According to Interprokom president Leonid Altukhov, broadcasting a regatta using software from the German company SAP costs about $105,000 per race, whereas it would only cost from 1,000-4,000 euros ($1,060-4,240) using Interprokom’s software.
ReutersRussian software developer Interprokom has released a system that allows real-time tracking of sailing vessels movement equipped with the GPS and Glonass navigation systems. Named Regataskop, the program generates a route in 3D, taking into account wind direction and strength, stream and other water area factors.
Total investment in the project has reached $185,000, and the new system also includes the development of a Regatoskop mobile application, with a potential audience of about 200,000 users, according to the company’s estimates.
Using the free application spectators will be able to follow race participants’ trajectory and course, which takes place far from shore. In addition, the system will help sailing coaches in developing strategy, developers say.
However, according to Alex Denisiuc, a single-handed sailing coach from Moldova who helped competitors prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, there are already a lot of similar apps available in Europe, and for everyday coaching analysis a simple video recording on a smartphone is perfectly convenient.
Developers hope that the low cost of the system will allow them to occupy part of the European market for regatta tracking systems. Regatoskop involves the installation of boat sensor trackers, which cost from $21 to $210 each.
According to Interprokom president Leonid Altukhov, broadcasting a regatta using software from the German company SAP costs about $105,000 per race, whereas it would only cost from 1,000-4,000 euros ($1,060-4,240) using Interprokom’s software.
According to Mikhail Savelyov, organizer of the Volvo Russian Sailing Week amateur regatta, all major regattas use the Yellowbrick tracker, which costs about $530. Other market players include TracTrac, Virtual Eye and BeTomorrow.
According to Alexander Yakovlev, head of the Russian Yachting Center, the price of Regataskop is very low, given that the use of such a system usually involves the presence of technical staff during the race. According to the distributor’s estimates, potential sales will total $1 million over the next two-three years.
According to the All-Russian Sailing Federation, only 20,000 people in Russia are involved in sailing, whereas in European countries that are traditionally strong in yachting, such as France, Spain, Germany and Great Britain, this figure ranges from 40,000 to 100,000.
The Regatoskop system may help in promoting professional yachting regattas in Russia and will be interesting for sports events with major sponsors, said Savelyov.
Five years ago Savelyov launched a yacht racing computer game for mobile devices. "Since that time only 40-50,000 have people signed up, of which about 2,000 are from Russia,” he said. In his opinion, offering a free trial version of Regataskop for the first three years would be an effective way to attract an amateur audience.
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