For many years top sailing events such as the America’s Cup, the Olympics and Volvo Ocean Race have made considerable use of GPS tracking. Now GPS tracking is available and affordable for all sailing events, and no longer just the preserve of elite championships.
SailRacer has been at the forefront of GPS tracking for sailing events since 2010, covering several thousand races from club events to major world championships and Olympic classes international regattas.
Recent events have included the Techno Worlds in Garda, where over 500 trackers were deployed, making this one of the World’s largest simultaneous use of GPS trackers for a sailing event. Other major events recently covered by SailRacer include the Etchells Worlds at Cowes, which saw very close competition from many of the World’s top sailors.
Small battery powered units are attached to each boat or sailor. Using GPS these accurately record each boat’s position, typically every 5 seconds and then data uploaded to a cloud server via a mobile data connection using the onboard SIM card.
The GPS positional data is then stored in a vast online database, tagged by boat and race. The tracker player provides a Bird’s Eye view of the race, allowing online spectators to follow the action in near real time, via mobile phones, tablets and computers.
For sailing clubs with a big screen and internet connection, spectators can follow all the race action from the comfort of the bar, which can all help increase takings for food and drinks.
Even for quite small events, SailRacer has seen online audiences in the thousands, with high profile Championships into six figures. This all helps build added value to the event and increase revenues, including sponsorship.
For the sailors there is the chance to watch the races in replay mode, learning where the race was won and lost, a great coaching tool.
A real time leaderboard, automatically updated to display the latest positions, combined with the SailRacer scoring system that re-scores the overall regatta on a mark by mark basis, brings reals excitement to the event with live scoring. SailRacer progressive analysis shows how the series was won and lost.
SailRacer leg by leg analysis, allows speeds, times, tacking angles and VMGs to be compared, helping sailors to understand their strengths and weakness around the racecourse, and learn from their competitors.
For race organisers, the SailRacer GPS tracking system provides a vital safety aid, acting as a virtual eye in the sky, monitoring the position of all boats. For the Round Hayling Island Race, several competitors lost their way in thick fog, using SailRacer trackers attached to the sailors and safety ribs, the organisers were able to quickly locate and rescue those in trouble. This use of trackers also allows the safety fleet to be optimised with the potential of fuel savings as ribs can be positioned nearer the fleet.
For race management, the SailRacer tracking system can help with course setting and adjustment.
Contact Simon Lovesey to discuss how SailRacer can support your event
Live GPS tracking, updates, analysis and results
High profile events such as the Americas Cup and Olympics have made extensive use of live video footage to engage the viewer in all the action from the race course. SailRacer is pleased to be working with Danish technology company sportsXstream to make this level of engagement available to events we support at a realistic budget.
sportsXstream has developed a platform that can expose sailing to the general public, by bringing the audience closer to the sport at home, in the office, on the mobile phone and at the event venue.
Through live video streaming and GPS tracking of international regattas to a global audience, we can
produce high quality output at a low cost.
please contact Simon Lovesey by email to discuss how SailRacer can help support your event, with GPS tracking from £20 per boat for a National Championships, something to suit all budgets – club purchase packages also available.