Electronic Devices: My Experience at the J/70 Worlds

by Gianfranco Noè

Gianfranco Noè is a sailor from Trieste with great international experience. FJ World Champion, European Vice Champion in 470, in the 470 Italian team in the 80s and 90s. More recently he was Corinthian World Champion in J/70 in 2017. But above all Gianfranco is a sailing enthusiast, who also keeps himself informed about what happens in other classes. Here is his contribution to the discussion started with this article:

“Clear Start”, but the Reality is Often Different

and followed by this other article:

Electronics

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by Gianfranco Noè

We used the Vakaros at the J/70 World Championships, 90 boats at the starting line, in my opinion still too many to race properly.
(A J/70 is much bigger than a dinghy: it “clutters” the line much more than a 470 or a Snipe)

It works very well and in 8 races we always started on the first try (obviously there was also a very good Race Committee).

It costs a lot (about Euro 1,200) so far, but it is truly a game changer.

With all its cost, I believe that even in a low cost boat like the Snipe, it pays off in a season of missed frustrations.

For example, the “n” boats that started over the line but were not taken have obviously disappeared. The lottery of being taken BFD has disappeared. The frustrating wait for a race in which you are BFD has disappeared. The BFD boats that covers you at the start has disappeared. The hours lost trying to start have disappeared. A couple more races were gained.

I don’t know how much the person who runs the system on the RC boat could cost. It doesn’t need a computer scientist, but a trained one, yes.

This is from a real and true experience.

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