In yacht racing, a strong start often determines the outcome of the race. To help sailors achieve the perfect start, SailPro’s Time to Distance (TTD) feature provides precise, real-time insights, ensuring you cross the start line at the optimal moment. Whether you’re racing high-performance foiling boats or small keelboats, TTD eliminates guesswork and gives you the confidence to execute a flawless start.
How SailPro’s Time to Distance Feature Works
SailPro’s Time to Distance (TTD) feature harnesses advanced GPS tracking and real-time calculations to accurately determine how early or late you’ll arrive at the start line. By analyzing key data points—your boat’s current speed, precise position relative to the start line, and the race countdown timer—TTD provides both audible and visual feedback to guide your approach. This dynamic feature ensures you have the confidence to time your acceleration perfectly, enabling you to cross the start line at full speed and with precision.
Staying Close to the Line
One of the most common mistakes in yacht racing is being too far from the start line before the race begins. Many sailors believe they are within a good distance, only to find themselves further back than expected when the start gun fires. This miscalculation often comes down to a lack of confidence in knowing:
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- The precise location of the line.
- How long it will take to get there.
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SailPro’s TTD feature solves this problem by providing real-time distance and timing updates. This ensures you remain close enough to the line without straying too far back, giving you a better chance of hitting the line at full speed when the race begins. With TTD, you’ll have the confidence to stay in the right position, reducing the risk of being late and missing critical opportunities.
Getting the Jump
In many classes of boats—such as J24s, 505s, and 420s—it’s nearly impossible to maintain a clean, uninterrupted run-up to the start line. Often, boats are idling with sails flapping and little to no boat speed. This leads to a phenomenon known as Start Line Sag, where boats in the middle of the line lag behind because they’re relying on the windward boats for positioning rather than knowing their exact distance to the line.
This happens for two main reasons:
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- Uncertainty about the start line’s exact location.
- Lack of confidence in how long it will take to get there.
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With SailPro’s TTD feature, you can overcome these challenges. By providing the exact location of the start line and calculating your arrival time, TTD ensures you can accelerate earlier and with confidence. This advantage allows you to avoid start line sag and secure a clean start, gaining clear air and a better position while others scramble to catch up.
How to Use TTD Feature.
Using TTD is very simple to use. Simply sail to the start line at a location you wish to start when there click the ‘TTD’ button. This stores that position to SailPro’s memory, then as you sail away from that point SailPro calculates your TTD. When you click the ‘Start’ button on the race timer SailPro will then begin to calculate whether you will be ‘Late’ or ‘Early’ based on your current position and distance from the TTD position saved earlier.
Why SailPro’s TTD Feature Matters
A strong start isn’t just about speed—it’s about timing, positioning, and confidence. SailPro’s TTD feature provides all the tools you need to:
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- Time your acceleration perfectly.
- Maintain an optimal distance from the start line.
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Avoid start line sag and secure clean air.
Whether you’re racing high-performance boats or small dinghies, SailPro’s TTD feature ensures you’re always in the right place at the right time. With this advanced tool, you’ll gain the confidence and precision needed to dominate the start of every race.
Download SailPro for free now and give the ‘Time To Distance‘ feature a try!
