The SCIRA Technical Committee has just allowed the Vakaros Race Sense at the Bacardi Invitational Regatta, which starts today in Miami, FL, USA.

Permission is granted as a TEST depending on the future development of the Class Rules

There are two conditions to follow:

1. The device must be available to all competitors
2. authorised functions will be:

• heading
• OCS Y/N at the start
• timer and chrono

At the end of the event the National Secretary will submit a survey to competitors on the outcome of the test which will be forwarded to the Class’Board.

Attached the document from the Technical Committee, posted on the regatta’s Official Notice Board

It is clear that this is a test and a special permission for the change of a Class rule.

In general, according to C.5.1 (Portable equipment) the only electronic devices allowed are: electronic timing devices and multi function electronic compasses with steering and time function only. Watches such as Garmin or Suunto (with GPS functions) are not allowed. And of course also very advanced electronic devices like Velocitek, Vakaros, Sailmon, Novasail.

The Bacardi Invitational N.o.R. states:

At the end, the organizers correctly asked for a permission to change a rule, as required by RRS 87.

And the Class association (i.e. Technical Committee) wrote the permission for the change, now posted on the official notice board.

Once the regatta is over, it will be interesting to hear from the sailors and the Race Committee how these devices worked (purchase or rental price, ease of use, size, weight, real advantages in the race for competitors and the Race Committee, number of OCSs, any complaints or malfunctions, etc.).