Yacht race tracking with the phones on board.
For coastal and distance races within mobile coverage: every boat on the chart, ranked by distance to the finish along the course, projected corrected positions and a live page the families open in any browser.
Round-the-island races, coastal passages and overnight distance races close to the shore.
Distance race, fixed.
What the race office gets.
Ranked by distance to finish
Measured along the course through the remaining marks, not by speed. Gaps are shown in time.
Corrected, projected
ORC/IRC time-on-time or a time correction factor, marked as a projection until each boat finishes.
Offline buffer
Positions recorded without mobile signal are stored on the phone and uploaded when the signal returns.
A live page for families
Map, leaderboard and finishes in any browser — no app, no login. You choose live or 15 minutes delayed.
Retired and ashore
Boats that retire stay on the map until they are ashore; the race closes when every crew is in.
SOS and the nearest boats
The skipper’s phone guides the call to the right rescue centre; the race office sees the SOS and the three nearest boats.
Your race on VesselSOS, step by step.
- 01 · YOU
Draw the course
Start, the marks or islands to round, and the finish. The course length is shown as you go.
- 02 · YOU
Share the code
Skippers join in the VesselSOS app and can add a crew backup phone.
- 03 · SKIPPERS
Race with the phone on board
Mounted, powered and with the app open in race mode.
- 04 · YOU
Follow them home
Distance to finish, projected corrected positions and finishes — until every crew is ashore.
Every crew back ashore.
Joining is checking out
Name, boat, persons on board and an ashore contact come with the skipper’s profile — no sign-out sheet.
A tally until 12 / 12
On the water, finished, retired, ashore. Ashore is marked at the harbour; the race closes when everyone is in.
SOS, with the call guided
SOS on the competitor’s phone guides the call to the right rescue centre and alerts the race office the same second, with position.
The 3 nearest boats
One tap asks the three nearest boats to help (RRS 1.1). The time they spend assisting is logged.
VesselSOS is not a rescue service and never alerts a rescue centre for anyone. It does not replace safety boats, VHF or your club’s safety plan. Write your race-day safety plan →
Honest limits.
- Phones send positions only with mobile coverage. Out of coverage, positions are buffered and uploaded later, so the map shows the last known position until then.
- For offshore races beyond coverage, satellite trackers (for example YB Tracking) are the right tool — and your notice of race or offshore special regulations may require them.
- Tracking for many hours needs power: plan charging on board and add a crew backup phone.
- Replay and the lock-screen view are not in the pilot.
Free tools for this race.
In your browser, no account. Downloads ask for an email; the tools never do.
Questions
What happens when a boat is out of mobile coverage?
The phone keeps recording its positions and uploads them when the signal returns. Until then the race office and the live page show the boat’s last known position and how long ago it was. That is why VesselSOS Racing is for coastal and distance races mostly within coverage.
Can we use it for an offshore race?
Only if the boats stay within mobile coverage most of the time. Beyond coverage use satellite trackers, as many offshore notices of race require. VesselSOS Racing can still run the start, the check-in tally and the results.
Do competitors need a new app?
No. Race mode lives inside the free VesselSOS app, under Profile → Races; home stays the same. Race mode arrives in an app update for the 2027 pilot season — VesselSOS is on iPhone today, Android later. Organisers and spectators use the web.
What happens when someone sends SOS?
SOS works exactly as in the app today: the SOS screen guides the skipper to call the right rescue centre for those waters, with the position ready to read out. In a race it also alerts the race office the same second, and the race office can ask the 3 nearest boats to help (RRS 1.1). VesselSOS does not call or alert the rescue centre for anyone.
Who sees the competitors’ phone numbers?
Only the race office, for safety. The public live page shows boats, positions and results — never phone numbers or contacts. Contact details are deleted 30 days after the race.
What does it cost?
It is free for competitors, always. We are onboarding a small group of clubs as pilots for the 2027 season and agree the terms with each club — no prices yet.
Other races on VesselSOS Racing
Run the whole race on one screen.
VesselSOS Racing is the race-office web app we're building with pilot clubs: draw the course, share a 6-digit code, see every boat live with line and corrected positions — and every crew back ashore. Skippers join in the free VesselSOS app they already carry.