diff --git a/mock/src/main/java/seng302/MockOutput.java b/mock/src/main/java/seng302/MockOutput.java
index d48bd488..728b29a6 100644
--- a/mock/src/main/java/seng302/MockOutput.java
+++ b/mock/src/main/java/seng302/MockOutput.java
@@ -162,6 +162,7 @@ public class MockOutput implements Runnable
 
         try {
             while (true){
+                System.out.println("Waiting for a connection...");//TEMP DEBUG REMOVE
                 mockSocket = serverSocket.accept();
 
                 outToVisualiser = new DataOutputStream(mockSocket.getOutputStream());
diff --git a/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java b/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
index b4a9e511..cf660860 100644
--- a/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
+++ b/visualiser/src/main/java/seng302/Controllers/StartController.java
@@ -55,12 +55,16 @@ public class StartController extends Controller implements Observer {
 
     private VisualiserInput visualiserInput;
 
+    ///Tracks whether the race has been started (that is, has startRaceNoScaling() be called).
+    boolean hasRaceStarted = false;
+
     /**
      * Begins the race with a scale factor of 1
      */
     public void startRaceNoScaling() {
         //startRace(1);
-        while(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null);
+        while(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null);//TODO probably remove this.
+
         countdownTimer();
     }
 
@@ -135,20 +139,40 @@ public class StartController extends Controller implements Observer {
     @Override
     public void update(Observable o, Object arg) {
         if(o instanceof StreamedCourse) {
-            if(((StreamedCourse) o).hasReadBoats()) {
+            StreamedCourse streamedCourse = (StreamedCourse) o;
+            if(streamedCourse.hasReadBoats()) {
                 initialiseTables();
             }
-            if(((StreamedCourse)o).hasReadRegatta()) {
-                Platform.runLater(() -> raceTitleLabel.setText(((StreamedCourse)o).getRegattaName()));
+            if(streamedCourse.hasReadRegatta()) {
+                Platform.runLater(() -> raceTitleLabel.setText(streamedCourse.getRegattaName()));
             }
-            if (((StreamedCourse) o).hasReadCourse()) {
+            if (streamedCourse.hasReadCourse()) {
                 Platform.runLater(() -> {
                     setRaceClock();
-                    while(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null); // TODO - replace with observer on VisualiserInput
+                    if(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null){
+                        return;//TEMP BUG FIX if the race isn't sending race status messages (our mock currently doesn't), then it would block the javafx thread with the previous while loop.
+                    }; // TODO - replace with observer on VisualiserInput
                     setStartingTime();
                     setCurrentTime();
                 });
             }
+
+            //TODO this is a somewhat temporary fix for when not all of the race data (boats, course, regatta) is received in time.
+            //Previously, startRaceNoScaling was called in the enterLobby function after the visualiserInput was started, but when connecting to the official data source it sometimes didn't send all of the race data, causing startRaceNoScaling to start, even though we didn't have enough information to start it.
+            if (streamedCourse.hasReadBoats() && streamedCourse.hasReadCourse() && streamedCourse.hasReadRegatta()) {
+                Platform.runLater(() -> {
+                    if (!this.hasRaceStarted) {
+                        if(visualiserInput.getRaceStatus() == null) {
+                            return;//TEMP 
+                        }
+                        else {
+                            this.hasRaceStarted = true;
+                            startRaceNoScaling();
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+
         }
     }
 
@@ -161,7 +185,7 @@ public class StartController extends Controller implements Observer {
         try {
             visualiserInput = new VisualiserInput(socket, raceData);
             new Thread(visualiserInput).start();
-            startRaceNoScaling();
+
         } catch (IOException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
         }