Innovative Race Management Software Debuts at Melges 15 Nationals in Howth, Ireland

14th August 2024

Locals Mike and Sarah Evans training for the Melges 15 National Championships at Howth Yacht Club Credit: Neuza Aires Pereira

Race Officer Richard Kissane and the team are getting ready for a new challenge as they prepare for the upcoming Melges 15 nationals in Howth on August 24th and 25th.

The championships will see the Irish debut of RaceSense, a new innovative digital way to run racing. New technology solving old problems.

Race Sense race management software debuts in Ireland at the Melges 15 Nationals in Howth

Every boat will be fitted with a Vakaros Atlas unit, a GPS device already popular in the class that displays headings, speeds, timing, and trims. Built into every unit is RaceSense, an operating system for racing. With the committee boat and marks also fitted with a device and GPS accuracy to the cm, the PRO can run race organisation from a tablet.

A Race Officer can run race organisation from a tablet using the Race Sense race management software, according to promoters

Timing is synced up from the committee boat, OCS detection is automatic and displayed on each boat, and General recalls are a thing of the past! Competitors are notified milliseconds after the start if they're over or not and when they have dipped the start to clear themselves, so it's easier than ever to restart and get racing.

HYCs Cormac and Fiachra farrelly training for the nationals.jpg Howth's Cormac and Fiachra Farrelly training for the nationals Photo: Neuza Aires Pereira

With finish positions recorded and future upgrades to include mark zones and boundaries, the Irish class is excited for a taste of America's Cup-style technology to enhance their racing—not to mention the opportunity to brag about who was the 'Top Gun' recording the quickest speed of the day!

Published in Melges 15, Howth YC

Published in Melges 15

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Melges 15

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About the Melges 15 Dinghy

The Melges 15 was designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges.

The design prioritises stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance.

The Melges 15 is built to be sailed by everyone from friends and couples to families and kids. The design offers performance, comfort, and stability in one sleek package.

The Melges 15’s stable hull shape and ergonomic cockpit make it a suitable layout for adult racing and educational sailing. Easy conversion from a club configuration (non-spinnaker) to a one-design setup, provides more versatility to club programs and options for individual owners.

“The Melges 15 creates a clear pathway for junior sailors to get started and stay excited about sailing while also being comfortable and accessible enough for adults to learn, race, or cross-train,” according to Harry Melges III.

With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in various conditions, the boat features a narrow overall beam and a flat cross-section shape for stability, righting moment, and ease of planing. For a more forgiving feel upwind and to navigate larger sea states, the Melges 15 has just the right amount of fore and aft rocker.

Melges conducted extensive research and product testing to produce this layout factoring in cockpit depth, backbone height, and floor plan. The result, they say, is a comfortable environment for both the skipper and crew. The deeper cockpit takes the load off the sailor’s knees helping them feel locked into the boat while the high boom and gnav vang system work together to make the boat easier to manoeuvre.

The asymmetric spinnaker offers an additional performance element, while the single-pull launch and retrieval system makes handling the sail easy and fast.