ILCA Tests the Future of Olympic Racing with RaceSense RTK in Vilamoura

Few classes have the global reach, level of competition, and range of ages participating at all levels as the ILCA. A perennial Olympic Class with years of history might stagnate: but not the ILCA.

In 2025, ILCA Sailing teamed up with Vilamoura Sailing to host the LA 2028 Format Test Event in Portugal. On the table to test were a variety of race formats, as well as technology, including Vakaros RaceSense and RaceSense RTK. A variety of delegates from ILCA were in attendance, including Head of Race Management Hugh Leicester, Class Manager Andrus Poksi, Africa Chair Nuno Gomes, and more.

This event marked the on-water debut for the 1 centimeter accurate Atlas HALO RTK, the latest in accuracy by Vakaros. Each fleet used a system - either standard RaceSense with Atlas 2’s and Atlas Edges, or the RTK system, and started on a variety of line configurations.

Top American ILCA sailor Daniel Escudero shared that “It made a huge difference in the efficiency of our starts and race management. We didn’t have a single general recall all week, and on the final day, the RC wasn’t even part of the line to call OCS”.

The final two days of racing were started between two marks, an emerging trend in sailing that eliminates the wind shadow, obstruction, and lack of maneuverability of a traditional anchored signal boat. And, with RaceSense making OCS calls, sailors could trust fair racing with the added agility of robotic marks at either end of the start line. 

While the class is still testing technologies leading into the remainder of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle, the proof of concept stands strong: RaceSense adds to the efficiency and fairness of ILCA racing, and that of classes around the world.