A recap of a productive month on the water

We had an exceptionally intense month, filled with successful events by Vakaros users and the global deployment of RaceSense technology. Here’s what’s new!

To kick things off, our Italian ambassadors, Jana Germani and Giorgia Bertuzzi, secured a bronze medal in the 49er FX World Championship, which took place in Lanzarote at the beginning of the month. Additionally, British KiteFoiler Connor Bainbridge clinched the bronze medal at the KiteFoil Euros, and we wish him the best of luck at the Last Chance Regatta in Hyeres.

We also had an incredible presence at the Bacardi Cup Invitational Regatta in Miami, where RaceSense technology was utilized for the VX One class. Notably, Vakaros users Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Bruno Prada claimed the gold medal in the Star Class, followed by Augie Diaz and Henry Boening securing silver, and Eric Doyle and Payson Infelise claiming bronze. Moreover, Bora Gulari and his team clinched gold in the Melges 24 class, while Peter Karrie’s Nefeli and Bruce Ayeres’ Monsoon rounded out the podium.

Our team was busy running RaceSense in three different countries – Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. In Miami we attended the Melges 20 Winter Series 3, where sailors like Keiran Searle praised the efficiency of RaceSense in on-water racing management: “RaceSense was great, it really gave us the option to get racing down fast, it really reduced the time in between races, so that we didn't have to wait. It's a game chance and it gives the race committee an opportunity to be able to move the line quickly without giving people time to get the line bias to ping and it makes racing smoother for sure."

Simultaneously, our Global Sales Manager, Will Huerth, was in Australia, overseeing RaceSense at the Australian 18 Footers JJ Giltinan Cup in Sydney. According to Ben Kirkby, who sailed the event with the KitchenMaker team: “we've been using RaceSense this entire season, and it has given us the confidence to push the line harder that we ever have before. In one race we were over on the first start, the whole fleet was really, but the second start we were right there on the line, something that we have never been able to achieve before."

You think we got to rest? Absolutely not. We traveled back to Australia for the Etchells Bill Steele Regatta and the Etchells Worlds in Fremantle, Western Australia. With 41 boats attending, these Worlds have been a spectacular event, combining the latest technology with a legendary boat like the Etchells class. 

Carlos Robles, tactician on Scott Kaufmann’s team Rogue-USA 1519 shared:“I would like to share my experience on using the Vakaros Atlas 2. I believe this is a big step forward in the class, not only from a time efficiency point, but also from a racing standpoint-it’s more fair to have a precise GPS unit that tells us whether we are over the line or not- instead of having a human eye make this tough decision. Last week’s racing was run smoothly and the system worked very well. I have been using Race-Sense in many other classes and, honestly, I can only say good things about it. I take my personal unit with me to whatever boat I sail on, obviously when it’s compliant with the class rules. Another great feature about the instrument is its precise magnetic compass. This is something that every tactician relies on heavily, and Vakaros has the best compass out there. It’s a device that does it all,  a clear step forward in our sport.”

Meanwhile, our Head of Mobile Development, Tyler Norbury, ran some exciting racing for the Waszp class at the SailGP Inspire event in Christchurch, New Zealand. SailGP Inspire is a program we are proud to be a part of. It’s made for young stars which one day will represent the future of sailing. We share with SailGP the belief that building a pathway for these sailors has and will have a massive impact over the sport. 

"It was great being able to come down to beautiful Christchurch, NZ to work with the Inspire program and bring them our RaceSense technology. We had 5 perfect days of sailing and everyday the WASZPS were equipped with an Atlas 2 running RaceSense, which helped to pull off over 60 races over the course of the week," said Tyler at the end of the event.

Lastly, we concluded the month at the Melges 15 Midwinters in Jensen Beach, another event that could count on 90 entries, one of the biggest fleets we've managed so far. Events Director Doug Wake reflected on the event's success: “This event was the culmination of over a year of work from our team: supporting this many boats at this level of racing has always been our vision. The 2024 M15 Winter Series has been our strongest proof of concept to date, and a huge step forward for sailboat racing as a whole.”

March was nothing less than a whirlwind of great learning experiences, and we look forward to more exciting racing in the months ahead!