Regatta Countdown Timer

How to use this app

Overview

The regatta countdown timer is primarily used for sailboat racing participants in a regatta, and is most useful in a race course with fixed marks. This application is designed for use in both the iPhone/iPad and Apple watch. The watch application will run independent of the phone, and will share data with the phone when the two devices are close to each other and both applications are running.

Application details may also be found in the App Store for this application.

Phone App

Main Screen

The main screen of the phone app has three main sections. At the top of the screen are the timer/countdown controls, which are important before the race begins. In the middle is a large map, showing the current location and the active mark (and/or start line if defined). The bottom (right in landscape mode) status section shows speed and various GPS-based information related to the current position and optionally an active mark. In addition, accuracy information is included so you can see how good the GPS "fix" is on the data being displayed. The status section also includes a layline view, which uses the currently active mark and the current Course over Ground (COG) to determine when to tack for a layline, using a standard 90-degree angle. The timing and status screens are also available on the watch application, but there is no map support. 

Entering/Editing Marks

Entering and editing Marks is only supported on the phone (using the Marks button or a long press on the map), due to the complexity in making the edits. The watch, however, supports setting the start line marks. All marks may be used by the watch application when racing. In addition, the Settings screen (top right gear) allows changes to the countdown timer duration, supports adjusting units preferences regionally, and gives additional information about the status of a paired watch and current GPS accuracy.

Before the race

Once configured/reset, the pre-race mode will be active. In this mode the countdown area displays the current phone time (as many race committees start at the top of the minute), and the GUN button (displaying the countdown duration) is ready for use when the committee boat begins the countdown. During the pre-race period, you can sail near to the committee boat and the pin (using the set pin and set committee buttons), and once both of these are set a start line will be active. When the Gun button is pressed, the countdown begins. If a start line is set, the status section will display information relative to the start line, such as distance and time. You can press the Sync button to "zero out" the seconds if needed when the committee boat announces additional signals at the top of the minute.

Race timer

After the countdown timer reaches zero, it will begin counting up - tracking elapsed time in the race. You can pause the count-up if you want to track your lap time, and resume will continue displaying the current elapsed time. To stop the counter and return to the pre-race configuration, press the Reset Timer button.

Using Marks

Once the race has started, you will want to begin using the Marks, located under the Marks button. Simply open the Marks screen and tap on the desired mark, then hit the Set Active Mark button. Once active the mark will be displayed on the map, and shown as bold on the Marks list. (The Active Mark can be also be cancelled on the Mark Details screen.) You can also select a New Mark at any time which allows you to set a mark at the current location, or to enter a mark with a specific set of coordinates.

Mark Stats

Once a mark is active, the status screen at the bottom will update additional information based on the active mark. This section contains various helpful information about your progress toward the active mark, including predicted Layline. 

Marks List

If you want to change or edit marks after creating them, use the Marks list. You can enable changing the ordering of the marks list, by using the Edit button at the top of the Marks list . This will allow you to re-arrange the order of the marks using a drag and drop approach, and also allow you to delete marks. You can also tap on any of the marks to view a Mark Details screen. This screen will give you the option to Edit the mark and adjust any of its details.

Watch App

After using the phone app, the watch app should look familiar. 

Countdown/Timer Screen

The Pre-race countdown/timer screen is the first screen available on the watch, and various operations are available as buttons by scrolling down on the the timer screen. 

Status Screen

The status section from the phone app is avaibale as the second screen on the watch, and this second screen also includes setting the active mark - scroll down to the bottom of the screen for the Set Mark button. You toggle between the screens on the watch app by swiping left or right. In addition, you can access some basic settings (set committee boat and pin, reset timer/start, settings) by scrolling down on the countdown screen and pressing the buttons at the bottom of that screen.

On the race course

Pre-countdown procedure is similar to the phone application. Once the race has started, swipe to the Marks Button to select a mark you would like active for the current leg of the race. The status screen will continue to update various status based on the active mark, and will also show a layline representation of where the mark is relative to the boat. Once the mark is 90 degrees from the current boat course, the layline display will turn green indicating a possible layline.

Advanced Information - Apple Watch

GPS Accuracy

The Apple Watch environment has several quirks that have been worked around in this application. The most significant is that the watch attempts to put the GPS function to sleep as much as possible to conserve battery life. As a result, the first display on the watch (speed and course) may not be the most accurate. The watch will display a +/- range until the GPS reaches an acceptable level of accuracy for use in a racing scenario. You may also encounter the +/- display when using the watch app indoors or wherever GPS data is weak or not easily available. In order to maximize battery life, the GPS does NOT run in the background.

Keeping App Active

You may need to tap or otherwise keep the display active for several seconds to let the watch warm up and lock in to higher GPS accuracy. It is recommended to adjust Watch Settings under General -> Return to Clock to NOT return to clock quickly, so a simple tap will re-display the app. You may also want to adjust the Wake Duration under Display & Brightness to the maximum value to give the app time to get a good GPS fix, and give you time to review/analyze the stats being shown before the watch returns to sleep.

Synchronizing Marks between phone and watch

The other major item to note on the watch is that the limited screen makes entering and editing marks almost impossible. For this reason, the phone application is where all changes to the marks are made. Once changes are made on the phone, the phone app will attempt to sync the marks to the watch. This requires the watch to be in range of the phone, and requires the watch app to be actively running. 

Phone Sync Status

The sync status is indicated by showing a green watch icon on the map screen of the phone application. A yellow or red watch icon indicates sync is not currently available. When connected, the watch and phone should stay in sync with respect to the countdown, and various preferences and marks. Note that some data is synchronized "in the background", so when the watch is next connected to the phone, some data will get updated.

Forcing Data Sync

There are two ways to get Mark updates to the watch when using the watch. From the watch status screen you can use the Marks button, scroll to the bottom, and tap the Phone Sync button. From the Timer/Countdown screen, you can use the settings option, scroll to the bottom, and tap the Sync from Phone button. Your phone will need to be nearby for these to work.

View in the App Store

• Regatta Countdown (Mobile Apps Support)

Additional Documentation

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