Is there an app to install?
No. Both the live view and the replay open from a link in any phone, tablet or desktop browser. Nobody watching the race has to sign up or hand over any details.
Questions
Common questions
The ones clubs ask before they try it. If yours is missing, write to us and we will add it here.
For people watching
Can it be watched from anywhere?
Yes. The link works the same from the beach as from home, and the replay can be opened weeks later.
Can people see where the boats are outside race hours?
No. Positions are only visible inside the race window. Before and after it, nobody outside the club can see where any unit is.
For the club
Which classes does it suit?
It is built for dinghies and small boats: the Catalan patí, catamarans, Optimist, Laser, Snipe and the like. The GPS unit rides on board and does not depend on the boat’s electronics, so it works for any class that can carry one strapped on.
What happens if a unit loses signal?
The track keeps recording on the unit itself and is sent once coverage returns. During the race you can see that a boat has stopped reporting; in the replay the race appears complete.
Who can see the results of a past race?
By default they stay on a public page, because that is what makes a race worth sharing. Any club can switch that off for its own races.
Does it produce the official results?
Positions and times are all recorded and the race committee has them to hand, but the official results are signed off by the committee. This is a tracking and analysis tool, not a replacement for the jury.
How many boats does it handle?
A full club fleet. What we will not do is promise a big number we have not tested: tell us how many you have and we confirm it against your figure.
About the data
How often is a position recorded?
Every few seconds throughout the race. That is the rate that makes a track read as a line rather than a series of jumps, and the one that lets tacks be counted.
Can you draw the ideal track?
No, and it is not a technical limitation. On a beat in steady wind every route that stays inside the laylines covers the same distance, whether you tack once or seven times. What is measured instead is the beating angle, the speed, the extra metres and the cost of each manoeuvre.
Who owns my race’s data?
The club does. It can be downloaded, and if the club decides to leave, it takes it along.