sailboat race app

Evaluate And Improve Your Sailing Performance

Relive your sailing adventures with raceQs' free, 3D, animated race replays. Record one boat or an entire fleet and watch the replay to evaluate your performance in 3D. You don't need any special equipment to get started, just a GPS or a smart phone. Give it a test drive today and change the way you race.

Race To Win Sailboat Racing Video Podcast Watch and Learn

Explore our wildly successful video podcast series to get advanced racing tips from professional sailors, develop an understanding of sail trim, starting techniques, and more.

Signature Races

Watch one of our signature races to test drive a race replay.

Moth Worlds 2015

Sorrento, Australia

Lipton Cup 2014

San Diego, CA

Bavaria Cup 2014

Melges 24 Worlds 2013

San Francisco, CA

what the people say

Markus heitkoetter, phil devereux, professional coach, sailor and skipper., give us your feedback.

The raceQs’ app was built by sailors, for sailors. We welcome any feedback, questions, or requests for support.

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A phone, tablet, and watch app for sailboat racing

Gain a tactical advantage.

Always know where you are relative to the start line, the layline, and the next mark. Sailware gives you tactical information to help you time your start, find the layline, and decide if you are on the best tack.

Apple Watch

With Sailware premium, adjust your start timer and get access to the most important in race tactical information from your wrist.

Post Race Analysis

Playback and review the GPS track of past races with coordinate and speed information. In addition, with the premium subscription, measure your tacking angles, and visualize your boat speed with the "heat" track.

For support select Help from the app's main screen or email [email protected]

iOS Help Document

Mbtiles sources for premium subscribers. (use at your own risk), noaa (usa and surrounding areas), open sea map (world), contact us: [email protected].

Virtual Regatta Inshore 4+

Esailing world championship, virtual regatta, designed for ipad.

• 4.1 • 647 Ratings
• Offers In-App Purchases

Screenshots

Description.

Your fleet of inshore yachts includes ultra-fast foiling catamarans, dinghies or cutting-edge monohulls. The short format of racing is identical to the one used for real life competitions, such as the America’s Cup and the Star Sailors League, with a unique virtual umpire who applies the official rules of sailing. Upgrade your boats with the points earned in each regatta, and compete for the official virtual sailing world champion title, awarded by the World Sailing Association. Virtual Regatta Inshore: the best online sailing simulation since Virtual Skipper! THE VIRTUAL REGATTA COMMUNITY When sailing with Virtual Regatta, you become part of the world’s largest sailing community with more than one million active players. Sail against the best: Virtual Regatta games are recognized by the greatest international skippers! The largest virtual races bring together hundreds of thousands players: Vendee Globe, Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup, Star Sailors League, Transat Jacques Vabre, Route du Rhum, Barcolana, Cowes Week, Sydney Hobart, Fastnet, Tour de France à la voile, Spi Ouest France, Giraglia, Key West Race Week, Extreme Sailing Series, RC44 VIP MEMBERSHIP • VIP membership is a subscription available for a period of 3, 6 or 12 months (autorenewable) • VIP membership gives access to bonus features ingame • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user’s Account Settings after purchase • In case of subscription cancelation, the package will still be available until the end of the paid period TERMS OF USE https://click.virtualregatta.com/?li=4952 PRIVACY POLICY https://static.virtualregatta.com/ressources/PrivacyPolicyVRApps.htm?v=201807

Version 5.2.0

Enjoy smoother connections with an upgraded server, a revamped UI with updated boat labels and changes to the minimap! We've fixed numerous bugs, improved wind shadow effects, and ensured seamless spectator transitions. Upgrade now for the ultimate esailing experience !

Ratings and Reviews

647 Ratings

This app has become super popular! It is amazing, for a long time I was searching for a racing sailing app, and here I got it. I’ve been using it for over 6 months. There are several glitches, and it crashes frequently. Also the app kicks you out of a race pretty easily (if you get a call, or any other screen notification, not including messages tabs), this should be fixed. Some rules at the windward mark are strange, many times i get fouls being on starboard with a boat entering the zone in port. Another fix would be that the spinnaker hoisting and dowsing should be able to cancel (sometimes you press the button by mistake and its as bad as taking a penalty). Talking about penalties, penalties in the starting line are very costly (almost seems a double penalty) it is unfair that if you are over-early, you get 12 secs penalty, plus you need to return (slowed down by penalty), this did not happen before in the game, which after you cleared the line, you cleared the penalty (i think this is the correct way).

Please expand tutorials

I’m a sailing instructor and I think that there is some real teaching potential in this game. The sailing is very accurate, to the point that concepts from the game translate smoothly into the real world, and the existing tutorials are already solid. However, I think there are a few things that could be added to make this game a very useful teaching tool. The reason a sailing app would be so helpful is because one of the biggest difficulties that sailing instructors face is communication with their students. It is very difficult for us to give real-time feedback to our students because, on the water, you only have a few seconds to yell helpful information to someone before they have sailed off, unlike with other sports. As such, having this simulator to demonstrate concepts to students on land without the limitations of having to explain everything through a whiteboard or yelling it to them on the water is huge. Furthermore, a video game is far more appealing to kids than a typical chalk talk, so it would make kids more enthusiastic about learning. Making this game into a better teaching tool by making more extensive tutorials which cover concepts such as points of sail, sail trim, sail controls, bad air, or racing strategy would make this game into a popular app I can see a lot of clubs investing in, even if the tutorials cost a little bit of extra money. All-in-all, though, this game is thoroughly well done.

Best sailboat racing game out there.

This is by far the best racing games (sailing) on the App Store. It hits on all of the key aspects of racing; fighting for a good start, wind shifts, wind shadow, vmg, etc. The only areas that could use some improvement are the rules and how a penalties are resolved. The basic rules are all there, port/starboard, windward/leeward. I think the rule accuracy at mark roundings could be improved. If I remember correctly a boat has no rights if they are head to wind until they have established at least a close hauled course. Also, (someone already mentioned this in a review but I agree) penalties are payed off immediately with a timed speed reduction. It works pretty well, but it kind of incentivizes sailors to force a penalty rather than sail their proper course. In real racing penalties can be fulfilled by doing circles at anytime between when they occur and when the offender crosses the finish line. I think this should be added into the game, at least for the non foiling boats. My only other comment is that the game is on the verge of “pay to win”. There are certain advantages that you can buy with game tokens. The tokens can be purchased or won and it’s not to hard to win them. But, let’s be honest real life racing is also very much a pay to win sport so think what you want... At the end of the day, if you have been racing for years, just learning to race or just learning to sail; this is a great game for you.

App Privacy

The developer, Virtual Regatta , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Linked to You

The following data may be collected and linked to your identity:

• Contact Info
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Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• VIP Membership Subscription $8.99
• Pack 397 credits $2.99
• Pack 1000 credits $4.99
• Pack 2300 credits $11.99
• Pack 5000 credits $22.99
• Promo pack $8.99
• Pack 10400 credits $44.99
• Pack 21600 credits $89.99
• Promo pack $3.99
• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

More By This Developer

Virtual Regatta Offshore

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By placing your order, you agree to our Terms of Use

Latest updates

• Now optimized for tablets

Product Details

Developer info.

• [email protected]
• regatta.bitterradish.com
• More apps by this developer

Product features

• Learn the basics of sailing through a fun game
• Play Regatta mode and sail in different places around the world
• Set opponent strength
• Learn to fight with wind shifts and gusts
• Enjoy realistic 3-D graphics

Product description

User data privacy, technical details.

• Access information about networks
• Open network sockets

Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

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THE NEXT GENERATION IN PERFORMANCE SOFTWARE FOR SAILBOAT RACING

The Tactiqs® Performance System was designed by a team of sail boat racers from the US and Europe as the ultimate comprehensive boat performance system. It will substantially improve your understanding of the conditions and the race course, and help you make better decisions and win more races. Post-race analysis tools give you the details on your performance and let you review your races by numbers as well as track individual sail usage and cross-overs to make optimum use of your inventory. The system was built from the ground up with simplicity of use in mind - the smarts are hidden behind an intuitive user interface.

SEAMLESS INTEGRATION FROM SMALL BOAT TO YACHT RACING

The system utilizes your boat's sensor data via a wireless NMEA interface connected to the Tactiqs® application, allowing the crew to use any number of iOS devices as customizable displays for 62 different performance metrics and an additional 25 foiling metrics. For smaller boats without instruments the system uses the iOS devices' built-in sensors and basic wind input controls combined with smart tracking algorithms. For perfect wind data on dinghies and small keel boats, we also support Calypso Instrument's Ultrasonic Bluetooth wind sensor. Additional wearables in the form of the Tactiqs® augmented-reality glasses and smart watches (Android WearOS 2.1+) make the perfect fit for all boat sizes and crew positions.

CONFIGURE MY BOAT

For dinghy sailors the best use model is to velcro an iPhone in a waterproof case to the area right behind the mast. We use the internal sensors and GPS of your phone to collect track information, heading, and boat attitude.

The Tactiqs® application provides a wind input function in the user interface when no external wind data is available. You can mark the wind direction based on a wind shot, or a specific point of sail. From there, the app tracks your point of sail and wind shifts. Alternatively, we support the Ultrasonic Portable Wind Sensor from Calypso Instruments, which provides full wind data on all courses during your training sessions.

For group or one-on-one coaching, the Tactiqs® system provides an option to record wind information on a coach boat or at a nearby club house using our SailHub™ weather station. The SailHub™ system broadcasts the wind data live to all Tactiqs® users in the class over an area of up to one kilometer.

For boat classes that limit the use of electronics the user interface can be set to a restricted mode that only shows the magnetic heading and a start timer, or additionally the distance to the starting line. Independent of the UI mode the system always records the track and available boat data for analysis afterwards.

For foiling boats we specifically recommend to connect our augmented reality glasses to your iPhone in hotspot mode as they are very well-suited as display in high-speed dinghies.

For small keel boat sailors the best use model is to mount an iPhone or an iPad Mini in a waterproof case in the area right behind the mast. We use the internal sensors and GPS of your phone to collect track information, heading, and boat attitude. If you have limited instruments such as a speed sensor the Tactiqs® app can use such data in combination with the internal iOS sensors. Several companies (e.g. Yacht Devices) provide small low-power gateways that can read NMEA-183 serial data from your instruments and broadcast the information via Wifi.

For classes that limit the use of electronics the user interface can be set to a restricted mode that only shows the magnetic heading and a start timer, or additionally the distance to the starting line. Independent of the UI mode the system always records the track and available boat data for analysis afterwards.

For club racers with boats of 30' and longer the best use model is to mount an iPad in the cockpit or down below and provide a charging supply for longer races. If your instruments do not supply heel and pitch information you can use the iOS internal sensors instead. In this case please mount the iPad perpendicular to the boat's centerline for the heel and pitch measurement to be correct.

Your instrument data is used by the Tactiqs® app via Wifi. If your boat system already has a Wifi access point you directly configure your NMEA server address and port in the Tactiqs® app settings. If you do not have a Wifi interface you can use an NMEA-to-Wifi gateway (e.g. from Yacht Devices) that can read NMEA-183 and NMEA-2000 data, and transmit the information as NMEA-183 over Wifi. For boats with a B&G H5000 system, the Tactiqs® app can also retrieve the instrument data via the B&G WebSocket interface.

The Tactiqs® system allows you to use multiple iOS devices in parallel. The first device you connect will operate as the master device to calculate all metrics and generate the race log. Any subsequent device you connect to your boat's network will allow to repeat any data from the master device, and also provide remote control functions to set the starting line and timer, and select/create race courses.

In addition to the iOS devices we recommend the Tactiqs® augmented reality glasses for the helmsman as they provide the ideal combination of focusing on tell tales and waves while knowing exactly your boat performance and ideal course.

Key mectrics calculated by the Tactiqs® app can be transmitted back to on-deck marine displays as transducer values (XDR over NMEA-183) as custom data over the B&G WebSocket interface, or via a Yacht Devices NMEA-2000 Wifi adapter to Garmin GNX displays. We also support display of target speed performance, start timing, and layline information to B&G H2000 and H3000 systems.

For grand prix racers with full electronics such as a WTP3 system the best use model is to mount an iPad in the nav station and provide a charging supply for longer races. As part of your boat's setup on the tactiqs.io web portal you can set up custom transducers, load cells, and manual trim inputs e.g. for daggerboards to fully integrate with custom instrument systems. The system also allows you to send Tactiqs® metrics back to your marine displays on deck.

Your instrument data is used by the Tactiqs® app via Wifi. The app can read NMEA-183 data as well as data provided via the Expedition protocol. For boats with a B&G H5000 or WTP3 system, the Tactiqs® app can also retrieve the instrument data via the B&G WebSocket interface.

Key mectrics calculated by the Tactiqs® app can be transmitted back to on-deck marine displays as transducer values (XDR over NMEA-183), as custom data over the B&G WebSocket interface, and via a Yacht Devices NMEA-2000 Wifi adapter to Garmin GNX displays. Both H5000 and WTP3 systems can map these to custom display values on your cockpit or mast displays.

In addition to the iOS devices we recommend the Tactiqs® augmented reality glasses for the helmsman and tactician. On boats over 50 feet the trimmers and bow person also substantially benefit from personal displays with performance and start data.

Additionally, the system provides a visual messaging service between the master device and any Tactiqs® augmented reality glasses. This function allows the tactician to very effectively communicate sail changes and mark maneuvers including countdowns on larger yachts.

The Calypso Instruments Ulrasonic Portable wind sensor connects via Bluetooth directly to the Tactiqs® app to provide you a complete set of performance data on boats without instruments. Enable the sensor as a data source under the Tactiqs® wind settings, and you are good to go.

Powered by a built-in solar panel module, and with a diameter of 70mm the sensor can be easliy installed on any small boat including dinghies without any wiring. It is fully waterproof, so you don't have to worry about it if you capsize.

For more information including pricing, please visit Calypso Intrument's website for the Ultrasonic Portable.

START PERFECTLY BY THE NUMBERS EVERY TIME

During the pre-start period the system continuously calculates distance and direction to the starting line. Based on your boat's VPP we determine how many seconds you are from the line, and how much time you have to burn for a perfect start. The 3D bird's eye view lets you see yourself in the box and know exactly where you are in relation to the starting line. The system also continuously updates the starting line bias so you always know the preferred side. The wind graph shows you oscillating and persistent patters and helps you decide which side of the course to go first. See the START module in action.

KEEP TRACK OF THE COURSE AND LAY LINES

Once in the race, master the course and the windshifts by knowing exacty where you are and whether you are on the favored tack. The 3D bird's eye view shows you the next mark and its laylines so you can focus on your competitors instead of running numbers in your head. A separate course overview shows you the complete picture including wind angles for all legs, so you can plan your sail choice well ahead of the next rounding.

INTEGRATED WEATHER FOR THE BEST ROUTE TO THE FINISH

Use the chart view on your iPad to plan out the best route for your next offshore, coastal, or inshore regatta. Based on pre-configured or manually created courses Tactiqs® provides you with the forecasted wind conditions for each leg. For longer races compare weather routing solutions for your preferred wind sources and find the fastest route to the finish. Sail angles and wind statistics help you find the optimum sail selection for the race. Tactiqs® supports Navionics charts (requires active Navionics subscription), and raster charts (BSB or GeoTIFF). See the Navigator module in action.

FULL INTEGRATION WITH POPULAR INSTRUMENT SYSTEMS

The Tactiqs® iOS app is fully integrated with B&G H5000 based instrument systems, enabling the display of Tactiqs® calculated metrics on B&G marine displays. Furthermore, the Wind Calibration function in the Tactiqs® Analyzer can be used to quickly determine TWA and TWS corrections for upwind, reaching & downwind and store them directly in the H5000 processor - even while racing. The Tactiqs® app also supports sending its metrics to Garmin GNX120/130 displays via Yacht Devices' NMEA2000 gateways, and can control GNX page selection based on the RLC, windward/leeward & offshore race modes activated in the app.

THE ULTIMATE PERSONAL DISPLAY

As the ultimate wearable display solution, the Tactiqs® system offers custom augmented reality displays in the form-factor of sun-glasses that provide you the key data right within your field of vision. These glasses are fully integrated with the iOS application and can replicate any metrics of choice organized into three numerical and three graphical layouts. Control of key functions such as the race timer and pinning the starting line are directly available via the integrated touch interface. See the Tactiqs® glasses in action.

COMPLETE ANALYTICS FOR YOUR TACTICS AND BOAT SPEED

The post-race analysis tools provide you two key data sets - how well you did around the course, i.e. your tactical decisions, and how fast you were sailing. The course view shows you your track color-coded with your speed or VMG performance, with your actual versus optimum wind angles, and wether you were lifted or headed. The SailCast® viewer on the tactiqs.io portal lets you replay your uploaded races and metrics to get a full understanding of each moment in the race.

KNOW YOUR BEST SAIL FOR THE CONDITIONS

The live polar data taken from steady-state measurements shows your speed performance against VPP targets over the race, and a heatmap identifies the points of sail you spent most of your time on. The system enables you to track individual sail usage during the race and aggregates sail-specific performance data in your Tactiqs® account. This allows you to find the best sail for a specific wind speed & angle, and fine-tune the cross-overs in your inventory. Dual-camera iPhones can take perspective-corrected sail shape images directly in the Tactiqs® app, the photos are a synchronized part of your performance data history in your account and accessible in sail-specific timeline charts. Experience all sail analytics tools.

SAILCAST® RACE VISUALIZER

The SailCast® feature of Tactiqs® visualizes races uploaded to the tactiqs.io portal right in your web browser. You can select the playback speed, jump directly to a specific leg or mark rounding, and choose between areal and chase cameras. Annotations provide you with an immediate understanding of the course geometry and wind conditions, and each boat shows their individual speed and wind data. Race photos taken in the Tactiqs® app are automatically shown in the media timeline. This level of insight into a race is invaluable for post-race dock talks and training sessions, allowing the whole class to benefit from using Tactiqs®. See SailCast® in action.

MANAGE YOUR BOAT AND SAIL INVENTORY

The tactiqs.io website lets you quickly set up your boat, the corresponding VPP data, and your sail inventory to enable sail tracking and live polar data by sail type. Tactiqs® provides a database of popular VPPs, so chances are your boat is ready to go. Separately, you can always fine-tune your boat's VPP data. While our master VPP data base is available to all users, your personalized VPP data is only visible to you.

EASY RACE AND COURSE MANAGEMENT

Race data such as regattas, course definitions, and course marks are easily set up and shareable via the tactiqs.io portal and our map-based mark wizard. For windward-leeward racing the iOS app provides a course configurator that lets you create ad-hoc courses based on number of legs and direction & distance to the weather mark. On race day the app provides you a live course overview with wind angles for each leg to plan your sail choices.

COMPLETE COACHING SOLUTION FOR DINGHIES AND SMALL KEEL BOATS

Tactiqs® is fully integrated with our SailHub™ coaching system. The SailHub™ iOS app and weather station lets you broadcast the current wind direction and speed directly from your coach boat to the fleet around you. This enables boats without any instruments to generate complete training logs and lets students quickly identify where they can improve.

The built-in SailHub™ messaging system allows the coach to send training drills to all students and to remotely control the start timer for fully synchronized practice sessions.

The combination of Tactiqs® with SailHub™ on a coach boat also enables very accurate sail & trim comparison between boats for advanced coaching sessions and sail shape development.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT SAILHUB™

The SailHub™ system is used on the coach boat to enable full wind information for any type of student boat, and to effectively communicate with the class. The mobile SailHub™ weather station in conjunction with the SailHub™ iOS app continuously calculates the true wind direction and speed on the coach boat and broadcasts this information to the associated Tactiqs® devices used by the class. The system uses Bluetooth technology to operate independent of cellular networks and covers an area of approx. a 500 meter radius around the coach boat. The system allows for different SailHub™ groups in case multiple classes are held in the same area.

Additionally, the SailHub™ app provides a messaging interface that allows training instructions to be broadcasted to all participants, and a synchronized timer service that maintains a single countdown for all participants.

The SailHub™ weather station is supplied in a travel case that contains the wind sensor, a quick-connect 8-foot carbon mast, and a battery to operate the coach boat system for a full day on one charge - just add your iPhone or iPad and you are fully set up for the next level of coaching.

Pricing The SailHub™ weather station kit is available from us for US $1495,-. Depending on your class structure the students can individually subscribe to Tactiqs® (e.g. for coaching teams that sail together regularly), or we offer custom subscriptions to the Tactiqs® service for sailing classes with varying students.

For more information about SailHub™ or to inquire on pricing for your club, school or college, please contact us at [email protected] .

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

"Tactiqs® is a must-have for any skipper who demands the best from their boat. Having speed, wind, and performance data at your eyelids gives a remarkable edge in decision-making when on the race course." Mike Price, Ullman Sails, Hawaii "I have been using Tactiqs® now for several years and have been very impressed with its overall performance. What sets this aside from the others is its ability to focus purely on your boat, tweeking the VPPs, analysing your race and tracking boat performance by sail inventory. I have used the Raptor glasses with the heads up display, and although initially I had to get used to the info right in front of your sight, I now find them very easy to use knowing the info is there when I focus on it. To finish off, this app with the addition of the glasses is for the serious racer. Give it a go, you won’t be disappointed." Steve Emery, Hyde Sails, South Australia "A year ago I stumbled by chance on the Tactiqs® App. Very quickly, I realized that I had found the right tool for our training and racing program. From the set up of the boat to the acquisition of the data real time, all the functionalities are available at the swipe of your finger. A very intuitive design. Combining information on the boat and live environment data gives the skipper and/or tactician a live analysis of the race course with accurate forecast of lay lines and time or distance to the marks. Immediately during our first training session, we saw the benefit of accurate real time feedback on performance and VPPs. Sessions after sessions, the helming and trimming became much more precise, and week after week we saw the boat’s performance improved dramatically. The after sessions debriefs were also made very easy thanks to a post sailing report generated automatically. Within a couple of months, thanks to Tactiqs’ realtime race course analysis, our racing results started to improve as well. We took full advantage of the pre-start analysis and it became a second nature to optimize the boat to its max potential. On our journey, we rose from the bottom of the standings to the underdog to one of the top contenders. The Tactiqs® app has been an essential contributor to that success. From a pre-race perspective, it is again easy to use. Being a geometrical or a passage race, setting up race courses is easy and quick. Once defined, marks and race courses are stored in a shared database for all users to enjoy so to avoid duplication of work. Finally, and in my opinion, a critical point, Tactiqs® support has been outstanding. As we came up with various requests to add some functionalities, the support team was very responsive, and the implementation happened quickly thanks to a weekly app update cycle. In short, it has been a very satisfying experience, and the results really speak for themselves." Jinn HKG2509 - J-122E, Hong Kong "Tactiqs® has been a great addition to the Beneteau Oceanis 55. The flexibility and vast volume of data available to display is a strong value add to the entire crew that is now able to stay in connection with the performance of the boat over multiple days of racing. Specifically, the performance reference to the boat's polars provides a never ending competition amongst the crew to perform better than the last shift or driver. This addition to the existing 5 B&G Zeus chart plotters has really been valuable to increase performance and fun on the boat." Thank you for a great product and support!" David Normandin, Beneteau Oceanis Owner, Dana Point, CA "We won our last championship with the aid of Tactiqs®. It’s easy to use and easy to read. Given that it has several tabs and screens you can easily set up each set of metrics for the racing mode you are in. Great maps feature and easy to set up fixed courses. Also it is a big plus to dive into the race analytics when the day is over." Matias Zapiola, Navigator for Gaucho ARG-4400, Argentina

TACTIQS COMPONENTS AND PRICING

Pricing is based on the number of boats you manage in your tactiqs.io account, and on the number of AR glasses you use concurrently. Regular boats have full access to external NMEA data and all analytics, basic boats are intended for setups w/o electronics, e.g. dinghies or small keel boats:

Your subscription is accessible in your tactiqs.io account settings. To purchase a pair of AR glasses, please visit Everysight's Maverick product page .

The Tactiqs® system was designed and built by us to bring the next level of technology into our sport. Our team consists of sailing professionals and racing enthusiasts with high-tech backgrounds, and we believe that racers should not have to choose between very basic instruments and feature-rich, but complicated professional level solutions. We designed our solution with the average racer in mind, and put simplicity of use first in all aspects of the Tactiqs® system. If you have any specific questions please contact us at [email protected]

Knowing the favored side. Always.

We help competitive sailors during their training, coaching, and winning regattas.

TacTTube ™

Replaying entire races or tactical situations. GPS tracks, video clips, marks and start/finish lines locations - all available information is visually presented on a same canvas.

• Check many interactive case studies from the Sailing Rules
• Assemble your own tactical scenarios when coaching
• Upload and review your races from all angles simultaneously

Completely new, ergonomic app design, providing all the functionality for coaches and competitors, optimized for minimal distraction use.

Many core features free, extendable with in-app purchases and subscriptions. Works for both iOS and Android.

RegaTTac Legacy

The old, minimalistic app, providing time keeping, natural voice feedback and the unique differential bearing - azimuth difference between specified bearing, to assist tack decisions.

Recommended books & tools

The Bible of sailing

From the proper mental attitude, to sandpaper sizes - all aspects of preparation and sailing are covered in extremely inspirational way.

Seeing the big picture

This classical book helps one get deeper understanding of main forces influencing the strategy for each race - wind, waves and currents.

Understanding the tactics

A book of great value, somehow managing to put together all the tactical aspects and principles in a logical and systematic order.

A little bit of science

A former Australian sailing team coach and aerial engineer explains in details how boat's foils work at their best, in different conditions.

SAIL SCORING MADE EASY

One click scoring

Immediate results.

accurate countback

Results sharing, what people are saying.

Sail scoring with the Afleet app makes it easy, and it takes less time. Using an Android tablet or phone we can typically score a race (single fleet) in less than one minute.

If you’re like us you love radio sailing. You attend club days. You might attend regattas. And (lucky you) you might be responsible for scoring some of these events. If so, read on; this is for you.

The Afleet app is all about making it easy for those wonderful people who do the scoring for us. It takes time, and we all care about the results, so it has to be accurate. And, of course, we want the results now; because we want to get home.

Keeping club day or single fleet regatta scores up to date is simple and fast. We can have the results of a regatta before the last boat, in the last race, has been put back on its stand.

LATEST NEWS

• The 10 best smartphone apps for sailors: proven through experience

Technology is evolving. Gone are the days when sailors relied purely on the basic equipment on board their boat — a chartplotter, GPS navigation and a pilot of the region. Nowadays, almost every modern sailor has a bunch of apps installed on their smartphone. So, we've asked our skippers which are their favourite apps they use the most. Here is our list of the top 10 sailing  apps  tried and tested over hundreds of logged miles.

1. Navionics: Boating Marine & Lakes

In our opinion, this is the best app for navigating your boat (but also for diving, fishing or other water sports). You'll find an incredible amount of information in it, from conventional GPS navigation to bay depths, harbour data, and contacts . Plus, it allows you to share your live location so your friends or family can follow your route online. We at yachting.com consider Navionics to be a basic part of any smartphone sailing kit ! The only downside is that it is a paid app, but it's worth every penny.

• Purchase Navionics at  www.navionics.com

2. Windy.com app

The Windy app and the windy.com website are one of the most well-known sources for boaters to check the weather forecast. In addition to wind direction and strength, you can find forecasts for temperature, waves, rain and cloud cover. Just like with any forecast model, it can't be relied upon 100%, so you should always pay attention to the actual conditions around you as well. Windy Premium, the paid version provides a more accurate forecast and more regular updates without ads.

• Download the Windy app at  windy.app

YACHTING.COM TIP :  Clouds  have been a source of fascination since the dawn of time. However, you don't need to be an expert meteorologist to know what to expect from looking at the clouds. In fact, this knowledge is practically essential for sailors. So, how do you read the clouds? Check out our article to find out —  Sailing: how to predict the weather by reading the clouds .

3. Anchor Watch / Alarm

An anchor drag alarm  or anchor watch basically does exactly what the name suggests — it emits a signal (alarm) when your boat drifts outside your designated security zone when at anchor . There are many apps available with this function, but Anchor Alarm is the one that works best for us. When you drop anchor, simply press the position button and adjust the perimeter you don't want to leave — for example, after taking into account the surrounding rocks and your proximity to shore, you might decide that you want to set the perimeter so that your anchor won't drag more than 15 metres. The app will remember where your anchor is located and will keep an eye on your position throughout the night. Should your boat move outside the set boundaries, it will trigger an alarm on your phone.

• Get the app on the App Store or Google Play.

YACHTING.COM TIP:  Review the basic rules of anchoring in our  complete guide to anchoring and moorings . We've covered two specific scenarios where you might need a little extra help. The first is on  how to prepare your boat for a stormy night at anchor and the second one is a guide to the Mediterranean Mooring technique, a combination of anchor and mooring lines often used in Greece —  How to moor stern-to: a step-by-step guide .

Navily is more of an app for recreational sailors where you'll find more than 14,000 anchorages and 6,000 marinas with photos and reviews from the community. There are also more than 700 partner marinas where you can book a berth directly via the app. The premiums version unlocks core features, such as automatic itineraries and distance calculation at sea. Navily claims to be the most innovative cruising guide.

• The app is available at navily.com

5. How to Tie Knots

Every skipper should have a masterful knowledge of sailing knots for every situation and should ideally be able to teach the crew. But, at the very least, you could install an app on their phones and get them to learn themselves. For this, we recommend the app How to Tie Knots which uses 3D animation to provide a realistic experience of tying knots using a virtual rope. There are countless apps out there for learning to tie knots so if you find something more suited to you, there are plenty of options. After all, they all have the same goal: to teach you how to tie knots.

• Find this app and similar ones on the App Store or Google Play.

YACHTING.COM TIP: Ropes or lines are one of the most important things on board any yacht and you simply can’t do without their ability to fasten, join and connect. Mastering at least a few basic sailing knots is essential for sailing, anchoring and moorings. It's not just beginner sailors who make mistakes , so we've prepared a guide to  9 essential sailing knots   for all your boating needs.

More sailing tips and tricks:

The ultimate yacht cleaning kit

New year's resolution: let's sail more eco, how to sail a yacht on a tailwind, skippered boats: how to pack for a yachting holiday, don’t panic: handling maritime emergencies, sextant and navigation: survival without gps.

This is one of the best-known  breakdown assistance services for sailors. SeaHelp is a 24/7 rescue service that includes insurance and reliable assistance at sea should you break down or have an emergency. There are three types of membership available online and the app can then help you with things like towing your boat, starting, bringing fuel, fetching parts, freeing lines from the propeller and weather advice. The SOS button  can also be used by non-members  of this service and sends out a distress SMS with your current location and mobile number. After receiving the message, SeaHelp immediately calls back to verify there is a problem and if there is a real emergency, sends a rescue boat. If you sail frequently or are planning a more challenging voyage, we highly recommend setting up this service.

• Find the app and purchase a membership at sea-help.eu .

YACHTING.COM TIP: In the event of an accident or mishap during your voyage at sea, deposit insurance will save your nerves as well as money. Are you hesitating whether it is worth taking out? In our experience, it definitely is! Check out our article on  the most common reasons for losing your boat rental deposit  and if you would like advice on deposit experience, feel free to get in contact with one of our representatives .

MySea is a free interactive guide to marinas, harbours, jetties, buoy fields and restaurants in Croatia, Greece and Turkey . For each marina, it provides information on the type of mooring, safety regarding the direction of winds, services (showers, toilets, petrol pumps, supermarkets, etc.), entertainment and dining options on-site. There is also a current weather forecast for the area with a bird's eye view. The app includes thousands of user reviews on individual marinas and berths can be booked directly via the app. Even admission to Croatian national parks can be paid for via MySea.

• Find it at my-sea.com .

8. Marine Traffic

Marine Traffic comes in especially useful if you are sailing in areas where there are a lot of cargo ships. This platform provides real-time information on marine traffic, live port arrivals and departures, as well as gross tonnage and registration number of the cargo ships moving in your area. If you are heading to the English Channel, the Baltic Sea or are planning a voyage further offshore, the risk of collision with a cargo ship is much higher. Bear in mind that the captain of a large tanker cannot see small sailing vessels, so it is best to give them a wide berth.

• Take a look at the live map of cargo ships at www.marinetraffic.com

9. VesselFinder

Similar to Marine Traffic, VesselFinder provides a live map, on their website and app, of the network ships using the AIS system — over 200,000 ships a day! In addition, it allows you to search for a specific ship and find its current location and more information on the vessel itself. View the ships and their position on the map in real-time or look at their previous routes, sailing history and, where applicable, marina reservations. It is also possible to create your own fleet of friends and track the individual boats of the whole group.

• Find out more about the app at www.vesselfinder.com

The VesselFinder app displays current marine traffic on a map, but you can also search for a specific ship, and view its current location and sailing history

10. Tide Alert (NOAA)

Recommended for all those who sail in tidal waters (France, the Baltic, Scotland...), it provides all the information you need so you don't get caught out by the tide, such as predicted tide height, the moon phase, etc. The whole Tide Alert (NOAA) environment is user-friendly, intuitive and easy to use. Plus, there is an alarm feature to alert you to a low or high tide. And best of all, the app even works offline if your signal drops out.

• Download it on the App Store or Google Play.

A low tide can leave you high and dry

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Faq handy apps for sailors.

Windy.com app

Anchor Watch / Alarm

How to Tie Knots

Marine Traffic

VesselFinder

Tide Alert (NOAA)

Connects to devices by Bluetooth

*requires Bluetooth 4.0

Controlled by SailBot App

SailBot products are controlled by the SailBot App available for free from the App Store and Google Play Store. Operation is extremely simple and convenient, and software is always up to date! New features are automatically added in app updates.

SailBot products are the only automated starting horns that allow you to edit your starting sequences with a built-in sequence editor! Choose from and edit many included ISAF sequences or create your own.

Connects by Bluetooth 4.0

Save your race committee's ears by placing SailBot outside of the boat cockpit. With long-range Bluetooth Low Energy, the unit can be placed anywhere on the boat and is easily controlled by the app on the iDevice.

SailBot is cross platform and our free app is available in both the App Store and Google Play Store. Click the badges here to go to your respective store.

Read all about our exciting Version 2.0 app in our blog post here .

The most flexible and advanced sailboat race starting horn

Audible signal hassles are a thing of the past. let your race committee focus on the on-water action and visual signals and leave the sail race start timing and audible signaling to your sailbot., sailbot makes it simple.

Sailbot is simply the most flexible and convenient way to automate the Race Committee audible signals at the start of any sailing race. It is an automatic sailboat race starter system consisting of our self-contained horn unit in conjunction with our free app running on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Sailing schools, yacht clubs, and sailing teams will love the ease of use and durability of construction. Compact, robust, reliable and ready for action; SailBot was designed from the ground up to be an integral part of any RC toolkit.

Make your Race Committee job easier by automating your starting sequences today! SailBot is a self-contained and portable unit that connects to your mobile device by Bluetooth technology. Horns are automatically fired at the proper time during a start sequence, freeing the RC to do other things.

• Long Battery Life
• iPhone 4S and newer
• Long-range Bluetooth Low Energy
• Battery level indicator in app
• Loud (135dB)
• Can be mounted remotely
• 100+ Start sequences per charge
• iPod Touch 5th gen and newer
• Simple Bluetooth connection with no passcode

SailBot Starter

Controlled by an App

SailBot is the only automatic sailboat race starting horn that offers custom start sequence editing and modification. Choose from one of the many included ISAF starting sequences, modify them or create your own. The options are limitless.

All software for controlling the horn is contained in the app on your phone or tablet so updates are automatic and your device is always up to date. Say goodbye to hard-wired sequences forever.

Placing the controlling software on a mobile device allows flexibility and future expansion that other solutions will never be able to match. Go ahead, install the free app from the App Store and Google Play now and see for yourself how easy it is to have perfect, effortless starting sequences!

Designed with Race Committees in Mind

With no pairing codes it could not be simpler to setup and go. Place the SailBot starter anywhere on your boat away from Race Committee ears, turn it on, open the app and tap "Connect" and you are ready to go!

You can choose from a number of predefined sequences or program your own. Watch this video to get an idea of how simple it really is to have perfect audible sequence signals.

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We get it. The marine environment and volunteers can be rough on your gear. SailBot Care provides two years of accidental damage coverage.

Bluewater Racing

A Free Planning Tool For Sailboat Racing and Cruising

Win Long-Distance Yacht Races

Plan your route on a graphical chart-based interface. View boat performance data (polar charts). View weather forecasts (GriBs). Optimize your route using performance and wind data. Analyze how much flexibility you have to choose different fast routes. Track competitors. Interface to your GPS.

A Freeware Navigation Tool

Compare to commercial software such as Expedition or Deckman . Designed for use onboard with limited internet connectivity. Support for Sail Online virtual racers. Bluewater Racing uses high-quality, free, publicly available data from NOAA and various universities for its charting and weather routing.

Check it Out

Take a quick tour of Bluewater Racing with the online tutorial , or check out the manual . Visit the online forum with questions or suggestions.

Sail fast now!

Available for Windows and Mac OSX.

Recent News

• JUNO wins in Transpac 2023
• Version 2.50 Available
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Support Bluewater Racing

If you find the software useful, please contribute what you can.

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Best navigation apps: 6 top options tested

• November 16, 2021

There are many app options on the market for sailors wishing to navigate from a smartphone of tablet. Bruce Jacobs looks at some of the best navigation apps on the market.

It’s increasingly rare these days to see any sailor without at least one navigation application on their phone, while tablets are even preferred to fixed multifunction displays (MFDs) on an increasing number of yachts. It’s great to have this navigation information so easily to hand and so mobile, but which are the best navigation apps for sailors and how do they compare.

Sailors need slightly different information to motorboaters. It’s nice to know if it’s going to be sunny, but we care more about whether the tide will be foul or fair. We need to know what the wind direction will be and whether it’s going to be an angle we can use, over and above nearby places of interest.

We looked at the most popular navigation apps, particularly from a sailor’s perspective, and highlighted what we think works well for yachting and what is best left to the motorboaters.

The absolute number one benefit of an app is the ability to instantly see where you are, on up-to-date charts, without the cost and immobility of an MFD. Every app we tested has that core functionality and, ultimately, you will get good basic use out of any of them.

Thereafter, to my mind, most of these apps have been developed with the leisure powerboater in mind. They are focused on short day trips under engine or maybe going fishing to fairly well known areas. Wind, tide and current have little impact in these scenarios beyond whether it is sunny or the anchorage is accessible.

Fast and reliable

Having spoken to a range of sailors, it’s clear that the universal requirement is for an app that delivers fast, reliable data within an intuitive interface. We want charts that show sensible levels of detail as we zoom in and out and, critically, will warn us when we need to zoom in more to see dangers that might have been hidden by vector charts.

We then want all the other essential information such as wind and current instantly accessible and able to be overlaid on the chart, and we want to be able to quickly measure distance and bearing to a relevant point.

But despite some decent contenders, the truth is that not one app delivers it all. Adding in extras such as AIS, boat data, autorouting and more is great, but that foundation level functionality should come first.

Savvy Navvy, the newcomer to the world of navigation apps, shows what the modern app could be. It is possibly the only app built with yacht sailors at the forefront and gives easily accessible wind, current and tide overlays to sensibly detailed charts. Its routing algorithm was the only app we tested that accounted for current, and its passage plans mapped out beautifully informative courses to steer.

It also recognises hazards such as tidal races and Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS). But its algorithm is too ambitious in the level of detail it tries to extrapolate from GRIB files and the app took us into dangerous shallows and routed us metres off hazards and lee shores in strong winds.

The app is nearly the absolute game changer it should be – but its programming sophistication has outstripped its seamanship and that’s an issue.

The other apps proved a mix in how suitable they are for sailors. Basic features such as wind and current were not universally available. Also often lacking were tools such as those measuring distance and bearing.

Frustrating menus

I found some of the routing software frustrating as I was made to go through multiple menus to load and select waypoints, rather than just touch two points on the screen. And some of the apps appear to have had data sources and functionality added over time, without the redesign they might then need to bring it all into one easy-to-use interface.

AIS data is a nice new feature, but some apps rely on an internet signal for it – others can link by wifi to your AIS device. Knowing how often internet signal drops on a yacht even close to land, I’m not sure I’d trust the type that doesn’t connect to the onboard AIS.

Crowd sourced data is also an increasingly common addition to the charts. Some love it for adding real time accuracy, but others claim it can be dangerously inaccurate. I suspect both are true so, as with everything, the prudent skipper should treat all information with a healthy dose of caution.

For the best mix of functionality, breadth of data and reliable information, Navionics + remains my app of choice. But if ( and it’s a big if) Savvy Navvy becomes more savvy with its seamanship – it will have everything it needs to revolutionise the sector and become the sailor’s app of choice.

Best Navigation apps for sailors:

C-Map on an iPhone

C-MAP produces my favourite charts, with just the right amount of detail for spot depths, enlarged navigational marks on land and sea and clever colouring. Wind data via GRIB files is easily overlaid and the colour shading system both makes it easy to see predicted wind speeds and discourages the user from trying to extrapolate unrealistic detail.

However, there is no tide and current overlay, which is a frustration for sailors, and it is also a disappointment that there is no satellite imagery overlay. C-MAP’s automatic routing system is fairly easy and intuitive to use but having allowed me to set a minimum depth of 3m, it would then suggest routes that contravened this limit, albeit giving a second option that didn’t. Some caution is therefore required.

Get C-Map app from the Apple App Store Get C-Map app from the Google Play Store

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Read our full C-Map navigation app review

Navionics app on a phone

Navionics Boating app

This app is intuitive and easy to use. Charts are quick to render and auto zooming of detail is probably best in class. Text is used to good effect and tells you when you need to zoom in to get more information about hazards (one of the dangers of vector charts). Arrows showing current are animated to show strength, direction and whether the tide is on the ebb or flood. Frustratingly, you have to access a different window to get GRIB/wind data, when it should surely just be an option on screen.

The Navionics Sonar option allows charts to be adapted to show depths based on real time user data from thousands of vessels, but the company sensibly warns that many other factors (such as barometric pressure) will have a considerable affect on depths.

Get Navionics+ app from the Apple App Store Get Navionics+ app from the Google Play Store

Read our full Navionics + navigation app review

Savvy Navvy app on desktop or tablet

Savvy Navvy

Savvy Navvy is a sophisticated app with all the key information ready to be switched on or off at your fingertips. It is the only app that has a routing algorithm that has inputs for wind and current (although bizarrely not leeway) and then plots a beautifully drawn course to steer. It is useful to be able to enter later or earlier departure times and see the impact on wind and tide.

Charts are a little light on detail for my liking – my sense being that artistic merit has slightly usurped navigational utility. A bigger issue with Savvy Navvy is that the sophistication of the programming for its route planning has not been matched by that of the seamanship. It extrapolates impossibly detailed wind patterns from the GRIB data and uses performance polars that cannot be adjusted – both of which make the plans interesting to look at but of little practical use.

Get Savvy Navvy app from the Apple App Store Get Savvy Navvy app from the Google Play Store

Read our full Savvy Navvy navigation app review

Seapilot app on a phone

This app is based on some features of the professional ECDIS charting systems and in many ways has some of the best features – but while some will not agree, personally I found it unintuitive to use.

The significant issue, however, is that the autozoom on its charting detail just doesn’t work in many regions. Until I zoomed in to a small area (maybe five square miles) there was so much clutter on the screen that there was not much that could be done. Even when zoomed in, information about navigational marks would often be overlaid on spot depths, making both impossible to read. Seapilot acknowledges that some regions suffer from this as an issue due to the use of ECDIS data and hopes to rectify it going forward.

The app also uses ECDIS warning symbols for some hazards, which leisure sailors won’t be familiar with.

Get Seapilot app from the Apple App Store Get Seapilot app from the Google Play Store

Read our full Seapilot navigation app review

isailor featues nice wind colouring

iSailor is another app that works well as an extension to your boat’s onboard systems. It will connect to the NMEA system and internet AIS, although each feature you unlock costs money. The alarms menu is comprehensive, including anchor drag, waypoint proximity, loss of GPS signal and a low battery warning.

Charts were fairly good, but as with Seapilot, I had issues with the auto detail of the chart at various zoom levels and had data overlaid on each other. I also found that at certain levels of zoom, key data such as spot depth was removed, but too soon for my liking. If I want to plan 2-3 miles ahead I want to see clear depth data, not just coloured contours.

Get iSailor app from the Apple App Store Get iSailor app from the Google Play Store

Read our full iSailor navigation app review

iNavx on a phone

iNavX can be frustrating to use at first because there is so much to customise that it can be tough to get into. Persevere, however, and you’ll find a good app. It has a range of chart options including Navionics, C-MAP and NOAA. They partner with Waterway Guides, which gives micro level detail for marinas and other facilities, although the UK version is yet to arrive.

While all the information is there, I didn’t find interrogation of chart data as easy as, say, the Navionics app, but this may just be personal preference. I also found building and adjusting routes frustrating. There is a very comprehensive manual that can be accessed and a range of excellent YouTube instructional videos – but honestly, I’d rather just be able to work it out quickly and easily on the app.

Get iNavx app from the Apple App Store Get iNavx app from the Google Play Store

Read our full iNavx navigation app review

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We track about 200 races per year, including the legendary GODZone and the pictured Trek Rose Trip.

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If your race stages take competitors outside of cellular coverage, YB Tracking is the perfect choice.

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L2SFBC (Life's Too Short for Boring Cars) Review

SailGP set to make waves in San Francisco with millions at stake

By virgil aspen • published july 12, 2024 • updated on july 13, 2024 at 2:11 pm.

SailGP, an international sailboat racing circuit, backed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison and well-respected sailor Russell Coutts, is set to host its final, championship races in the San Francisco Bay this weekend, with the grand prize for the winning team amounting to $2 million.

The competition, whose founder Ellison was once quoted professing his love for the "idyllic independence" of sailing and has been touted as Formula One on the waves by Coutts, was founded in 2018 with the hopes of taking competitive sailing beyond cloistered country clubs and propel it into the mainstream.

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"What we're seeing is [that] this isn't the avid sailing fan that's following SailGP, maybe 10% of our audience is that. It's really the racing fan, the general sports fan, and it's also the people that are interested in the backstory of our athletes," said Coutts in a Friday interview with CNBC , adding later that he doesn't feel it would be unreasonable for teams to be selling for $80 million price tags sometime in the next year.

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This tidal wave of success can be attributed to a number of factors, but by far, the sport's most profound sea change has been the advent of F50 catamarans, sailboats capable of navigating the waves at highway speeds, velocities long thought impossible by sailors in years past.

"[Our sailboats are] above the water, not in the water, and our goal is to stay flying as long as possible," said Peter Kinney, a California native and sailor for the United States' SailGP team.

SailGP's rising current of broad appeal can be attributed to other factors as well, namely its inclusivity to women and its commitment to sustainability . On its website, it says that the organization is "...racing for a better future and believe sport has the power to change the world."

San Francisco as a location was a perfect fit for a climactic race in the eyes of the organizers.

"San Francisco is really the best racetrack. The breeze is consistent, and the sailors love it," said Alex Reid, SailGP's director of performance engineering. Others, such as Team USA strategist Mike Buckley, describe the Bay as "one of the most beautiful places in the world to sail."

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These favorable conditions, combined with such a large prize being on the line, leaves confidence high that each team involved will be in close competition all the way through, as sailors try their hardest to be the first to surge across the finish line.

"We're expecting the race to be tight, exciting, racing on the edge," Buckley said.

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Chicago to Mackinac sailing race record smashed by more than an hour

• Updated: Jul. 15, 2024, 7:31 a.m.
• | Published: Jul. 15, 2024, 7:20 a.m.

The Maverick broke a 22-year record in the 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac Presented By Wintrust. Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac

• Tanda Gmiter | [email protected]

MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - Before the first boats ever left Navy Pier this weekend, Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac organizers knew the weather forecast would make this 115th competition one of the faster courses in the race’s history - if the sailing crews could avoid the storms forecast to sweep across Lake Michigan.

And while the storms did send at least three damaged boats limping out of the race and caused a man overboard situation, southerly wind conditions were a boon to the frontrunners, creating a downwind drag race and leading to a record-breaking win that smashed the old Race to Mackinac record by more than an hour.

The Maverick’s crew beat Roy P. Disney’s 22-year-old record with a time of 22 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds. This bested the Disney heir’s record set in 2002 with Pyewacket by an hour, six minutes and 11 seconds.

The Maverick team was led by Sanford Burris and William and Ward Kinney. The boat also claimed the race’s Royono Trophy for the first racing monohull to finish the 115th edition.

“I will tell you from my perspective, I wish the record had lasted longer, but these things are inevitable,” said Disney, a well-known figure in the sailing world who is the grand-nephew of Walt Disney. “Given how long it took to break that record shows how difficult a course it is, and what a classic sailboat race it is! Many congratulations to the owner, the crew and the boat, Maverick.”

The Katana and the Natalie near the finish line of the 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac Presented By Wintrust. Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac

Nearly 250 boats joined the 333-mile race from Chicago’s Navy Pier to the finish line near Mackinac Island. Known as America’s Offshore Challenge, it’s the world’s longest annual freshwater sailing race. The race is divided into the Cruising Division, which left Chicago on Friday, and the sleeker Racing Division, which began racing on Saturday.

What was the secret to this weekend’s fast times?

“Most important is a southerly wind direction and strength, combined with advancements in boats and sails,” said Winn Soldani, chair for the 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. “Plus you add in last night’s storms that brought increased breeze and it’s literally the perfect setup for a record-breaking year.”

Some of the boats are still finishing the course today. You can see them there on the race tracker.

Maverick’s Sanford Burris is from Kirtland, Ohio. “He sails with his sons and many longtime friends on the carbon fiber Andrews 80 they have spent the past three years upgrading. Joining the 20 crew onboard was Evolution Sails founder Rodney Keenan,” race staff said.

“The team celebrated briefly as the Maverick team crossed the Race to Mackinac finish line between Mackinac Island and the Round Island lighthouse … and then kept on sailing.”

The Maverick is one of a couple dozen sailboats competing in this year’s “Super Mac” race - which means it keeps going instead of stopping at Mackinac Island for the big afterparty. It races south down Lake Huron to reach Port Huron - a race of 495 nautical miles. The Bayview Mackinac Race - which is next week - starts near the Blue Water Bridge and competing sailboats will race north to Mackinac Island. Those boats running the “Super Mac” can also do the Bayview and it’s like running three races in a week’s span.

The Racing Division of the 115th Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac race got underway Saturday. Photo provided by Barry Butler, Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust. Barry Butler, Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust.

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Chicago to Mackinac sailboat race: Storm snaps masts, tosses sailor into Lake Michigan

A fast-moving summer storm Saturday night on Lake Michigan left carnage in its path after three huge sailboats snapped masts and a fourth boat had to rescue a man after he fell overboard, all in the middle of the night under total darkness during the first day of the Chicago to Mackinac race .

“It was about 11:30 Eastern Time and we outpaced a couple storms. The team was getting ready … when a squall hit us. The wind picked up from about 18 knots to over 30 knots and shifted 80 degrees,” Skip Dieball, 53, of Wilmette, Illinois, a tactician racing on the 52-foot Usual Suspects, said on Sunday. “Sometimes in the daytime, you can see some of the shifts coming, the wind pattern on the water. But it was so dark we couldn’t see anything. We told each other we would prepare early. We were, and it just came really fast.”

Disaster was averted after Madcap, a Santa Cruz 52 owned and skippered by John Hopkins, responded to a man overboard report from Callisto, a J/125 owned and skippered by Jim Murray. Both boats resumed racing the 333-statute-mile (289-nautical-mile) race without injury.

In addition to Usual Suspects, owned by Eric Wynsma, masts broke on the 65-foot Sagamore owned by Laura and Tone Martin, along with the 45-foot Sapphire, owned by Robert Radway. No injuries were reported, according to Laura Muma, communications director for the Chicago to Mackinac race.

Despite being on high alert to take down sails, the demasting events were intense.

‘Loud as the loudest thunder’

As soon as the mast snapped, Dieball said the crew started doing a head count to be certain all 13 sailors were still onboard. The rig could have come down on the crew if they had been in their normal stations, but they were scattered. While the mast “broke violently,” Dieball said, “it did not come down violently.”

The race boat, with its custom carbon fiber mast, strong and light but brittle, is designed for high-performance racing and often used in America’s Cup races.

When the mast broke, it sounded like a “crack of thunder” immediately overhead, Dieball said. “It’s as loud as the loudest thunder.”

When the mast settled, the crew had to rapidly assess next steps. The biggest fear is that the broken mast will bang against the boat and puncture a hole, Dieball said. A mast on a boat that size can be 60 or 70 feet tall, he said.

“Part of your safety equipment is having cutting devices that get the mast away from the boat. The mast had broken in three different spots and it was time to start cutting things away,” Dieball said. “Carbon fiber, in many ways, is sharper than steel. We had to make sure no one was in a spot where one of the pieces would actually cut them.”

So sailors took out cutting tools and knives they’re required to carry as part of the racing protocol — and sliced away rigging as fast as possible, letting material sink into the water.

‘Survival mode’

Skipper Eric Wynsma, a real estate developer from Grand Rapids, had three of his grown kids racing, too. This was his 25th Chicago to Mackinac race.

“We were just in survival mode,” Dieball said, cutting away for about 30 minutes. “After the (storm) cell went through, the wind died off. So it wasn’t like we were battling elements. We were into the race about nine hours, finishing about a third of the course, and we returned to Muskegon.”

After stabilizing the situation, the Usual Suspects crew contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and reported debris in the water. The race boat didn’t need assistance once the rigging was cut away, Dieball said. They made certain nothing was wrapped around the propeller and Usual Suspects spent the next three hours motoring back, arriving about 5 a.m.

No one was freaking out, Dieball said. “It was all business.”

The costly damage prevents Usual Suspects from racing the Bayview Mackinac race from Port Huron to Mackinac, which starts Saturday.

Fast Tango fights DeTour

Tim Prophit , of St. Clair Shores, owner and skipper of the 40-foot Fast Tango, didn’t get slammed by the storm, but his nine-member crew prepared by making sail changes and reefing the main sail for better control.

“All of a sudden, the waves felt different, a different pattern, a different height. And the temps dropped,” he said Sunday while racing. “We were paying very close attention to the weather.”

Fast Tango won its class and placed second overall in the Chicago to Mackinac race last year, and was the overall winner in the Port Huron to Mackinac race.

This year, Fast Tango is battling the 34-foot DeTour, owned by Chuck Stormes, of Grosse Pointe Farms, no stranger to winning class and overall trophies.

Christy Storms said early Sunday afternoon she couldn’t look at the tracker to see how her husband was doing. It made her crazy. She didn’t know there had been a storm, she said, thank God, or she would have been worried sick.

“This is the first year I’ve been trying to not stalk him,” she said. “It’s tough looking every minute. It just makes me crazy.”

Family members are known to sleep with their phones under their pillows, call and text each other every hour through the night until the race is finished.In years past, Christy Storms said, “it was like crack. It just make me so anxious.”

So, she went online, noticed he was doing great, took a snapshot of the tracker, put her phone down and went to bed with their 11-year-old dog Striker.

Early Monday, Prophit confirmed that Fast Tango won first in class against 11 competitors. They crossed the finish line in 41 hours, 59 minutes, 47 seconds.

Chaos on other boats, too

Following the storm, 15- to 20-knot southerly winds continued to propel the 247-boat fleet north, Muma said in the race update.

While mast loss made headlines with sailing reporters, other boats had serious issues that went unreported. And they kept going, hoping for the best.

Mark DenUyl, of Marysville, Michigan, owner and skipper of the 34.5-foot Good Lookin’, watched his carbon fiber bowsprit snap in half during the high winds right about 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Now it’s held together with electrical tape and sail tape.

Crew member Brennan Churchill, 22, texted his dad at home in Kimball, Michigan, with an update on the damaged equipment used to extend the sail, so it captures more wind.

“He knew better than to tell his mother,” Tracy Heany Churchill said Sunday. “He knows I go into freakout mode.”

Ron Churchill always sails with his son, who won his first Mackinac race at age 15, but Ron couldn’t leave work as a senior operations manager for a natural gas storage facility to do both the Chicago and Port Huron races to Mackinac.

“I feel like I’m lost right now. I just feel like I’m supposed to be there,” Ron Churchill said Sunday.

Brennan Churchill described the boat tipping so far to one side that the crew was in waist-deep water, his father said. “Everybody stayed on the boat. Water was washing over them.”

The sudden gust of wind created such force that it likely flexed and snapped, he said. As a result of the damage, the crew held steady until daylight to try and figure out what to do, Churchill said. “They did a good job with just staying composed and keeping the boat moving well.”

On Monday morning, Good Lookin’ crossed the finish line in third in class against a dozen other J/105 boats despite damage to critical equipment.

Cara DenUyl and her 19-year-old daughter, Riley, woke up at 5:30 a.m. Monday to watch online the Good Lookin’ finish. “It was a nail-biter. It was close between second and third. They were in second place at 2 a.m. Sunday, when that storm hit. Then they fell back all the way to seventh place. At the time, we didn’t know the storm had hit. Somehow they got everything fixed enough to keep going, thankfully. I feel relief that they made the podium.”

‘Breathtaking’ speed

With storms come great wind. Or, in sailor speak, great air.

Winn Soldani, race chair of the Chicago to Mackinac race, said this weekend’s storms brought “epic” conditions that weather models predicted, which is important for safety.

“We’re watching boats going 20 knots, or about 23 mph, and it’s breathtaking,” Soldani told Shifting Gears from the finish line near the Mission Point hotel on Mackinac Island on Sunday.

“When the squalls hit, the wind changed direction very rapidly, from out of the south to out of the west, at 33 to 35 mph,” he said. “Some of these sails are the size of tennis courts. They’re huge. So this changes pressure on the mast.”

That’s what causes masts to snap, Soldani said. Strict safety protocols protect the 2,200 sailors racing this year, and that’s why they’re required to wear special tracking devices on their bodies at all times.

Storm winds create record-setting conditions

As a result of the strong winds, this race broke the speed record.

The 80-foot Maverick finished in 22 hours, 24 minutes, 23 seconds, breaking a record set 22 years ago by 66 minutes, 11 seconds. 

Sanford Burris, of Kirtland, Ohio, sailed with his sons and friends on the carbon fiber Andrews 80 they have spent the past three years upgrading, according to Muma. The 20-person crew included Rodney Keenan, founder of Evolution Sails.

“The team celebrated briefly as the Maverick team crossed the race to Mackinac finish line between Mackinac Island and the Round Island lighthouse … and then kept on sailing,” said the Chicago to Mackinac news release.

Maverick is one of 25 sailboats registered for this year’s “Super Mac” race, a combination of the Chicago Mackinac and the Bayview Mackinac races, which means they will continue into Lake Huron, heading south to Port Huron, for a total of 565 statute miles (495 nautical miles).

More: Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry Co. sells to Florida billionaire

Phoebe Wall Howard, a Free Press auto reporter for nearly seven years, now writes a column on car culture, consumer trends and life that will appear periodically on  Freep.com  and in print. Those columns and others will appear on her Substack at  https://phoebewallhoward.substack.com/about  Contact her at [email protected].

Senior Bix Race moving to Bettendorf Due to Flooding

The new venue offers scenic new course along the mississippi river.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (KWQC) - The inaugural Senior Bix race, initially planned to take place at LeClaire Park, has been relocated due to flooding along the Davenport Riverfront.

The new venue for the Senior Bix Race is the Isle Casino Hotel in Bettendorf. Despite the change in location, organizers are determined to ensure that the event remains fun and memorable.

The race, which is a special event for runners and walkers aged 50 and over, is one of the featured additions in celebration of the Bix’s 50th anniversary. Participants will have the option to choose between two distances: 1 mile or 2 miles.

“I wanted to get away from the BIX course, because it’s difficult going up really street Hill. And now, after 45 years of running up and down the hill, a lot of people can do it. So we’ll make it easy for everybody. And we’ll give him a chance to be part of the 50th anniversary of the race,” said Former Bix 7 race director Ed Froehlich, who is helping to plan the 50th anniversary festivities.

The new course is a nice, flat path with great views of the Mississippi River, just a few miles east of the original site, offering an enjoyable route for both runners and walkers.

“I actually think this is a better location than what we originally had. We would have had to go behind the baseball stadium, and that gets pretty narrow there. So, I think there’s less chance of having any bottlenecks. But I hope everybody will be patient because it’s the first time we’ve done it, and that’s a lot of people to go back and forth on,” said Froehlich.

Organizers are expecting around 800 to 1000 participants to take part in the event. The race is scheduled for next Tuesday, July 23, at 6 p.m., but they advise everyone to arrive early and be at the starting line by 5:30 p.m.

Copyright 2024 KWQC. All rights reserved.

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Biden discloses what would make him drop out of 2024 race

President Biden was asked Tuesday in an interview with Black Entertainment Television (BET) what, if anything, would drive him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, as a growing number of Democrats call for him to step aside in the race.

"If I had some medical condition that emerged, if somebody, the doctors came and said you've got this problem, that problem," Biden told BET's Ed Gordon. "But I made a serious mistake in the whole debate and, look, when I originally ran, you might remember it, I said I was gonna be a transitional candidate. I thought that I would be able to move from this, to pass it on to somebody else. But I didn't anticipate things getting so, so, so divided."

"Quite frankly, I think the only thing age brings is a little bit of wisdom. And I think I've demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country, in spite of the fact we were told we couldn't get it done. But there's more to do, and I'm reluctant to walk away from that," he added.

The comments from Biden's interview with BET were provided in a preview clip that aired Tuesday evening on CBS Evening News. The full interview, which was recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada , is slated to air Wednesday on BET at 10 p.m. ET.

BIDEN AIMS TO SHORE UP BLACK VOTER SUPPORT AS TRUMP TRIES TO MAKE INROADS

In the preview of the interview, Biden was also asked how he's "sure" he will be able to restore Roe v. Wade , which was overturned by the Supreme Court in the summer of 2022.

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

"The Supreme Court did it. Trump appointed the Supreme Court for the express purpose of doing it," he said. "There's gonna probably be two more appointments for the court. There's probably two people gonna resign, I mean retire. Just imagine the court if he has two more appointments what that means forever."

Titled "Black America Votes: The Biden Interview," BET Media Group said the conversation affords the president an opportunity to "speak directly to Black America" and will "focus on the essential issues impacting our community and discuss why we should continue to support his candidacy amidst growing public concerns and calls for him to withdraw."

The interview marks Biden's third scheduled sit-down interview with a television network since his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump on June 27, which resulted in several Democrats calling for Biden to step aside in the 2024 race for the White House.

The interview comes as Biden seeks to maintain his support from Black voters as the once solid foundational bloc of the Democratic Party begins to waver.

In addition to the interview with BET, Biden delivered remarks at the 115th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas on Tuesday. He's also expected to meet with Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Rep. Steven Horsford for an economic summit, where he will speak to Black voters and meet with Black members of congress to discuss his vision for a second term.

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The extensive tour focusing on the Black community comes at the same time former President Trump is courting solidly blue areas of the country, seeking to capitalize on Biden's perceived weakness.

Trump's decision to target minority voters in places like New York , where Republicans have not carried the state in decades, reflects the Trump campaign's belief that Biden is showing weakness with key Democratic constituencies.

Despite holding a solid majority of Black voters, the Biden campaign has seen a notable drop in enthusiasm in key swing states since 2020.

"Our campaign believes that Black voters deserve to hear from Team Biden-Harris, and they deserve to have their vote earned, not assumed," the Biden campaign previously said about Black voter engagement. "That’s exactly what we are doing through historic investments in Black media and outreach, creative engagement efforts, culturally competent content and innovative organizing initiatives. No campaign has valued Black voters like we have, including through investing earlier and with more money than ever before talking to Black voters."

A USA Today /Suffolk University poll released last month found that support for Biden among Black voters has dropped roughly 20 percentage points in both Michigan and Pennsylvania since the last election.

In Michigan, the poll found Trump has 15% of Black voters, compared to Biden at 54% of the support from Black voters. Trump received just 9% of the Black vote in Michigan in the 2020 election. 

Many pollsters expect Trump to experience a bump in support across all demographics following the assassination attempt that nearly took his life last weekend.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

Fox News' Timothy H.J. Nerozzi, Hanna Panreck, and Caroline McKee contributed to this report.

Original article source: Biden discloses what would make him drop out of 2024 race

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President biden says only a 'medical condition' would get him to drop out, president biden i'll drop out ... but only for a 'medical condition'.

President Biden insists he has no plans to drop out of the presidential race -- but is now conceding that there is one scenario that could convince him to do so.

POTUS spoke with BET News correspondent Ed Gordon for a new interview, airing Wednesday, and admitted he'd walk away from his reelection efforts if his doctors advised him to.

He explained ... "If I had some medical condition that emerged and doctors came to me and said, 'You've got this problem, you've got that problem.' ... Look when I originally ran I said I was going to be a transitional candidate, and I thought I'd be able to move from this and pass it on to someone else."

Now, that might sound like an indictment of Vice President Kamala Harris ' ability -- but Biden said he didn't think the country would still be so divided, and that's why he's not walking away from the campaign.

As Biden put it, his 81 years come with some wisdom, which he thinks is one of his best assets.

He continued ... "I think I’ve demonstrated that I know how to get things done for the country, in spite of the fact that we couldn’t get it done. But there’s more to do, and I’m reluctant to walk away from that."

Biden's strong stance comes amid calls from some Democrats calling for him to step down after an underwhelming performance at the debate and a few notable senior moments -- including misnaming his Veep by calling her Vice President Trump .

Yet, Biden's bottom line is clear ... it will take a full-blown medical intervention to keep him from being on the ticket this November.

Biden will officially be named the Democrat's 2024 candidate for president at the Democratic National Convention in August. So, stay tuned for any updates until then.

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