A Weekend in Cowes: Embracing Tradition with Innovation

On the 25th-27th of May 2024, our Sales Manager, Will Huerth, traveled to Cowes, Great Britain, for the Etchells Spring Regatta. 

The Etchells class is one of the most historical sailing classes around the world and, since the Bill Steele Regatta and the World Championship in Perth earlier this year, the Etchells class has increasingly integrated RaceSense, the future of on-water management.

For us, it's an honor to collaborate with such a legendary class, rich in history and tradition. The Etchells class has seen countless legends of the sport, including America's Cup winner John Bertrand, Finn Class World Champion Ed Wright, and GBR Olympic 49er Athlete Rhos Hawes, just to name a few.

The feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. 

Rhos Hawes, GBR Olympic 49er Athlete and Etchells Sailor/Coach, shared his experience:

“Vakaros and RaceSense on the course took the stress out of the racing. Knowing the time to start from far out and instant feedback on OCS really helped focus on what was important. This, coupled with the ability to analyze data afterwards, is so valuable. I look forward to racing using it again.”

Ted Blowers, Sailor and Cowes Etchells Fleet Dock Master, added:

“It was a pleasure to use the Vakaros tablet and RaceSense within the Cowes Etchells Fleet. One of the highlights for me is having the ability to personalize the data shown on the tablets for each fleet to follow class rules. The system is not only valuable to the sailors but also to the race management team, who can completely control the starting procedure to however they need it!”

We can't wait to work with the Etchells class again in the future, embracing both the rich history of the class and the cutting-edge technology,  that we bring to the table,  that make this collaboration so exciting.