How Technology Has Changed Starts Forever — with Todd Wilson

How Technology Has Changed Starts Forever — with Todd Wilson

From Sailfaster: The Podcast For Racing Sailors by Pete Boland

May 20, 2026 · 28 min · Season 2 · Episode 65

About this episode

This episode discusses how GPS-based starting systems are transforming sailboat racing with insights from Todd Wilson of Vakaros.

GPS-based starting systems are changing sailboat racing — whether sailors like it or not. In this episode, Pete Boland talks to Todd Wilson, co-founder of Vakaros, about how RaceSense and modern GPS technology are transforming starts, protests, race management, and training. (Note this is NOT a sponsored episode!) Todd explains why even elite sailors struggle to ping a line accurately, how RaceSense works, why starts are becoming tighter and more aggressive, how Olympic, J/70, and TP52 fleets are adapting.. and why he was “happy to lose a protest” using his own system’s data It’s a fascinating look at the technology reshaping competitive sailing — from club racing to the Olympic level.

People in this episode

Host: Pete Boland

Guest: Todd Wilson

Topics covered

  • sailboat racing
  • GPS technology
  • race management
  • training
  • protests
  • competitive sailing

Keywords

  • sailboat racing
  • GPS
  • RaceSense
  • Todd Wilson
  • protests
  • training
  • Olympic sailing
  • J/70
  • TP52

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vakaros

Products: RaceSense, J/70, TP52

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