off sound in your computer's Apple Control Panel or System Preferences.)

Q: I can’t “install” my simulator?

A: There is no installation. Just COPY the simulator icon from your CD-Rom onto your hard drive, using the Windows COPY and PASTE Commands. Or, if downloaded, see Downloading Tips – Macintosh at the beginning of this FAQ document. Also see Copying in the xmanual document provided with your simulator for step-by-step instructions.

GENERAL QUESTIONS:

Q: Is this web site secure for placing online orders?

A: YES! When you order a simulator using the Online Order Form, notice the PlugnPay Secured Transaction logo at the form bottom near the Submit Button. After you fill in which simulator you want, click the Submit Button. An order summary screen appears. If correct, click the Submit Button. You are sent to the PlugnPay Technologies secure web site where you provide credit card information. As you go to PlugnPay you see various messages and icons indicating that this is a secure web site. Your encrypted credit card information is transmitted directly to the bank (credit card company) for authorization. We at Posey Yacht Design do not see your credit card number, nor does anyone else. We do receive an order summary, including any shipping instructions.

If you ordered a download, PlugnPay Technologies immediately returns you to our web site, poseysail.com so that you can receive your download.

PlugnPay Technologies is under contract with us to provide 100% secure credit card transactions.

You also can place a shipped order by phone at 860-345-2685 or by printing the Fax Order Form on our web site and faxing it to 508-861-0138.

Q: What is the difference between Advanced Racing Simulator and Sailing Tactics Simulator?

A: Sailing Tactics Simulator emphasizes tactics and strategy. It does this by having the largest maximum feet size of 30 boats, resulting in a lot of tactical action. It has many racing area and course choices, including short courses, distance racing, and night racing. The racing areas have complex shorelines and underwater topography, which affect wind behavior and optional currents. The Wind Vector View and Tide Charts show you a snapshot of what is going on over the entire racecourse. Two people can race against each other at the same computer using the split screen option. Boat speed adjustments are limited. This is racing from the tactician's perspective. It is an excellent pre-race mental tune-up!

Advanced Racing Simulator has many more speed adjustments for sail shape and crew position. These adjustment controls depend on the boat type that you select but include outhaul, traveler, boom vang, mast bend, mainsail and jib luff tension, in and out crew position, forestay tension, mains and jib sheet trim, fore and aft crew position. The simulator is also best set up for optional manual control of steering and mainsheet. This is racing from the helmsman's perspective. It is intense because you must control boat speed along with making tactical and strategic decisions.

Q: What is the difference between Sailing Dynamics Instructor and Coastal Cruising Simulator?

A: Sailing Dynamics Instructor is a combination of simulator modules and tutorials for novice and intermediate sailors to learn the fundamentals of sailing and fine points of sail trim. It is a great brush up on sailing skills, such as docking under sail or picking up a man-overboard. As you build skills, progress to detailed sail shaping and racing basics. This introduction to racing includes tutorials and a relatively simple racing simulator. It has very extensive controls of mainsail, jib, and spinnaker shape as well as crew position. Boat behavior is very realistic so your boat handling practice carries over on the water.

Coastal Cruising Simulator lets you experience a large variety of cruising situations. You plan cruises for quiet anchorages along the coastline, inland waterways, or among the islands. Or, you can passage between Florida and the Bahamas or Maine and Nova Scotia . Navigate with electronic charts, GPS, and Radar. You plot fixes on your chart and do dead reckoning when your electronics fail! Pilot your boat following ranges, using hand bearing compass, etc. Deal with unexpected problems, such as fog, thunderstorms, ship avoidance, and engine failure. This is our only simulator where you can operate with sail or power and select powerboat options. Sailboat adjustments are limited to sail selection, mainsheet adjustments, and steering.

Q: Should I purchase an upgrade?

A: We have made significant improvements to all our simulators. These improvements are listed at the beginning of each of the simulator discussions on this web site. You also can decide for yourself by downloading a demo version of any simulator. New Features in the simulator Help Menu describes new operating features. See Upgrades for the reduced upgrade prices and upgrade policy for all simulators we have sold.

To order your upgrade from our web site, go to the Order Screen. Follow instructions in the Order Your Upgrade section for placing your order and receiving your upgrade rebate. Initially you will be charged the full simulator price, but we will credit you for the difference between the full simulator price and the upgrade price.