When the future of the sport meets with the cutting-edge of sailing technology: six questions to Bernat Gali Bou

Bernat, can you tell us about your initial impressions of using the Atlas 2 during the Optimist clinic in Brazil?

The initial impressions were very positive, as the devices were pretty easy to set up and the screen of the device is pretty clear to read. I was curious to see how the later analysis would come out, and how to integrate it to our daily morning briefing.

How did the athletes respond to using the Atlas 2? Did they find it easy to integrate into their training routines?

For the athletes, and myself as well, it was the first time using a device of this kind.  Integration was flawless, only one of them needed to mark RC and pin at the starting line, and really just practice as normal.

In what specific ways did the Atlas 2 help improve the athletes' performance during the clinic?

I think the clearest way in which the devices helped was to understand metrics, and how much the data Vakaros pulls from each boat really helps understand the difference in performances on the water. Sailors were able to go back to their time practicing and see where they sailed a header, had an average VMG or why they had a slow start.

From your perspective as a coach, what features of the Atlas 2 were most beneficial for the Optimist class?

In my personal opinion, the most beneficial features were the VMG performance upwind (lift/header) and downwind (angle of sailing), the SOG at the start (speed at the gun), the heeling angle downwind and the total time of avg sailor used to complete an specific leg.

Can you share any specific examples or moments where the Atlas 2 provided crucial insights or data that significantly impacted the athletes' training?

The most analyzed data was definitely the starting line and the position/SOG sailors had at the moment of the start. The other one which really helped was the VMG and the tracks sailors followed specially upwind, which really helped understand strategic decisions.

Based on your experience, would you recommend the use of the Atlas 2 for future Optimist clinics and competitions? If so, why?

 I would definitely recommend the use of Atlas 2 for future Optimist Clinics as it provides amazing data to anaylize with the sailors, and gives them a lot more perspective on what they do on the water performance wise.