Features

SailRacer is GPS based smart phone application for sailors to make tactical decisions at the start and during the race. SailRacer is designed and developed by sailors. It is simple, handy, customizable and easy to use.

Based on GPS data, time, direction, distance and speed are calculated 2 times per second. SailRacer has been designed to give most accurate data possible. However accuracy can be influenced by the number of satellites acquired at that time and the GPS receiver of the mobile device used.

Start line and marks

To optimize the start of the race, you can select both ends of the start line and see the shortest distance to the line when maneuvering before the start. You have to physically sail to the Boat end of the start line, click the button, then sail to the Pin end and click another button. This option can be switched off in the settings screen.

If you know the coordinates of marks, or have enough time to sail to each mark and click the button - you can have the entire course on your phone. Otherwise the first race will be without marks and the course can be entred later when rounding the marks.

When sailing - the application automatically switches to the next mark when the distance to the mark is less than 100 meters (next mark starts blinking) and VMG becomes negative.

Speed, Direction and VMG

Speed, Direction and VMG are calculated according to changes in GPS coordinates.

The minimal required speed to correctly point direction and to eliminate GPS inaccuracy is 1m/s. If the minimum speed is not met, application will notify the user by blinking the central arrow (the boat) in the screen.

Heading and shifts

When your sailing course is stable, the course is locked as the heading. All deviations from the heading are shown in shift bar graph inside compass circle.

If you tack or jibe, the heading is recalculated automatically when your course stabilizes again.

Efficient course

In the windward leg, the middle of the tack angle represents true wind. This is calculated assuming that you are sailing as close to the wind as possible.

If the mark is between the heading line and the wind (middle dotted) line - you are sailing on an efficient course. If mark is below the wind line - you should tack.

The tack angle is configurable in the setting screen.

Countdown timer

Regular, from 5 minutes (or other) with single click synchronization to nearest minute.

Recording and replaying

SailRacer automatically records the coordinates, the direction and the speed during your race. After the race you can upload data from all participants to SailRacer website to review, replay and to analyze the entire race.

For the future

In the future we would like to:

• Have more phones and devices.
• Make possibility to comment, upload race photos etc.
• Implement real time data exchange with server.
• Integrate with weather/wind forecast and actual data - that there was visible some wind on the map.
• Create rules engine - that when replaying the race system indicates what RSS are applicable in one or another situation.