Perfect Sailing Watch...
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=11246
Printed Date: 14 Jul 25 at 2:41pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Perfect Sailing Watch...
Posted By: JimC
Subject: Perfect Sailing Watch...
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 1:11pm
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What features would you see on the ideal sailing watch...
Obvious stuff of course is nice large numerals, flexible timers, bulletproof/sailing proof etc, what else... Here's a list of some that occur to me... GPS and GPS logging Bluetooth connectivity Voice countdown not just bleeps Smartwatch capability to interact with Android/iPhone tactical Compass facility (damn difficult if not impossible to do ) Carry on toy fans!! |
Replies:
Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 1:46pm
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Voice countdown must be to the Bluetooth earpiece only, so you're not giving helpful information to other competitors.
GPS should be used to request local tidal information sent to the watch. 'HUD' (Head Up Display) so you don't have to look at your wrist; the countdown is always visible wherever you look. Haptic feedback via add-on devices. E.g. buzzer on left nipple vibrates on even number of minutes to go, right nipple buzzes on odd minutes. |
Posted By: laser193713
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 1:48pm
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For most (probably) dinghy classes a gps watch would be illegal. Or is it legal if it isnt actually displaying the data?! "edit- the gps would be better done from a smart phone so that you arent paying to carry a gps around when you can't use it because of rules. This would leave the watch to simply relay data." What would you want to connect to it with bluetooth? I tend not to cruise around the racecourse checking my emails on my phone anyway. What functions of the phone would you want to be able to use? The tactical compass could be done through a smartphone however, there are already apps doing this and you could just use a simple "screen mirroring" type app to display this on the watch. The best feature of any good sailing watch should be a bottle opener, naturally!
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Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 2:05pm
| Rodney's started selling a pink one... sounds spot on to me. |
Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 2:09pm
OK, if that kind of device is on your Christmas list then it ain't cos you want a "sailing watch" ....
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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 2:17pm
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Just a long enough strap to go round winter clothing. Boring, huh?
------------- Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686 |
Posted By: yellowwelly
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 2:33pm
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the perfect sailing watch for grumpf.... One that through GPS and a PY algorithm, automatically detects whether his arch rivals in the Merlin are beating him on handicap or not. If he's winning it plays some uplifting music to his taste, maybe Chariots of Fire, or something by the Sugarbabes. If losing, it shouts abuse at the crew, referring to the poor sod as 'someone who bats for the other side'; whilst it beavers away in the background via bluetooth, linking to an iPhone App that runs a Denial of Service attack on RYA, SailJuice and Y&Y servers with one single word pinging repeatedly.... 'b-a-n-d-i-t - b-a-n-d-i-t - b-a-n-d-i-t' |
Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 2:51pm
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Have a look at FASTTIME SW6 watch they also do a very fancy racing watch with many thinks we cannot use in dinghys.
The SW6 is fantastic value at £13ish plus carriage still under £20. I bought one and the case round the strap had a fault in the molding and broke away, they replaced the whole watch FOC and said not to bother sending the old one back. new watch arrived 2 days later. Large digits for us older blinder people and seconds on the real time so you can run racing unlike the optimum time watches. ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: gordon1277
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 3:00pm
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sorry it is now £18 plus carriage still very cheap. ------------- Gordon Lossc |
Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 3:16pm
Well done, that should probably be near the top of the list of requirements! I had forgotten what a pain a short strap can be when you've got thick gloves on. |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 5:53pm
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buttons that are easy to use with winter gloves, yet hard to knock accidentally.
------------- -_ Al |
Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 7:06pm
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How about an ability to take time signals from a master clock on the committee boat so's everyone get's the same countdown, you could also signal recalls and the like. ------------- Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard" Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch" Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air" Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile" |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 7:48pm
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How about voice activation for the buttons...
The GPS signal would give you clock synch anyway, but wireless LAN race signal sync with a "server" on the committee boat sounds perfect... And once you've got that and the GPS you also have everything you need for race tracking. Add to that differential GPS and a unit on each end of the line and there could also be automatic OCS notification which could mean no more black flags... Just think how easy race management would be if you didn't have to spot OCS or do general recalls:-) |
Posted By: The Moo
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 8:52pm
| Ability to switch from GMT to BST automatically cos I can never remember which buttons to press on my Optimum. |
Posted By: Presuming Ed
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 9:41pm
| Display of current time(including seconds) as well as countdown. So that when the warning goes at 14:00:00, you're ready for it. |
Posted By: drifter
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 10:06pm
Yes-important for me. Some great ideas on here though! ------------- Stewart |
Posted By: Time Lord
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 10:06pm
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Surely nobody relies on the strap that comes with the watch?? in my experience, the buckle breaks a few times out and your timing goes for a permanent swim.
A replacement Velcro strap is a must. As for Mags and his hepatic alarm watch connected to left and right nipples, the mind boggles as to what happens at the start gun and to what bit of his anatomy that is connected!! ------------- Merlin Rocket 3609 |
Posted By: Telltale
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 10:18pm
It doesn't connect with your liver !!  Its actually Haptic, I had to look it up! Definition below: "Haptic technology,
or haptics, is a tactile feedback technology which takes advantage
of the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the
user." |
Posted By: Time Lord
Date Posted: 06 Dec 13 at 10:30pm
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I rather (mid)thought that it perhaps delivered an alcoholic stimulant to get you started?? ------------- Merlin Rocket 3609 |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 07 Dec 13 at 8:28am
I've started a new topic on this... ------------- -_ Al |
Posted By: winging it
Date Posted: 07 Dec 13 at 9:05am
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One where I can read the display without needing my reading glasses ------------- the same, but different... |
Posted By: Lukepiewalker
Date Posted: 07 Dec 13 at 11:56am
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And once we've implemented our auto countdown/OCS/auto recall race committee communicator, we could add auto overlap/zone detection. Imagine how much less embarrassing it would be if you're watch told you you were wrong to save the embarrassment of scribing an internet rant the day after only to be told you were wrong... ------------- Ex-Finn GBR533 "Pie Hard" Ex-National 12 3253 "Seawitch" Ex-National 12 2961 "Curved Air" Ex-Mirror 59096 "Voodoo Chile" |
Posted By: SalsaPirates
Date Posted: 13 Dec 13 at 9:35am
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One that doesnt allow buttons to be accidentally pressed every time you bend your wrist ... grrrr. - always happens to me during start sequence with my Gill watch .
Also one that is easy to change the start sequence on e.g. 1 min or 3 min for training or short race formats .... 5 mins for open events .... 10 mins for home club sequence .... 22.5 / 23.5 for pursuit starts .... etc. I never seem to be able to remember how to keep changing the flipping thing and then when I do, I accidentally press the button and stop it halfway through the start sequence
and totally agree re strap length and Velcro straps.
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Posted By: ohFFsake
Date Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 1:02am
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Ability to suspend time for several seconds for those days when you find yourself in the perfect position at the pin of crowded start, with 10 seconds still to go...
"Beam me up" would perhaps be a close second.
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Posted By: ohFFsake
Date Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 1:14am
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...joking apart, a large sweeping second hand.
Some of the best starts I've ever made have been as a helm using a cheap watch with actual hands. Don't need to set a thing, just glance down to see the position of the second hand when a gun goes and start when it is showing the same second. If you've never tried it, it's weird how natural it is to relate the speed of the second hand sweeping around to the speed of the boat approaching the line, and it also eradicates the need to do any mental interpretation of a number from a screen. So for me the perfect timer would be a large analogue clock face, perhaps on the back of the mast below the gooseneck where the helm can see it, with a remote reset that syncs it to 12 o'clock on any of the guns before the start.
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Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 8:07am
Especially applicable to a single-hander. Me to, I also use a proper watch with a large coloured sweep second hand, keep it simple. My starts are hampered more by my tactical errors than my time keeping. Even when helming my two man boat with my crew running our tact tick I still always glance at my wrist watch, very useful if for any reason any buttons get mis-pressed. BTW. Nobody has mentioned Tacttick so far, which classes are they not allowed in ? |
Posted By: getafix
Date Posted: 18 Dec 13 at 9:15am
| one that has the 5, 4, 1 go countdown then keeps timing, in the background, so you can press it each time your cross the line to get an average lap time, while being able to see if you're keeping, or breaking, your promises "I'll be back at 4" while you're at it - please |