SMS Phone messages on race start lines, now this is really pfreaky!!

by Cowes Event Media on 31 Jul 2002 Entrants in this year's Skandia Life Cowes Week are taking part in a new technology experiment that may eventually change the way in which course instructions are provided to competitors. Traditionally, the course to be sailed is signaled to each class ten minutes before the start using a combination of course boards and, more recently, VHF radio.

This year however regatta organisers, Cowes Combined Clubs Ltd (CCC Ltd) will be transmitting course information to registered boats using SMS text messages to their mobile phones.

The new messaging system is an extension of the current technology used by race officers to assist in the difficult
task of setting courses for some 30 classes each day. Each course is first worked out manually by race officers on
charts with string and pins and then entered into a course setting computer. The computer makes sure there are no
clashes with other classes and calculates mark rounding and finish times. Ten minutes before each start, the course
and a list of target phone numbers for the class in question are sent to a central SMS processing centre where
individual messages are then sent to each phone on the list - hopefully within 30-40 seconds of the request from
Cowes. The system will also allow CCC to send other messages - for example, safety warnings or administrative
information - either to individual boats, classes or to the whole fleet.
Of course, this year it's just an experiment and the CCC are quick to point out that the traditional methods of course
communication (VHF radio and course boards) will remain the primary data source. However, the CCC are keen to
get as much feedback on the system as possible. If it's found to be successful, popular and robust throughout the
week, it's quite possible that electronic course communication could become the norm at Cowes.