Windsurfing.TV - GPS, watches, speed sailing podcast

Ben and I have been meaning to talk about GPS, watches and speedsailing for months, but we finally got around to it yesterday.

I can think of several topics that didn't come up during the course of the conversation (and some things that I didn't quite finish), but I feel like we covered quite a lot. The interest in speed seems to be alive and well right now!

I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of the podcast.

Thank you, that was a well presented and very informative podcast. Cheers Luke

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K888 said..
Ben and I have been meaning to talk about GPS, watches and speedsailing for months, but we finally got around to it yesterday.

I can think of several topics that didn't come up during the course of the conversation (and some things that I didn't quite finish), but I feel like we covered quite a lot. The interest in speed seems to be alive and well right now!

I'd be interested in hearing what you thought of the podcast.

Sent a Pm. Might be worth getting Ben to have a chat to a few Aussies that were instrumental in getting us to where we are now.

Great post, this will give us some good insights behind the technology!

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mathew said..
Manfred Fuchs would be the ultimate speedurfing interview .... he basically invented the tech we use for video-timing, gps usage, initial software algorithms, and about a dozen other things.

Yes, Manfred was, and still is a pioneering giant in the technology and analysis of speed sailing.

Credit must go to Martin Van Muers and Rodger Van Tongren for the initial recognition that GPS could be used for a speed sailing competitions and rankings, and the rest of the original crew at GPS-Speedsurfing for making the website happen.

After Kean Rogers (Roo) bought the GT11 to our attention, Tom Chalko was instrumental in getting the GT11 and especially the GT31 adapted by Locosys for much more accurate speed sailing measurement (using Doppler data), including inventing, and getting implemented the "Speed Genie' for instant feedback results during the sessions. He also did some ground breaking research on consumer GPS accuracy and published his findings.

Malcolm Wright wrote one of, if not the first, computer analysis programs, specifically for speed sailing - RealSpeed - Initially to do multi-analysis for the 2004 Sandy Point SpeedWeek competition, (organised and run by Mal and Ian Fox) and then for individual use. He also invented the 'Alpha' division/competition which quickly became very popular. :-)

Yan Mathet also adapted his GPS Action Replay (GPSAR) to our speed sailing requirements at about the same time.

Joseph Presti (Hardy) came up with the wonderful concept of the GPS-teamchallenge a couple of years later and implemented it in partnership with Ben Hitchcock (Nebbian) who wrote the website.

There have been many others during that time, and since who have made very valuable contributions which have got us to where we are today.

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sailquik said..

Thanks for posting that, super cool to hear more of the story how things got started. It just gets more and more interesting..