Sailboat racing has always been a game of accuracy, positioning, and—let’s be honest—sometimes a bit of gamesmanship. Nowhere is this more evident than in the starting sequence. As competitors and as race committee (RC) members, we’ve seen firsthand how starting-line tactics can shape a race and how new see-all starting technology, like the Velocitek RTK Puck, is changing the game entirely.
The Old Way: Playing the Exposure Game
I’ve been lucky enough to race with some really great teams in the J/70 class, primarily as a bowman. One of my responsibilities during the start was to determine whether our boat was “exposed” or “covered.” If we were exposed, it meant the signal boat could see our bow, and we had to be more conservative in our final approach. If we were covered—hidden behind another boat—we could be more aggressive. It wasn’t just us playing this game; every team did it.
This kind of tactical maneuvering is exhilarating as a competitor, but from an RC perspective, it makes calling the line incredibly difficult. Boats hidden behind others can jump out at the last moment, making it extremely challenging for the RC to call the line.
The New Way: Everyone Is Seen
Enter see-all starting technology like Velocitek RTK Puck. With the Puck’s RTK GPS, providing 1.8 cm positional accuracy, race committees now have a bird’s-eye view of the line and every boat’s exact position. The bowman’s old job of calling “exposed” or “covered” is eliminated because now, everyone is seen. Another job lost to automation… But good riddance. The new way is better for the sport of sailing.
I remember a particular start where we popped out from under another boat at the last second to win the pin. We had a great start, while the boat above us was called OCS. As we sailed away cleanly, I could hear their bowman yelling, “What about them!?” With RTK Pucks on board, that kind of frustration disappears—there’s no ambiguity. The system sees all, with 1.8 cm accuracy, making line calls indisputable. Accuracy matters.
A Game-Changer for Race Committees
After three years of developing automated starting systems, we’ve spent a lot of time embedded with race committees. One thing has become clear: when competitors know that the RC knows exactly where they are, the game changes. The old exposure tactics vanish because there’s no hiding. The result? Fairer, cleaner starts and fewer general recalls.
At the Resolute Cup, this pattern became evident. Initially, the fleet approached the line bow-even, pushing aggressively. In one attempted jailbreak, we called 11 out of 21 boats OCS using RTK data—without a general recall. After that, behaviors changed. Instead of crowding the line, the fleet took a step back. And in the final seconds of the sequence, every boat turned down away from the line, built speed, and turned up at the gun. The result? Closer starts, tighter first beats, and intense mark roundings. (Apologies to the umpire team—we know we made your job harder.)
The Future of Starting Lines
See-all starting technology doesn’t just make racing fairer—it raises the level of competition. With everyone visible and accountable, starts become more disciplined, and races get tighter. The days of hiding behind other boats for a tactical edge are over. Now, the focus shifts forward: acceleration at the gun, managing your hole to leeward, and holding your lane—all skills that demand precision and execution. Accuracy matters.
As the RTK Puck becomes more widely adopted, it will redefine what it means to start a race. No more blind spots. No more questionable calls. Just fast, fair, and fiercely competitive sailing.