apps.AppDB

Everybody knows that catching the start is essential in sailing. Finally there is a great Sailing Watch available for the iPhone and it works great with the Apple Watch.

This app provides a timer with unique features and unparalleled ease of use for sail racing. When you hear or see a race signal just press Gun! - You can adjust if it is a 5, 4 or 1 minute warning afterwards! And if it was just a loud noise from a flapping sail and not a race signal you can easily jump back to the previous timer.

It defaults to the standard ISAF 5,4,1,0 sequence but it can handle arbitrary countdown from 10 minutes down to 0

Now you can focus on other things like wind (directly in the app - simply configure your own favourite weather on the config page) and other boats potentially giving you yet another edge!

You can enable GPS and get Speed over Ground (SOG) and Course over Ground (COG) presented next to the timer to help you keep track of wind and speed in the seconds before and after start. The Wind page shows a graph of COG and SOG which can help you track wind shifts.

The app also provides convenient direct access to your configurable weather page.

It is designed to work on iPhone with or without Apple Watch and a lot of people seem to be using it with iPads as well.

TIP: On the Watch it is recommended that you (at least temporarily) activate Resume to Last Used App so that you just have to raise your wrist to get the time left:
Settings->General->Activate on Wrist Raise->Resume to: Last Used App
(Or you can use the Glance to view and tap it to open the app)

You are welcome to see the Watch preview here: http://racemaster.olrog.se/RaceMasterR3.mp4

The iPhone application also contains a convenient reference to starting signals and customisable local weather information.

Summary of Features:
* Simply the best countdown timer ever if you ask us :)
* Current Course and Speed Over Ground based on GPS
* GPS based distance to line (still being tuned but works - within limits of GPS accuracy)
* History plot of Course and Speed Over Ground that allow you to track wind shifts
* Man Over Board function - it shows time, distance and compass bearing to the location the button was pressed
* Embedded browser for convenient access to your favourite weather
* ISAF Race Signals reference - to help settle what that strange flag shown on the race committee means before the race starts...


NOTE: WatchOS2 offers BIG improvements in what is possible but as with the original WatchOS there is a limitation on sounds and haptic from the Watch - currently a notification is sent to the watch and the iPhone application speaks out loud and vibrates at 4min, 1min, 30 seconds, 10 seconds and "Start! Start! Start!" (a phrase which you can now customise). If you have sound problems check your mute button and volume, you can also test sound on the settings page.


DISCLAIMER: If you enable the GPS feature the app runs in the background for a limited time before it disables GPS.

"Continued use of GPS running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life."