The Buckyball Racing Club Presents: Triangle Triathlon
This is a race intended to challenge participants in the use of Ship-Launched Fighters (SLFs) and Surface Reconnaissance Vehicles (SRV) as well as ships capable of fitting both of these. The race is a Triathlon with three systems to visit where different challenges await:
- HIP 73293 3, Koolhaas' Folly (Surface Port). START/FINISH
- LARG AB1, Capital Ship Dock
- GRIDGE 1, Military Installation
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Race Outline
The race starts with participants on the edge of the ramp that passes through the wall of the ringed surface city Koolhaas' Folly. The wheels of the SRV should not be touching the ramp. An example of an acceptable starting position is shown here:
latitude: 30.6568 degrees
longitude: 24.8607 degrees
There is no particular marker for these co-ordinates, which are 20.0 km away from the city, so arriving within 0.0020 degrees of both the target latitude and longitude is acceptable. There is also a slim chance of a temporary POI appearing at the target location, so exact positioning is not needed but these co-ordinates are compatible with a landing location for the Keelback so getting close to them may be helpful. Koolhaas' Folly is located on the dark side of a tidally-locked planet so the course is in perpetual night. The surface gravity of HIP 73293 3 is 1.12g. To assist participants in finding their way, this is part an old screenshot showing the city and the nearby crater from a time when the surface would be artificially brightened:
The course can be run in either direction: HIP 73293, Gridge and Larg are all approximately 100 LY away from each other. In the regulation Keelback loadout, this will be from four to six jumps for each leg depending on your filtering options and direction of travel. Neutron star and white dwarf boosting are allowed in all classes, although I have not seen any close enough to the route for them to be useful. If racing as a multicrew team (see below), then the Ship-launched fighter (SLF) pilot should join the ship after departing HIP 73293, as they will be required to fly all the SLF sections.
At Larg, the objective is to fly a SLF through the ring of either of the two Majestic class Interdictors berthed at the Capital Ship Dock adjacent to Kagawa Survey, in orbit of the planet AB 1 (see image below). The Capital Ship Dock is located just within the no-fire zone of the station but appears as a separate location on the navigation panel in supercruise. It does not have an exclusion zone so you will not incur fines from flying close to the ships berthed there. After flying through the ring, return to the mother ship and dock the SLF. If you destroy the SLF during this, or any other, leg then you will have to repeat the leg. This will mean a short wait whilst the Fighter Hangar 'prints' a new fighter.
Race Modes
Triangle Triathlon has three modes: Regulation Keelback, Single Unlimited, and Multicrewed. Depending on participation, Multicrewed may be split into Multicrewed Regulation Keelback and Multicrewed Unlimited.Regulation Keelback requires the following loadout, with any model of Taipan SLF (not all are the same but choose whichever you prefer):
https://s.orbis.zone/dgv
The Keelback and most of the modules can be obtained from Arai Orbital, Nungk, with the remaining modules (Power Plant, Fuel Scoop and Sensors) available at Check Port, Chere. Where outfitting is available, it is usually possible to buy Taipan and GU-97 SLFs in this region even if Fighter Hangars are not sold. Arai Orbital stocks all three types of human fighter (the nearest Guardians Tech Broker that I know of is at Smoot Orbital, Chona). This loadout is expensive for a regulation loadout, at over 5.7 million credits, so participants might wish to obtain the ship and modules elsewhere: with the Li Yong-Rui 15% discount the total price is just under 5 million credits.
Single Unlimited allows any SLF-capable ship with any Engineering modifications but it is prohibited to use Guardians Frame Shift Boosters or FSD boost synthesis. Any model of SLF can be used, including the AX Taipan and the Guardians fighters, but the Fighter Hangar must be a class 5: this ensures that there is a fixed time penalty for blowing up a SLF and that the same SLF is used throughout a run.
Multicrewed efforts follow the above rules but with a human SLF pilot flying all the sections that require the SLF. Note that it is necessary to wait until the SRV section has been completed before the SLF pilot can join the ship via multicrew. Each team of mothership + SLF pilot will only get one entry on the leaderboard, so if the two players swap roles on subsequent attempts, only the best time will appear on the leaderboard. It is therefore possible for a single Commander to appear multiple times on the leaderboard by flying SLFs for other competitors or hosting different SLF pilots. Pilots invite other Commanders aboard their ship at their own risk! There is a chance of committing crimes during the race...
It is suggested that all entrants compete in Open so that they might meet other racers taking part but it is not a requirement. Multicrewed efforts naturally require that both team members are either in Open or the same Private Group. It is possible to join a ship as a SLF pilot from anywhere in the Milky Way, so this also provides an opportunity for some racing action for pilots away on distant expeditions, or who dislike driving a SRV in high gravity in the dark! Entries are accepted from all platforms on which Elite: Dangerous: Horizons is available and which are capable of providing the required screenshots or video as race evidence.
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Submitting a Race Entry
The race begins on Saturday 29th September 3304 and ends at midnight on Monday October 8th 3304: entries must start between 00:00:00 September 29th 3304 and 23:59:59 October 8th 3304.Please declare an intent to race in this thread, in order that other participants can look out for you on the course. It may also help you to attract a pilot for your SLF or find someone willing for you to fly their SLF. It is not required if you prefer not to, however. If you want to fly a SLF but not a mothership, feel free to request this in the thread! Race entries are submitted by sending a PM to me on the Frontier Forums with the following information:
- CMDR name
- SLF pilot CMDR name (Multicrewed attempts only)
- Race Mode (Regulation Keelback, Single Unlimited, Multicrewed Regulation Keelback or Multicrewed Unlimited)
- Ship name
- Ship and SLF type
- Race time
- Link to race evidence (video or screenshots, see below)
- Outfitting of the ship showing the Optional Internal modules, with the jump range and Fighter Hangar / SLF type visible. For the Regulation Keelback (Multicrewed or otherwise) the Core Internals must also be shown. (2 screenshots for Regulation Keelback modes, 1 otherwise)
- The SRV on the start line at Koolhaas' Folly (see above screenshot for positioning) showing the clock: this will be your start time. (1 screenshot)
- The SRV within 0.0020 degrees (both latitude and longitude) of latitude: 30.6568 degrees / longitude: 24.8607 degrees. (1 screenshot)
- The SLF passing through the ring of either of the Majestic class Interdictors berthed at the Capital Ship Dock at Larg AB 1 and docking with the mothership afterwards. (2 screenshots)
- The SLF passing through or inside a tunnel at the Military Installation orbiting Gridge 1 and docking with the mothership afterwards. (2 screenshots)
- The SLF passing through the tunnel through the perimeter wall of Koolhaas' Folly and docking with the mothership afterwards. (2 screenshots)
- The mothership on the pad at Koolhaas' Folly showing the in-game clock. This will be your finish time. (1 screenshot)
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Additional Notes
It is permitted to use synthesis to repair and refuel the SRV.You can fly through the tunnels/rings in any direction.
It is not necessary to have an assigned fighter pilot for you to order your mothership to hold position whilst in the SLF.
You cannot deploy the SLF within the no-fire zone of a station or outpost, however this restriction does not apply for docking the SLF.
Pip settings for the SLF are not preserved between launches.
If you are shot down by the authorities with a bounty or a fine outstanding, then the detention centre you will probably respawn at is The Sepulchre in Col 285 Sector YU-F c11-1. This is 68.94 LY away from HIP 73293.
There is an Interstellar Factor at Dyson Orbital, Mandubii, should you need their services.
There is a Guardians Tech Broker at Smoot Orbital, Chona, where all current models of SLF are available.
There is a raw Materials Trader at Matthaus Olbers Station in HIP 73293, should you want extra materials for SRV repair/refuel without wanting to spend time farming them.
Have fun!
Leaderboards
Regulation Keelback
Regulation Keelback
Single Unlimited
Multicrewed Regulation Keelback
Multicrewed Unlimited
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