Race tracking for offshore races

Andrea · April 14, 2010, 11:30:56 AM

This weekend, the Heald Bank Regatta will be a testing ground for two different tracking systems. Links to both can be found on the Lakewoodyachtclub.com home page on the right hand side. Let us know what you think.
If all works well, we will use the Trackleaders tracking during the Harvest Moon Regatta. The system takes multiple "Spot" tracks and combines them onto one convenient location. Know where the fleet is will be a tremendous aid to the RC, as well as a lot of fun for spectators and competitors alike.
If there are features you would like to see added to the tracking website, let us know and we will see if they can accomodate us.

jsailor · April 14, 2010, 03:34:36 PM

Interesting.

French Kiss started out very early this AM to head up Highway 3 before the rush hour.
She still moved rather quickly for a sailboat, top speed 30 MPH.

Kenai and Cimboco have gathered off Deke Slayton for the day.

One quick difference that I see is TrackLeaders does not show LAT/LONG position. Perhaps there is a way to display LAT/LONG and I have not found it.

ChrisK · April 15, 2010, 09:04:08 AM

The Trackleaders.com/Topofusion product looks pretty interesting.
With so many features, it's hard to tell if that's the free or paid version.
If free and works as advertised, I'm willing to donate a few bucks to the cause.
Will they set up a discussion thread specific to the race?

Andrea · April 16, 2010, 11:14:56 PM

Trackleaders does not set up a discussion page for the race. They encourage people to use Facebook for that kind of blogging.
I will ask if we can get lat long readings, or if it is there, where to find it.
Trackleaders is not free, but it relies on Spots already owned by people, so the costs are not unreasonable.
The other system (Terramar?) is providing transponders without charge as a sponsorship for Veracruz, but Harvest Moon is too big for them to handle, so we would have to buy the units, at several hundred dollars a piece, which makes it unworkable.

MaryM · April 17, 2010, 08:53:30 AM

Is iBoat tracker still being considered? It proved itself in the last Veracruz race and I have followed other boats outside of that event on it as well. The iboattrack.com site has alot more functionality than either of these systems being tested- linked discussion board, progress/position board, weather overlay, sailing-specific reliable technology that that can handle 400 boats and has been used for racing/cruising since 2005, etc. It's passive and you don't have to count on someone resetting the the unit every 24 hours as you do with spot tracker. Not to mention that they occasionally take spot tracker system down for a few hours at a time with no prior notice for maintenance (from personal experience).

I guess it just depends on what level of information and functionality is being targeted.

ChrisK · April 17, 2010, 09:37:24 AM

Boats are moving along
http://www.trackleaders.com/healdbank

You have to pan the google map to the northwest to see them leaving Clear Lake

The Terramar product is working also, but so far, just a waypoint on a map. I haven't found a track history yet...

Andrea · April 17, 2010, 10:52:23 AM

For Veracruz, I believe Iboattrack is still being considered. It is a great product. But at two hundred dollars a boat, it is not practical for Harvest Moon.
They have now added lats and longs for the trackleaders site. Click on "focus" for a particular boat, and the location is displayed.
Material Girl is borrowing a tracker from Sun BB, and right now we are not getting Material Girl's actual track, but Sun BB's instead. Hope to get it worked out before the race starts. Still no signal from Musica. She is picking up crew in Galveston, so hopefully will turn on the unit once they get there.

Andrea · April 17, 2010, 04:47:02 PM

And they're off! Pictures of the rigs are being added. If you have pictures of any boats send them and I will try to get them loaded to that boats info page. The four Phrf non spin boats are going to Heald. The rest are going to Buccanear. The cruising non spins will do an out and back. The phrf spin boats will go from Buccanear to Heald then back for a triangle. Last I heard there could be light air or rain late tonight. Anybody heard anything more recent?