diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/test/SwissTimingReplayAdapterServiceTest.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/test/SwissTimingReplayAdapterServiceTest.java
index a0608a2f5b4..c835cbc700b 100644
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/test/SwissTimingReplayAdapterServiceTest.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/test/SwissTimingReplayAdapterServiceTest.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.test;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertArrayEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import org.junit.Ignore;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import com.sap.sailing.domain.base.Competitor;
+import com.sap.sailing.domain.common.Distance;
 import com.sap.sailing.domain.common.impl.Util;
 import com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingadapter.DomainFactory;
 import com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter.SwissTimingReplayRace;
@@ -185,6 +187,20 @@ public class SwissTimingReplayAdapterServiceTest {
         }
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testStartPerformanceDetection() throws Exception {
+        SwissTimingReplayToDomainAdapter replayListener = new SwissTimingReplayToDomainAdapter(null, DomainFactory.INSTANCE,
+                new DummyTrackedRegattaRegistry());
+        new SwissTimingReplayParserImpl().readData(getClass().getResourceAsStream("/SAW005906.20120805.replay"), replayListener);
+        Iterable<? extends TrackedRace> trackedRaces = replayListener.getTrackedRaces();
+        TrackedRace trackedRace = trackedRaces.iterator().next();
+        for (Competitor competitor : trackedRace.getRace().getCompetitors()) {
+            Distance distanceToLineAtStart = trackedRace.getDistanceToStartLine(competitor, trackedRace.getStartOfRace());
+            assertTrue(distanceToLineAtStart.getMeters() > 0);
+            assertTrue(distanceToLineAtStart.getMeters() < 8.5);
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test
     @Ignore
     public void printRaceData_SAW005906_20120805() throws Exception {
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/SwissTimingReplayService.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/SwissTimingReplayService.java
index b55ac39273c..9c7abac8697 100755
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/SwissTimingReplayService.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/SwissTimingReplayService.java
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ public interface SwissTimingReplayService {
     /**
      * @param link
      *            the URL without the implicit "http://" prefix, as obtained, e.g., from
-     *            {@link SwissTimingReplayRace#getLink()}.
+     *            {@link SwissTimingReplayRace#getLink()}, or with an explicit protocol specification
+     *            as in "file:///..."
      * @param replayListener
      *            the listener to receive all persing events
      */
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/impl/SwissTimingReplayServiceImpl.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/impl/SwissTimingReplayServiceImpl.java
index 940ab7eb221..70415d33e0a 100644
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/impl/SwissTimingReplayServiceImpl.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.swisstimingreplayadapter/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/swisstimingreplayadapter/impl/SwissTimingReplayServiceImpl.java
@@ -121,9 +121,13 @@ public class SwissTimingReplayServiceImpl implements SwissTimingReplayService {
     
     @Override
     public void loadRaceData(String link, SwissTimingReplayListener replayListener) {
-        URL raceDataUrl;
+        final URL raceDataUrl;
         try {
-            raceDataUrl = new URL("http://" + link);
+            if (link.contains("://")) {
+                raceDataUrl = new URL(link);
+            } else {
+                raceDataUrl = new URL("http://" + link);
+            }
             InputStream urlInputStream = (InputStream) raceDataUrl.getContent();
             ByteArrayOutputStreamWithVisibleBuffer bos = new ByteArrayOutputStreamWithVisibleBuffer();
             byte[] buf = new byte[8192];
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRace.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRace.java
index 3ebf547d4f0..f42bf20736e 100755
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRace.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRace.java
@@ -764,4 +764,10 @@ public class MockedTrackedRace implements DynamicTrackedRace {
         // TODO Auto-generated method stub
         
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public Distance getDistanceToStartLine(Competitor competitor, TimePoint timePoint) {
+        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
+        return null;
+    }
 }
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRaceWithStartTimeAndRanks.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRaceWithStartTimeAndRanks.java
index 4838b452619..e278ef96f27 100755
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRaceWithStartTimeAndRanks.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain.test/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/test/mock/MockedTrackedRaceWithStartTimeAndRanks.java
@@ -507,4 +507,10 @@ public class MockedTrackedRaceWithStartTimeAndRanks implements TrackedRace {
         
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public Distance getDistanceToStartLine(Competitor competitor, TimePoint timePoint) {
+        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
+        return null;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/TrackedRace.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/TrackedRace.java
index 66d5f01fa69..147a58d42f4 100755
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/TrackedRace.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/TrackedRace.java
@@ -499,4 +499,20 @@ public interface TrackedRace extends Serializable {
      */
     void setCourseDesignChangedListener(CourseDesignChangedListener listener);
 
+    /**
+     * Tells how far the given <code>competitor</code> was from the start line at the given <code>timePoint</code>.
+     * Using the {@link #getStartOfRace() race start time} for <code>timePoint</code>, this tells the competitor's
+     * distance to the line when the race was started.
+     * <p>
+     * 
+     * The distance to the line is calculated by projecting the competitor's position onto the line orthogonally and
+     * computing the distance of the projected position and the competitor's position.
+     * <p
+     * .
+     * 
+     * Should the course be empty, <code>null</code> is returned. If the course's first waypoint is not a line or gate,
+     * the geometric distance between the first waypoint and the competitor's position at <code>timePoint</code> is
+     * returned. If the competitor's position cannot be determined, <code>null</code> is returned.
+     */
+    Distance getDistanceToStartLine(Competitor competitor, TimePoint timePoint);
 }
diff --git a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/impl/TrackedRaceImpl.java b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/impl/TrackedRaceImpl.java
index a56a8dd20de..a19f2e3379f 100755
--- a/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/impl/TrackedRaceImpl.java
+++ b/java/com.sap.sailing.domain/src/com/sap/sailing/domain/tracking/impl/TrackedRaceImpl.java
@@ -2316,5 +2316,34 @@ public abstract class TrackedRaceImpl implements TrackedRace, CourseListener {
     public void setCourseDesignChangedListener(CourseDesignChangedListener listener) {
         this.courseDesignChangedListener = listener;
     }
-    
+
+    @Override
+    public Distance getDistanceToStartLine(Competitor competitor, TimePoint timePoint) {
+        Waypoint startWaypoint = getRace().getCourse().getFirstWaypoint();
+        final Distance result;
+        if (startWaypoint == null) {
+            result = null;
+        } else {
+            Position competitorPosition = getTrack(competitor).getEstimatedPosition(timePoint, /* extrapolate */ false);
+            if (competitorPosition == null) {
+                result = null;
+            } else {
+                Iterable<Mark> marks = startWaypoint.getControlPoint().getMarks();
+                Iterator<Mark> marksIterator = marks.iterator();
+                Mark first = marksIterator.next();
+                Position firstPosition = getOrCreateTrack(first).getEstimatedPosition(timePoint, /* extrapolate */ false);
+                if (marksIterator.hasNext()) {
+                    // it's a line / gate
+                    Mark second = marksIterator.next();
+                    Position secondPosition = getOrCreateTrack(second).getEstimatedPosition(timePoint, /* extrapolate */ false);
+                    Position competitorProjectedOntoStartLine = competitorPosition.projectToLineThrough(firstPosition,
+                            firstPosition.getBearingGreatCircle(secondPosition));
+                    result = competitorPosition.getDistance(competitorProjectedOntoStartLine);
+                } else {
+                    result = competitorPosition.getDistance(firstPosition);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
 }