New tactical device

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Wait, you mean sailing isn’t just like playing a video game? ;) :poke:

Certainly there needs to be traditional outside the boat situational awareness only complemented by technology, not replaced by it. I would hope crew could glance at the instrument periodically and call input to the skipper as required, while the skipper looks around and takes in all the input he can from wind, approaching boats, etc. Personally I have a hard time judging time/distance, so another tool in the toolbox could be valuable. This product doesn’t really seem targeted at a boat like mine that already has NMEA instruments, but it’s interesting to see what’s out there.
you need a racegeek!
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
One other point... the value of these types of devices when starting really comes into play WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THE LINE. Anyone should be able to time a run to get there on time at speed when you can see the line, but things get dicey when you can’t, which often happens in quality fleets. Knowing you can ‘send it’ with 10 to go and you can’t see the line is huge.

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Aug 2, 2010
502
J-Boat J/88 Cobourg
One other point... the value of these types of devices when starting really comes into play WHEN YOU CAN’T SEE THE LINE. Anyone should be able to time a run to get there on time at speed when you can see the line, but things get dicey when you can’t, which often happens in quality fleets. Knowing you can ‘send it’ with 10 to go and you can’t see the line is huge.
I need some help for sure even when I can see the line. One mistake I have made I am going to blame on Jackdaw from when he showed a video of Bluejay flying in on the boatend layline with perfect timing so of course that is what I try to do....very unsuccessfully. Practice and a device like I guess is my only option.
Dan
 

Apex

.
Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
*practice* *practice* *practice*.....learn the boats time to acceleration, get used to seeing time/distance. Part of pre-start for the day is dialing setup of the boat for the day's conditions upwind, downwind hoist the chute. During that time note if the wind is shifting or oscillating, and where pressure is on course. Determine favored end, then set about positioning yourself with room to leeward for acceleration. As JD mentioned being able to send it and be confident charging through is big, you can then pick a gap that doesn't necessarily have room for adjusting.

One lesson I learned early in practicing starts was no matter your best laid plans and timing, other boats can shut off your wind relegating you to 2nd row at the start.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I've been following this thread without any contribution since I'm not a gadget guy. But I like Jackdaw's point in that the real value is when you can't see the line. The main reason there is mid line sag is precisely that. You want to put the bow down and acquire some speed and if you have the advantage of knowing where the line is, you turn a mediocre start into a good one. I just wonder if the time to line is that useful because you're sorta in neutral before pressing the petal. After, your time to the line would change and become less as you accelerate. You may think you have 20 seconds when it could be more like 10. So to hit the line with speed there's still a good amount of judgement involved. As a friend of mine and accomplished racer says, "You don't judge who had the best start by who is first over the line. You look at the fleet a minute after the start and you will see who won the start."
 
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senang

.
Oct 21, 2009
304
hunter 38 Monaco
I participated in the first video presentation of the MAX. My take out of the presentation was that the offset required for using it on our bigger boats is not yet implemented in the software. For the moment the target user is sailing a dinghy where they consider the offset insignificant enough to ignore it.