Monday, September 21, 2015

AEther Salon: Sailing! (Edited Transcript)

Bookworm Hienrichs: Welcome, everyone, to a new season of the Aether Salon here in New Babbage!  We thank you for finding the time to attend, and hope you'll enjoy today's topic. Admiral Beaumont will be regaling us with tales and information on the Age of Sail. Before we begin, a few housekeeping items:

1) To ensure you can hear the speaker, stand or sit on the patterned carpet.
2) If you do not have a wearable chair and wish one, please contact Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, or me.
3) Please remove all lag-feeding thingamajigs you might be wearing.
4) A tip jar is out for our speaker. Do please show your appreciation!
5) Any tips to help support the establishment will also be welcome - just click on one of the support signs!
6) If you're not a member of the AEther Salon group, there are signs that will let you join up. You'll be most heartily welcome!
7) Edited and unedited transcripts of these proceedings will be posted at aethersalon.blogspot.com.
8) Tea and treats are set out - help yourself!

And now our host, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, will introduce our speaker.

Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Admiral Wildstar Beaumont was promoted to his rank in Winterfell, after earning it several times over. He has worked hard to promote sailing and sailing events everywhere on the grid, working with Antiquity during Relay For Life for fundraising events, and organising the Privateers' Ball every year near September 19th. He is also well known for his photography. Today, however, he will show us his expertise in the history of his craft.  Admiral Beaumont?

Wildstar Beaumont: thank you Herr Baron

Wildstar Beaumont: Greetings and welcome to my talk. My thanks to the Baron and Miss Book for having me.  This is a short introduction to that period in history known as Age of Sails. We will go through the major cornerstone characterizing the period and will end with some information about how the Age of Sails has influenced Second Life.  I have intentionally decided not to dwell on what is called the Age of Piracy, or Golden Age of Piracy It is something that would require its own presentation and maybe we will discuss it some other time.

By Age of Sail we intend the period in history where international trade and naval warfare was largely dominated by sailships, and, in particular, square rigged sailships.  The Age of Sail roughly covers the period from the16th to the 19th century and traditionally - as inexact as these approximations may be - it is delimited by two events where sailships were not at the center of the action, i.e. the battle of Lepanto, in 1571, where the largest part of the two opposing fleets were made of Galleys, and the Battle of Hampton Road, in 1862, during the American CIvil War, where steam powered Ironclads battled each other to a standstill, making traditional sailships easy victims.

A square-rigged sail is not in fact square, but more trapezoidal, being symmetrical but longer in the bottom than in the top side.  The name derives from the fact that primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts.

A sailship can be classified according to the its sailplan : the number of masts and the type of sails. Some popular types (with some liberty in the descriptions) are
- full rigged ship : three (or more) masts with square sails on all of them
- barque : three (or more) masts with square sails on the fore and main masts and mizzen (the aftermost mast) rigged fore-and-aft (i.e. along the line of the keel rather than perpendicular to it)
- barquetine : three (or more) masts with only the fore mast rigged square and all the others fore-and-aft
- brig : two masts , both square-rigged
- brigantine : two masts , the foremast square-rigged the other fore-and-aft
- schooner: two (or more) masts rigged fore-and-aft
- sloop : a single mast, rigged fore and aft

Galleon and carracks were very big ships, built mainly for trade in the 15th and 16th century.  They became more and more the main vessel for oceanic trade and far away explorations.  As piracy became a problem they started to be armed more and more.  Heavily armed portuguese carracks are considered to be the precursor of the ships of the line of the following centuries.

A ship of the line was the centerpiece of the naval warfare during the Age of Sails. They carried many cannons (from 50 to more than 100) on multiple decks. The British navy used to rate ships of the line into different classes according to the number of decks and guns.  The ship of the line was meant to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside firepower. This tactic required to add more and more power to overcome the opposing line and this progression caused to build sailing vessels that were the largest and most powerful of their time.  This also made the ships of the line too expensive to be risked if not in major engagements and with the protection of the entire fleet. So typically many duties were carried out by smaller ships such as frigates.

Frigates in the Age of Sails were ships that were usually as long as a ship of the line and were square-rigged on all three masts, but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort.  The definition was not the same across the years and the different navies, but in the definition adopted by the British Admiralty, they were ships of at least 28 guns, carrying their principal armaments upon a single deck.  The upper deck in mid-19th century frigates evolved into armored ironclads, then further evolved into the late 19th century battleships. Therefore frigates, rather than ships of the line can be considered the origin of modern capital ships

The age of sail has been characterized by a number of major military engagements, where fleet sized formations battled each other. Here are some of them worth remembering because of their size of because of their historical outcome.

The Battle of Lepanto (1571) which took place when a fleet of Catholic states decisively defeated the fleet of the Ottoman Empire on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece. The battle is the last major engagement mainly fought by galleys and traditionally is considered to mark the beginning of the Age of Sails.

Battle of Gravelines (1588) between the English fleet and the Spanish Armada. The English defeated the Spanish near the port of Gravelines in the Flanders, even if the actual destruction of the Armada took place because of the adverse weather condition and the bad condition of the ships on their way back.

In the 18th century the naval confrontations saw mainly Britain and France fight each other.  The Seven Years War is considered the first “global” war, being fought all around the globe, in Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines. The battle of Quiberon Bay took place in 1759 and was the major naval event of the war where yet another French attempt at invading Britain failed.  The major naval French victory over a British fleet took place in 1781. The Battle of the Chesapeake was part of the American Independence war. The Battle prevented the British to reinforce their troops at Yorktown, causing eventually Lord Cornwalli’s surrender and the independence of the colonies

The battle of Svensksund was fought between a Swedish and Russian fleet in the gulf of Finland as part of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90. Around 250 small to medium ships were involved, with still a significant number of galleys.

The battle of the Nile : 1798, the first of the two major engagements between the British and French navies during the Napoleonic wars. Like at Trafalgar, Admiral Horatio Nelson was in command of the British Fleet.

The battle of Trafalgar was fought in 1805 between the British and the allied French and Spanish fleets, the major naval battle in the napoleonic wars and probably the largest fleet engagement with ships of the line involved.

The battle of Navarino was fought in 1822 between a British-French-Russian alliance and the Ottoman Empire as part of the Greek War of Independence. It was the last major battle fought only by sailships.

I’d like to point out the dates here : in 1790 at Svensksund we still have a significant presence of Galleys in a major engagement. In 1822 we have the last major battle where just sailships were involved. Steam and ironclads were just a few decades away. We could argue that the age of sail, from a warfare point of view, basically covers the Napoleonic wars.

Riven Homewood: Not earlier?
Wildstar Beaumont: yes .. of course earlier ... it is a bit of a provocative statement to point out that they were still using galleys (oar propelled ships) at the end of the 18th century

Wildstar Beaumont: Despite their obsolescence in naval warfare, in terms of size and efficiency the middle of the 19th century sees the golden age of sailships with the rise of the clippers for fast transportation of cargo on some trade routes. China tea (and opium), gold from California and Australia were the main goods been transported by these vessels. The peak of glory ended with the Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.  Clippers were built for speed: fully rigged three masted ships, rather narrow, they could carry limited cargo. The fastest china clippers could reach 16 knots, which is the best speed ever reached by commercial sailships.

Sailships have continued to be a competitive way to transport goods well within the 20th century, until the 1920s, with large windjammers.  Of course sailships are still popular these days for recreational uses, along with some small niches where they may still be economically viable.

We are now moving to the second and final part of my presentation: Sailing in Second Life. For those who want to go in more depth on the subject, I suggest to review the first section of the Episode of Designing Worlds aired on the 23rd of September 2013 (http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds/episodes/sailing-sl) where Saffia and Elrik interview Mark Twain White, a legendary figure in the SL sailing community, about the story of Sailing in SL.  The entire episode is worth being watched, but if you have limited time, I’d also suggest to have a look at the end titles sequence of the episode (1h33’ into the show),  not because I am in it at the elm of the Star of Winterfell, my flagship, but because Elrik’s editing of that sequence and choice of music is a little masterpiece of SL videography and always gives me goosebumps.  More information and historical footing can also be found on Mark Twain White’s own channel on youtube.

As you probably know the origin of SL sailing as we know it dates back to early 2005 when Kanker Greenacre developed his system of scripts to make use of SL wind. Sailboats existed even before that, but they were driven using the directional keys of one’s keyboard. With Kanker’s system one could sail in SL using the same physics principles of RL sailing, being affected by the direction and the power of the wind. On top of that , Kranker’s system also allowed to have a more realistic wind condition than those recreated by the default SL wind.

Kanker’s system has been the origin of almost all sailing vessels that came in the following years, whether for fun sailing or for racing or for naval warfare . More recently different script systems have been developed (BWind comes to my mind above all, which for instance is used by the hugely popular loonetta cruiser) , but is it safe to claim that , especially where racing and fighting are involved, Kranker’s scripts and the direct derivatives are still the dominant systems.

Racing was a major factor in the development of sailing in Second Life, both in terms of communities, with the creation of a number of Yacht Clubs all over the grids, and technology, with the evolution and improvement of Kranker’s system. But there were also those less interested in peaceful  yachting and more interested in fighting  And we have come to another legendary name in the history of SL : Chase Speculaas.

Chase Speculaas created a popular ship combat system, the SPD (SPeculaas Design), which, in its evolutions, is still in use in all the pirate and age of sail communities in SL.  The SPD system covers both naval combat and a melee system, and has given birth to an ecosystem of compatible ships and weapons.  Chase released a number of ships under the SPD brand, sometimes in cooperation with other creators that worked on the actual ships. He created a first set of ships that are the original bulk of SL sailing warships, left SL, came back, create more, among which the beautiful SPD frigate, still one of the most elegant vessels in SL, planned an evolution of his combat system, left again.  You can learn more about Chase and his ideas here : http://laytonio.typepad.com/swashbuccateer/a-message-from-chase-speculaas.html

Soon other creators started to build their own ships using and improving the SPD system and the ships have become more complex and elaborate since then. Ships grew from small gunboats to little galleons, schooners, brigs, xebecs  up to frigates, big galleons and and ships of the line.  The first brand after SPD was Martina Lawsey TSS. Martina made some very popular sailships such as the Brigg (that I used for tall ship races in several occasions, including a couple of editions of the fleet week of the steamlands) , the Dhow, the Xebec, the Bilander and the Black Pearl.

After Martina the name that came to the attention of the Sailing communities was Evva Viper’s. Evva is the owner of the SSS brand, and has been very active in founding and developing several sailing communities , such as Fair Winds and Trade Winds. Some of her beautiful ships include the Sloop, the Sampan, the Goelette, the Frigate and the Hercules, a ship of the line.

Today we have a number of popular brands making beautiful sailing vessels that can be used for naval combat :  JRS, AT, SCS, just to mention a few. Each creator and their testers have contributed to improve and grow the system to make naval combat in SL more and more realistic and challenging.

No presentation would be complete without mention the sailing communities that have been active in SL in these past years. Many have come and gone, but have left their sign in the history of SL historical sailing.  I’d like to mention Beek Haven (where I first learn to sail and run a SPD ship), Jabberwock, our friends of Antiquity, Oceania, the Magellan sims, Fair Winds, Trade Winds, the Blake Sims in the Blake Sea/Sailing Sims area, and, again, very close to us, the Scoundrels.

The sailing community of course suffer of all the problems that we all experience in SL, and sometimes disappear, but they are always very nice and active community and source of great fun. As I conclude I’d like to point at these two last images that are from a couple of events that took place a couple of years ago: two major naval battles that took place between Antiquity and Trade Winds with fleet level engagements. Absolutely fantastic !

Thank you all for listening.

Baron Klaus Wulfenbach: Next month we celebrate Salon's anniversary with a planning session.  Bring your ideas and your volunteers.

AEther Salon: Sailing! (Unedited transcript)

[2015/09/20 14:01]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me welcomes everyone who arrived while she relogged.
[2015/09/20 14:02]  Bookworm Hienrichs: We'll get started in a few minutes.
[2015/09/20 14:03]  VI (violet.solano): good afternoon all
[2015/09/20 14:03]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Frauleins, I am very sorry, it is not letting me set them down.
[2015/09/20 14:03]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): The grid is still not quite happy after the last two days of 'unscheduled maintenance' :-/
[2015/09/20 14:03]  Eilidh McCullough: I think there may be some disturbance today, I am having reports of a similar issue in SkyBeam
[2015/09/20 14:03]  Bookworm Hienrichs: Sunday in SL. So lovely...
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Hah.
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Garnet Psaltery: Oh dear, Eili
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me flicks a stray pixel from her shoulder
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): There we go.
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Jimmy Branagh: Hoy Miss Dar!
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Eilidh McCullough: Thank you
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Jimmy Branagh: Hoy Miss Nika!
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Riven Homewood: I see people!
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Stereo Nacht: Good day Miss Thought-Werk, Mr. Rucker, Ms. Alexis, Ms. Solano, Mr. Harlequin, Ms. Psaltery, Ms. Sera, Herr Baron, Mr. Branagh, Ms. Hienrichs, Ms. Homewood, Admiral Beaumont and everyone!
[2015/09/20 14:04]  Garnet Psaltery: /me admires Wildstar's calm bearing
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Garnet Psaltery: Hello Stereo
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): Eeps as she is sucked to the chairs
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Welcome, new arrivals.
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me curties quietly.
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Wildstar Beaumont: /me smiles at Miss Garnet
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Riven Homewood: /me hugs Nika
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): curtsies*
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Stereo Nacht: Ah! Ms. Ember, Ms. Blitzen, 'Ti Elidh! Good day!
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Wildstar Beaumont: and hello to all I missed to greet
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Jimmy Branagh: /me wonders if the Commander had a few before the show.
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me waves to Cpt Nacht
[2015/09/20 14:05]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me giggles and waves happily to Miss Riven.
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Darlingmonster Ember: Hullo to all!
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): Good evening everyone, thank you all for coming!
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Myrtil Igaly: Every day is drinking day for sailors I thought anyway
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me steps forward.
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Bookworm Hienrichs: Welcome, everyone, to a new season of the Aether Salon here in New Babbage!
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me offers Miss Riven a candy bar "I can't eat these ... I think."
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Jimmy Branagh: An' faw not-sailors too!
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Darlingmonster Ember: huzzah
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): yay!
[2015/09/20 14:06]  Myrtil Igaly: hehe
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: We thank you for finding the time to attend, and hope you'll enjoy today's topic. Admiral Beaumont will be regaling us with tales and information on the Age of Sail. Before we begin, a few housekeeping items:
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Riven Homewood: Thank you, Nika. I shouldn't, but I can't resist.
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 1) To ensure you can hear the speaker, stand or sit on the patterned carpet.
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 2) If you do not have a wearable chair and wish one, please contact Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, or me.
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 3) Please remove all lag-feeding thingamajigs you might be wearing.
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 4) A tip jar is out for our speaker. Do please show your appreciation!
[2015/09/20 14:07]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me coughs and looks back at the Baron significantly.
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Ja, ja.
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me grins.
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 5) Any tips to help support the establishment will also be welcome - just click on one of the support signs!
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Jimmy Branagh: One of them new invisible ones
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Teapot Mk 2: Have some tea.
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 6) If you're not a member of the AEther Salon group, there are signs that will let you join up. You'll be most heartily welcome!
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Riven Homewood: I am going home to change - brb
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 7) Edited and unedited transcripts of these proceedings will be posted at aethersalon.blogspot.com.
[2015/09/20 14:08]  Bookworm Hienrichs: 8) Tea and treats are set out - help yourself!
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Bookworm Hienrichs: And now our host, Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, will introduce our speaker.
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me nods "Yo-ho-hee-hee-hee!"
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me applauds.
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Jimmy Branagh: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Myrtil Igaly: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Stereo Nacht:  `*.¸.*´ APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me claps.
[2015/09/20 14:09]  Eilidh McCullough: ♩♪♫♬  APPAWS! ♩♪♫♬
[2015/09/20 14:10]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): /me claps
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Admiral Wildstar Beaumont was promoted to his rank in Winterfell, after earning it several times over. He has worked hard to promote sailing and sailing events everywhere on the grid, working with Antiquity during Relay For Life for fundraising events, and organising the Privateers' Ball every year near September 19th. He is also well known for his photography. Today, however, he will show us his expertise in the history of his craft.
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Admiral Beaumont?
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Garnet Psaltery: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Myrtil Igaly: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): Applauds
[2015/09/20 14:11]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Aℓєχιѕ  (alexis.fairlady): ♬ ♩ ♭ ♪ APPLAUSE♬ ♩ ♭ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♭ ♪
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Stereo Nacht:  `*.¸.*´ APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me claps.
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Jimmy Branagh: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Eilidh McCullough: ♩♪♫♬  APPAWS! ♩♪♫♬
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Wildstar Beaumont: thank you Herr Baron
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Wildstar Beaumont: Greetings and welcome to my talk. My thanks to the Baron and Miss Book for having me.
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me waves again to Miss Riven.
[2015/09/20 14:12]  Wildstar Beaumont: This is a short introduction to that period in history known as Age of Sails. We will go through the major cornerstone characterizing the period and will end with some information about how the Age of Sails has influenced Second Life
[2015/09/20 14:13]  Wildstar Beaumont: I have intentionally decided not to dwell on what is called the Age of Piracy, or Golden Age of Piracy It is something that would require its own presentation and maybe we will discuss it some other time
[2015/09/20 14:13]  Madame Marie Bai-Xing (mnemozyn.qoida): good evening
[2015/09/20 14:13]  Wildstar Beaumont: By Age of Sail we intend the period in history where international trade and naval warfare was largely dominated by sailships, and, in particular, square rigged sailships
[2015/09/20 14:14]  Wildstar Beaumont: The Age of Sail roughly covers the period from the16th to the 19th century and traditionally - as inexact as these approximations may be - it is delimited by two events where sailships were not at the center of the action, i.e. the battle of Lepanto, in 1571, where the largest part of the two opposing fleets were made of Galleys, and the Battle of Hampton Road, in 1862, during the American CIvil War, where steam powered Ironclads battled each other to a standstill, making traditional sailships easy victims
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Wildstar Beaumont: /me looks around to see if Miss Jed is around .. she would be very happy about my admission of the superiority of ironclads :)
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): /me chuckles
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Jimmy Branagh: /me chuckles
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Darlingmonster Ember: :D
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me grin.
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): heh
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Good to see my fellow Steelheaders here :)
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Hello, Herr Baron :)
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Wildstar Beaumont: A square-rigged sail is not in fact square, but more trapezoidal, being symmetrical but longer in the bottom than in the top side
[2015/09/20 14:15]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): /me waves
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /me stands out of the way so nobody gets a facefull of her wings :)
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Wildstar Beaumont: the name derives from the fact that primary driving sails are carried on horizontal spars which are perpendicular, or square, to the keel of the vessel and to the masts
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Jimmy Branagh: (Watched "Master and Commander again the other day))
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Morphed Carter: hi all
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Garnet Psaltery: Hello Morphed
[2015/09/20 14:16]  Wildstar Beaumont: A sailship can be classified according to the its sailplan : the number of masts and the type of sails. Some popular types (with some liberty in the descriptions) are
[2015/09/20 14:17]  Wildstar Beaumont: - full rigged ship : three (or more) masts with square sails on all of them
[2015/09/20 14:17]  Wildstar Beaumont: - barque : three (or more) masts with square sails on the fore and main masts and mizzen (the aftermost mast) rigged fore-and-aft (i.e. along the line of the keel rather than perpendicular to it)
[2015/09/20 14:17]  Tepic Harlequin: bit like trains and wheels.....
[2015/09/20 14:17]  Wildstar Beaumont: - barquetine : three (or more) masts with only the fore mast rigged square and all the others fore-and-aft
[2015/09/20 14:17]  Wildstar Beaumont: - brig : two masts , both square-rigged
[2015/09/20 14:18]  Wildstar Beaumont: - brigantine : two masts , the foremast square-rigged the other fore-and-aft
[2015/09/20 14:18]  Wildstar Beaumont: - schooner: two (or more) masts rigged fore-and-aft
[2015/09/20 14:18]  Wildstar Beaumont: - sloop : a single mast, rigged fore and aft
[2015/09/20 14:19]  Wildstar Beaumont: Galleon and carracks were very big ships, built mainly for trade in the 15th and 16th century
[2015/09/20 14:19]  Wildstar Beaumont: They became more and more the main vessel for oceanic trade and far away explorations
[2015/09/20 14:20]  Wildstar Beaumont: As piracy became a problem they started to be armed more and more
[2015/09/20 14:20]  Wildstar Beaumont: Heavily armed portuguese carracks are considered to be the precursor of the ships of the line of the following centuries
[2015/09/20 14:20]  Wildstar Beaumont: A ship of the line was the centerpiece of the naval warfare during the Age of Sails. Ther carried many cannons (from 50 to more than 100) on multiple decks. The British navy used to rate ships of the line into different classes according to the number of decks and guns
[2015/09/20 14:21]  Wildstar Beaumont: The ship of the line was meant  to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would maneuver to bring the greatest weight of broadside firepower. This tactic  required to add more and more power to overcome the opposing line and this progression caused to build sailing vessels that were the largest and most powerful of their time
[2015/09/20 14:21]  Wildstar Beaumont: This also made the ships of the line too expensive to be risked if not in major engagements and with the protection of the entire fleet. So typically many duties were carried out by smaller ships such as frigates
[2015/09/20 14:22]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): So all those pirate movies where the final boss is a Man o' War are silly
[2015/09/20 14:22]  Wildstar Beaumont: Frigates in the Age of Sails were ships that were usually as long as a ship of the line and were square-rigged on all three masts, but were faster and with lighter armament, used for patrolling and escort
[2015/09/20 14:23]  Wildstar Beaumont: The definition was not the same across the years and the different navies, but in the definition adopted by the British Admiralty, they were ships of at least 28 guns, carrying their principal armaments upon a single deck
[2015/09/20 14:23]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me nods and listens.
[2015/09/20 14:23]  Wildstar Beaumont: the upper deck in mid-19th century frigates evolved into armored ironclads, then further evolved into the late 19th century battleships. Therefore frigates, rather than ships of the line can be considered the origin of modern capital ships
[2015/09/20 14:24]  Jimmy Branagh: /me strokes his chin
[2015/09/20 14:24]  Wildstar Beaumont: The age of sail has been characterized by a number of major military engagement, where fleet sized formations battled each other. Here are some of them worth remembering because of their size of because of their historical outcome
[2015/09/20 14:25]  Wildstar Beaumont: the Battle of Lepanto (1571) which took place when a fleet of Catholic  states decisively defeated the fleet of the Ottoman Empire on the northern edge of the Gulf of Corinth, off western Greece. The battle is the last major engagement mainly fought by galleys and traditionally is is considered to mark the beginning of the Age of Sails
[2015/09/20 14:25]  Wildstar Beaumont: Battle of Gravelines (1588) between the English fleet and the Spanish Armada. The English defeated the Spanish near the port of Gravelines in the Flanders, even if the actual destruction of the Armada took place because of the adverse weather condition and the bad condition of the ships on their way back
[2015/09/20 14:26]  Wildstar Beaumont: in the 18th century the naval confrontations saw mainly Britain and France fight each other
[2015/09/20 14:26]  Tepic Harlequin: hehhee even the weather is on the side of the British!
[2015/09/20 14:26]  Garnet Psaltery: Hooray!
[2015/09/20 14:26]  Wildstar Beaumont: the seven years war is considered the first “global” war, being fought all around the globe, in Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines. The battle of Quiberon Bay took place in 1759 and was the major naval event of the war where yet another French attempt at invading Britain failed
[2015/09/20 14:27]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me whispers "God Save ... Us All."
[2015/09/20 14:27]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): !
[2015/09/20 14:27]  Wildstar Beaumont: the major naval French victory over a British fleet took place in 1781. The Battle of the Chesapeake was part of the American Independence war. The Battle prevented the British to reinforce their troops at Yorktown, causing eventually Lord Cornwalli’s surrender and the independence of the colonies
[2015/09/20 14:27]  Myrtil Igaly: You'd be all speaking French now
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Tepic Harlequin: mais non!
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Stereo Nacht: Ahem. *Je* parle français! :-P
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me claps quietly.
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): The british let the French win....
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Jimmy Branagh: Sacre' Bleu!
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Myrtil Igaly: All the others! :op
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): /me chuckles
[2015/09/20 14:28]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): I had no idea an invasion was attempted so recently
[2015/09/20 14:29]  Stereo Nacht: X-D
[2015/09/20 14:29]  Wildstar Beaumont: the battle of Svensksund was fought between a Swedish and Russian fleet in the gulf of Finland as part of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90. Around 250 small to medium ships were involved, with still a significant number of galleys
[2015/09/20 14:29]  Samantha Linnaeus: Sacre dieu!
[2015/09/20 14:29]  Wildstar Beaumont: The battle of the Nile : 1798, the first of the two major engagements between the British and French navies during the Napoleonic wars, Like at Trafalgar Admiral Horatio Nelson was in command of the British Fleet
[2015/09/20 14:30]  Wildstar Beaumont: the battle of Trafalgar was fought in 1805 between the British and the allied French and Spanish fleets, the major naval battle in the napoleonic wars and probably the largest fleet engagement with ships of the line involved
[2015/09/20 14:30]  Jimmy Branagh: /me waves to Zaida
[2015/09/20 14:30]  zaida Gearbox: /me waves to jimmy
[2015/09/20 14:30]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me smiles at Miss Zaida.
[2015/09/20 14:30]  Wildstar Beaumont: the battle of Navarino was fought in 1822 between a British-French-Russian alliance and the Ottoman Empire as part of the Greek War of Independence. It was the last major battle fought only by sailships
[2015/09/20 14:30]  zaida Gearbox: /me smiles at nika and waves to miz book
[2015/09/20 14:31]  Wildstar Beaumont: I’d like to point out the dates here : in 1790 at Svensksund we still have a significant presence of Galleys in a major engagement. In 1822 we have the last major battle where just sailships were involved. Steam and ironclads were just a few decades away. We could argue that the age of sail, from a warfare point of view basically covers the Napoleonic wars
[2015/09/20 14:31]  Riven Homewood: Not earlier?
[2015/09/20 14:31]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me cocks her head and frowns.
[2015/09/20 14:32]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me wants to ask a question, but waits.
[2015/09/20 14:32]  Riven Homewood: Hushes
[2015/09/20 14:33]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes .. of course earlier ... it is a bit of a provocative statement to point out that they were still using galleys (oar propelled ships) at the end of the 18th century
[2015/09/20 14:33]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me winks at Miss Riven, suspecting they have similar questions.
[2015/09/20 14:33]  Wildstar Beaumont: Despite their obsolescence in naval warfare, in terms of size and efficiency the middle of the 19th century sees the golden age of sailships with the raise of the clippers for fast transportation of cargo on some trade routes. China tea (and opium), gold from California and Australia were the main goods been transported by these vessels. The peak of glory ended with the Opening of the Suez Canal in 1869
[2015/09/20 14:34]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /me blinks. 18th century?
[2015/09/20 14:34]  Riven Homewood: Ah! Sail vs galleys! Of course
[2015/09/20 14:35]  Wildstar Beaumont: Clippers were built for speed: fully rigged three masted ships, rather narrow, they could carry limited cargo. The fastest china clippers could reach 16 knots, which is the best speed ever reached by commercial sailships
[2015/09/20 14:35]  Stereo Nacht: Ahem. 19th century! ;-)
[2015/09/20 14:35]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me raises her hand.
[2015/09/20 14:35]  Wildstar Beaumont: Sailships have continued to be a competitive way to transport goods well within the 20th century, until the 1920s, with large windjammers
[2015/09/20 14:36]  Wildstar Beaumont: Of course sailships are still popular these days for recreational uses, along with some small niches where they may still be economically viable
[2015/09/20 14:36]  Robotnika Resident: ::raises hand::
[2015/09/20 14:36]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes, Miss Nika ?
[2015/09/20 14:36]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): Well they are experimenting with sails on oil tankers....
[2015/09/20 14:36]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): How fast is a not?  Is it as fast as it takes to say not or to tie a knot?
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me blinks.
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Wildstar Beaumont: /me grins
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me cocks her head.
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Jimmy Branagh: It's knot fast
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Wildstar Beaumont: a nautical mile per hour :)
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Riven Homewood: If it is the time I take to tie a knot, 16 knots would be about a week
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Isn;t it about 2.5 mph?
[2015/09/20 14:37]  Wildstar Beaumont: a bit more than 1800 m per hour
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me looks at Miss Riven ... Oh!
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /me raises her hand
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): Thank you.  I get it now.
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): How're KNots measured though? I know it involves throwing a knotted rope over the stern of the ship but how does that work?
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes Miss Shayera ?
[2015/09/20 14:38]  Jimmy Branagh: That's fathoming I think
[2015/09/20 14:39]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): What exactly does "careening" mean?
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Wildstar Beaumont: hmm ... as far as I remember (apologies if I am not precise ... sometimes not being English my mothertongue I have to check the terms) but careening is a maintainance practice
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Darlingmonster Ember: nods
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Tepic Harlequin: that's when you run aground at high tide so you can do repairs as low tide
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Wildstar Beaumont: a way to expose the hull for repairs
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Run the ship aground?
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Tepic Harlequin: yep :-)
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Oh, like in Teredo worms and such?
[2015/09/20 14:41]  VI (violet.solano): beach it
[2015/09/20 14:41]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes .. in a controlled way
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Ouch-that would be a key opportunity for pirate sto strike, wouldn;t it?
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Tepic Harlequin: ah... controlled... knew i'd forgotten a bit.....
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Jimmy Branagh: High enough on the beach so that when the tide goes out you can work on it
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Another silly question-how on earth would they get the vessel off again without damage?
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Wildstar Beaumont: that the "controlled" part :)
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Tepic Harlequin: wait for high tide, then pull it off with the longboat....
[2015/09/20 14:42]  Wildstar Beaumont: they of course had techniques to do it in the right way
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Ah. Thank you. I thought they just waited for the tide again.
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): That makes sense
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Wildstar Beaumont: have you seen "les miserables" the movie ?
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Wildstar Beaumont: the opening sequence ?
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): No, afraid not
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): But i will, thank you.
[2015/09/20 14:43]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): You have to beach a ship regularly to scrub off the barnacles and shipworm if your ship isn't copperbottomed
[2015/09/20 14:44]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): That would leave the ship and crew at their most vulnerable in hostile waters, would;t it?
[2015/09/20 14:44]  Tepic Harlequin: and so a 'copper-bottomed' investment....
[2015/09/20 14:44]  Wildstar Beaumont: well .. of course you do that in a friendly shipyards ... or if you HAVE to do it because of some major damage
[2015/09/20 14:44]  Wildstar Beaumont: shipyard*
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /me winces at the thought
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): If you've ever seen the show Black Sails they do it in an episode
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Wildstar Beaumont: We are now moving to the second and final part of my presentation: Sailing in Second Life. For those who want to go in more depth on the subject, I suggest to review the first section of the Episode of Designing Worlds aired on the 23rd of September 2013 (http://treet.tv/shows/designingworlds/episodes/sailing-sl) where Saffia and Elrik interview Mark Twain White, a legendary figure in the SL sailing community, about the story of Sailing in SL.
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Oh.
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): HMS Endeavor had to do it when Cook discovered the Great Barrier Reef
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Garnet Psaltery: Excellent
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): thank you for the link
[2015/09/20 14:45]  Wildstar Beaumont: The entire episode is worth being watched, but if you have limited time, I’d also suggest to have a look at the end titles sequence of the episode (1h33’ into the show),  not because I am in it at the elm of the Star of Winterfell, my flagship, but because Elrik’s editing of that sequence and choice of music is a little masterpiece of SL videography and always gives me goosebumps
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Garnet Psaltery: /me smiles
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Wildstar Beaumont: More information and historical footing can also be found on Mark Twain White’s own channel on youtube
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Tepic Harlequin: great fun, thanks, time ter go!
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Wildstar Beaumont: As you probably know the origin of SL sailing as we know it dates back to early 2015 when Kanker Greenacre developed his system of scripts to make use of SL wind. Sailboats existed even before that, but they were driven using the directional keys of one’s keyboard. With Kanker’s system one could sail in SL using the same physics principles of RL sailing, being affected by the direction and the power of the wind. On top of that , Kranker’s system also allowed to have a more realistic wind condition than those recreated by the default SL wind
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Myrtil Igaly: Good night Tepic!
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Garnet Psaltery: Cheerio, Tepic
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): Night Tepic
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Jimmy Branagh: Bye Tepic!
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Wildstar Beaumont: good night Tepic
[2015/09/20 14:46]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): Take care Tepic
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): 2015?
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Wildstar Beaumont: 2005
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): oh
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Heh.
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Wildstar Beaumont: sorry about that :)
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me waves to Tepic.
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): I've never heard of Black Sails. I'll have to look into it. Thank you for the recommendation
[2015/09/20 14:47]  Wildstar Beaumont: Kanker’s system has been the origin of almost all sailing vessels that came in the following years, whether for fun sailing or for racing or for naval warfare . More recently different script systems have been developed (BWind comes to my mind above all, which for instance is used by the hugely popular loonetta cruiser) , but is it safe to claim that , especially where racing and fighting are involved, Kranker’s scripts and the direct derivatives are still the dominant systems
[2015/09/20 14:48]  Wildstar Beaumont: Racing was a major factor in the development of sailing in Second Life, both in terms of communities, with the creation of a number of Yacht Clubs all over the grids, and technology, with the evolution and improvement of Kranker’s system. But there were also those less interested in peaceful  yachting and more interested in fighting
[2015/09/20 14:49]  Wildstar Beaumont: And we have come to another legendary name in the history of SL : Chase Speculaas
[2015/09/20 14:49]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): I know that name.
[2015/09/20 14:49]  Wildstar Beaumont: Chase Speculaas created a popular ship combat system, the SPD (SPeculaas Design), which, in its evolutions, is still in use in all the pirate and age of sail communities in SL
[2015/09/20 14:50]  Wildstar Beaumont: His main shop has been in Antiquity for many years, Herr Baron
[2015/09/20 14:50]  Darlingmonster Ember: ah, nice.
[2015/09/20 14:50]  Wildstar Beaumont: The SPD system covers both naval combat and a melee system, and has given birth to an ecosystem of compatible ships and weapons
[2015/09/20 14:51]  Wildstar Beaumont: Chase released a number of ships under the SPD brand, sometimes in cooperation with other creators that worked on the actual ships. He created a first set of ships that are the original bulk of SL sailing warships, left SL, came back, create more, among which the beautiful SPD frigate, still one of the most elegant vessels in SL, planned an evolution of his combat system, left again.
[2015/09/20 14:51]  Wildstar Beaumont: You can learn more about Chase and his ideas here : http://laytonio.typepad.com/swashbuccateer/a-message-from-chase-speculaas.html
[2015/09/20 14:52]  Wildstar Beaumont: Soon other creators started to build their own ships using and improving the SPD system and the ships have become more complex and elaborate since then. Ships grew from small gunboats to little galleons, schooners, brigs, xebecs  up to frigates, big galleons and and ships of the line.
[2015/09/20 14:52]  Wildstar Beaumont: The first brand after SPD was Martina Lawsey TSS. Martina made some very popular sailships such as the Brigg (that I used for tall ship races in several occasions, including a couple of editions of the fleet week of the steamlands) , the Dhow, the Xebec, the Bilander and the Black Pearl
[2015/09/20 14:53]  Wildstar Beaumont: After Martina the name that came to the attention of the Sailing communities was Evva Viper’s. Evva is the owner of the SSS brand, and has been very active in founding and developing several sailing communities , such as Fair Winds and Trade Winds. Some of her beautiful ships include the Sloop, the Sampan, the Goelette, the Frigate and the Hercules, a ship of the line.
[2015/09/20 14:53]  Wildstar Beaumont: Today we have a number of popular brands making beautiful sailing vessels that can be used for naval combat :  JRS, AT, SCS, just to mention a few. Each creator and their testers have contributed to improve and grow the system to make naval combat in SL more and more realistic and challenging
[2015/09/20 14:54]  zaida Gearbox: nice SL ships are very expensive and often very primmy
[2015/09/20 14:54]  Wildstar Beaumont: No presentation would be complete without mention the sailing communities that have been active in SL in these past years. Many have come and gone, but have left their sign in the history of SL historical sailing
[2015/09/20 14:54]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /me raises her hand.
[2015/09/20 14:54]  Wildstar Beaumont: I’d like to mention Beek Haven (where I first learn to sail and run a SPD ship), Jabberwock, our friends of Antiquity, Oceania, the Magellan sims, Fair Winds, Trade Winds, the Blake Sims in the Blake Sea/Sailing Sims area, and, again, very close to us, the Scoundrels
[2015/09/20 14:54]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes ?
[2015/09/20 14:54]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): What is a "pinnace",please?
[2015/09/20 14:55]  Wildstar Beaumont: a kind of boat
[2015/09/20 14:55]  Wildstar Beaumont: I should check the details
[2015/09/20 14:55]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Ah, small and fast, then?
[2015/09/20 14:55]  Darlingmonster Ember: especially noted at tender to a larger ship
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Darlingmonster Ember: *as tender
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): Oh! Thank you.
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Samantha Linnaeus: raises her hand
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Wildstar Beaumont: /me nods at DME
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Riven Homewood: Is Antiquity still here? I had heard a rumor that they closed, and had a huge closing party where they burned all their ships
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Not at all.
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): I think you are conflating it with Armada Breakaway.
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Wildstar Beaumont: they are still with us fortunately
[2015/09/20 14:56]  Jimmy Branagh: Was just there recently
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Riven Homewood: Oh thank you! I'm so glad to hear that
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: yes .. that was Armada
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: sad moment
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): They just opened Buckingham Palace, and are quite proud of it.
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: but very spectacular
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: miss Samantha had a question ?
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Samantha Linnaeus: smiles, "Do these ships ever come into port here?"
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: here in new babbage ?
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Wildstar Beaumont: more than once
[2015/09/20 14:57]  Samantha Linnaeus: nods, "Yes?"
[2015/09/20 14:58]  Wildstar Beaumont: NB hosted two editions of the fleet week of the steamlands
[2015/09/20 14:58]  Samantha Linnaeus: smiles, "That is rather exciting."
[2015/09/20 14:58]  Wildstar Beaumont: and all the docks were filled with the most lovely creations
[2015/09/20 14:58]  Samantha Linnaeus: nods, "Thank you."
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Wildstar Beaumont: The sailing community of course suffer of all the problems that we all experience in SL, and sometimes disappear, but they are always very nice and active community and source of great fun. As I conclude I’d like to point at these two last images that are from a couple of events that took place a couple of years ago: two major naval battles that took place between Antiquity and Trade Winds with fleet level engagements. Absolutely fantastic !
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Wildstar Beaumont: Thank you all for listening
Fair Winds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Jimmy Branagh: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Wildstar Beaumont: :)
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Stereo Nacht:  `*.¸.*´ APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´APPLAUSE `*.¸.*´
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): I enjoying sailing my schooners, but the sim crossings can be vicious
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Liz Wilner: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Jimmy Branagh: Excellent presentation!
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Nika Thought-werk (robotnika): /me claps happily.
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Eilidh McCullough: ♩♪♫♬  APPAWS! ♩♪♫♬
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Wulfriðe Blitzen  (ancasta): /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Myrtil Igaly: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): /applauds
[2015/09/20 14:59]  zaida Gearbox: /me claps wildly
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Aℓєχιѕ  (alexis.fairlady): ♬ ♩ ♭ ♪ APPLAUSE♬ ♩ ♭ ♪ ♬ ♩ ♭ ♪
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me applauds.
[2015/09/20 14:59]  Sera (serafina.puchkina): Most enjoyable, sir
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Wildstar Beaumont: sim crossing has improved a lot in the past years
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Garnet Psaltery: A fascinating talk, thank you.  There was much information I did not know before.
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Vielen dank, Admiral, this has been excellent.
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Shayera Hol (samantha.lowell): My complements on yoru research, sir.thank you for the presentation.
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Darlingmonster Ember: /me applauds
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): Thankyou for your informative talk. Now ah have yet another reason to be annoyed at Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Darlingmonster Ember: heh
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): If anyone has time to linger, perhaps the Admiral can stay to answer a few questions as well.
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Wildstar Beaumont: thank you all for being here
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Clara Danitz (clara.corryong): I'll add it to the pile
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Bookworm Hienrichs: /me chuckles.
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Darlingmonster Ember: Wonderful to have a new season of Salon
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Stereo Nacht: Thank you Admiral! Quite instructive!
[2015/09/20 15:00]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Next month we celebrate Salon's anniversary with a planning session.
[2015/09/20 15:01]  Baron Klaus Wulfenbach (klauswulfenbach.outlander): Bring your ideas and your volunteers.