At Velocitek, our guiding philosophies in developing a hyper-accurate starting system for racing sailboats were simple:
Fairness Through Technology – Racing thrives on trust and accuracy. By delivering unmatched accuracy, our system has to ensure that every call is consistent and fair. When both sailors and race committees have confidence in the decisions being made, it removes the doubt and distraction of disputed calls, letting everyone stay focused on the competition.
Simplicity Meets Sophistication – Tools designed for performance should empower, simplify, and enhance. Advanced systems don’t need to be complicated. Ours delivers world-class performance with intuitive ease of use, streamlining race days for sailors and race committees instead of adding complexity.
What does that look like in race management technology?
The system must never make a call that is obviously wrong to a skilled observer (sailor or race officer). This philosophy led us to adopt RTK GPS technology, which offers an extraordinary 1.8cm positional accuracy. Compared to standard L1/L5 GNSS systems with tolerances as wide as +/- 1 meter, our RTK technology ensures that every call—down to the centimeter—is as fair and accurate as possible. In sailboat racing, where accuracy is everything, why settle for "close enough" when you can have exactly right?
The RTK Puck not only delivers unparalleled position and orientation accuracy, it also simplifies race days for both sailors and race committees: pingless distance-to-start, synchronized time-to-start, and clear audio and visual feedback for OCS calls.
In September 2024, we debuted our proof-of-concept RTK GPS race management system at the NYYC Resolute Cup [NYYC press release and video]. This system, the first of its kind outside of the America’s Cup and SailGP, supported the successful execution of 22 races over four days for 28 competitors. The results? Zero General Recalls and 100% of starts run under the P-flag—an unprecedented level of efficiency and fairness.
Just a week later, the NYYC’s IC37 fleet faced a challenging North American Championship, with breezy conditions canceling the first two days of racing. On the final day, despite a strict time limit, the race committee managed to squeeze in four races in demanding conditions. The automated OCS call and notification system were crucial to achieve zero general recalls—even in a start where half the fleet was OCS.
Now, we’re taking the next step in this journey with the Velocitek RTK Puck. Designed in collaboration with the world’s most exacting Race Committees, this productized version of our proven RTK system is for sailors and race officers who demand precision, transparency, and truly fair racing.
Whether you’re managing a world championship or your local club series, the Velocitek RTK Puck is here to redefine what’s possible in race management. We can’t wait for you to experience the difference.
“I’ve been involved in trialing Velocitek’s race management technology for the last two years. The accuracy improvements I’ve seen are remarkable. The Velocitek RTK system offers race officials the accuracy needed for fair and accurate start line calls at every level of the sport.” - Tom Duggan, International Race Officer and PRO at 2024 IC37 North American Championship