Before Velocitek popularized the technology in 2007, you needed a $20,000 laptop-based system to get accurate distance-to-line measurements.
Now we bring you the ProStart, which is specifically designed, from the ground up, to give you the easiest, most accurate distance to line measurements ever.
Setting the line is as simple as telling your crew to press the boat button as you sail by the RC and then the pin button as you sail by the pin.
Once you’ve pinged both ends of the line, the ProStart uses the latest WAAS-augmented GPS technology to spit out an accurate distance to line measurement every half-second.
A user interface that works
We started out by carefully observing how pro sailors use GPS instruments. We kept all the features that the pros were actually using and eliminated everything else. Then we spent 16 months testing and agonizing over every little detail of the ProStart user experience.
After all that, you won’t notice anything too unusual about the ProStart and that’s the whole point. It just works.
A countdown you can count on
Start signals have a way of going off at the least convenient times. With the ProStart, when you hear or see any type of start signal it’s the always the same drill: just hit the GUN button. If the timer isn’t running, it will start. If the timer is running it will sync.
Synced to the wrong signal? No problem; the ProStart lets you independently adjust the number of minutes on the timer while the seconds keep on rolling.
Speed & Heading
Focus on the fundamentals
Ten seconds after your start, the ProStart automatically switches to showing your GPS speed (SOG) and heading (COG). The accuracy and responsiveness of the speed measurements make the ProStart an unparalleled tool for optimizing your boatspeed.
Since SOG and COG describe your course over the bottom (where the marks are anchored) the ProStart is also an extremely powerful tool for determining the influence of current on your performance. When you cross a tideline, the numbers on the ProStart jump and you can instantly see how favorable the new current is.
Automatic shift tracking
Spot trends at a glance
The ProStart’s shift tracker locks on to the mean heading for your tack and then shows deviations from that heading with an easy-to-read bar graph.
If you tack or jibe again, the shift tracker detects this, resets the bar graph and locks on to your new tack.
All this happens 100% automatically; you don’t need to press any buttons to make it happen. The ProStart constantly crunches the numbers for you in the background so that, whenever you happen to glance at the instrument, you can see how far you’re up or down.
Flashback to glory
We couldn’t find a single sailor, be it an Opti kid or seasoned pro who doesn’t get a kick out of seeing how fast they went.
With the ProStart you can recall your session’s absolute maximum and best 10 second average speeds with the click of a single clearly-marked button.
GPS Data Logging
In addition to providing you real-time, on-the-water data, the ProStart constantly records your speed, heading and position to keep a running log of your most recent 30 hours of sailing. Once you get back to shore you can download this data to your Mac or PC and create race replay animations.
Race Mode: Displays heading, speed and wind shift indicator, updated every 500ms. Each wind shift indicator bar graph segment represents 2.5° of deviation from the initial mean tack angle.
Start Mode: Displays timer, distance-to-line and distance-to-line bar graph, updated every 500ms. Each distance-to-line bar graph segment represents 10m.
Data Logger: Lat, Long, Time, Speed, and Heading recorded at 0.5 Hz (once every two seconds), 30 hour capacity. Data download is compatible with Mac OS X 10.6 and Windows
Batteries: 3 x AA 20+ hour endurance, rechargeable or disposable
Dimensions: 120mm x 175mm x 40mm / 4.72” x 6.89” x 1.57”
Weight Including Batteries: 448g / 0.99lb
Bracket Compatibility: Velocitek ProStart Mast Bracket or any Tacktick Micro Compass bracket.
GPS Chipset: u-blox LEA-5M
Warranty: 1 year
INCLUDED WITH EACH PROSTART
Velocitek ProStart
Mounting cradle
(compatible with ProStart Mast Bracket or any Tacktick Micro Compass bracket)
USB cable
Two Velocitek stickers
Top button label stickers
Quick Start Guide
Nylon storage sleeve
Free UPS ground shipping
Line Honors T-Shirt or Line Honors Belt
Start-specific user interface.
Our number one goal in designing the ProStart was to make sure that the product would never undermine your crew’s performance with unnecessary distractions during the pre-start. The front surface of the ProStart is reserved for the three most important start-related buttons: the pin , boat and gun buttons. The large size of these buttons makes them easy to press, even with gloved hands and easy to find in the midst of chaos.
Easy on the eyes.
The ProStart’s sunlight-readable high-contrast LCD screen features 30mm (1.2”) tall digits in a font that’s optimized for readability. This makes the instrument easy to read with a quick glance and helps you keep your attention focused outside the boat.
Tactile Feedback
The ergonomic design of the ProStart makes it's large buttons easy to press with one hand even when your boat is pitching around. The spring-loaded mechanical buttons also provide positive tactile feedback. This lets you know that you’ve successfully pinged a mark without having to look at the ProStart’s screen.
Mount the ProStart anywhere.
Each ProStart comes packaged with a mounting cradle that can be bolted to the ProStart Mast Mounting Bracket or directly to a bulkhead. The cradle is also compatible with any bracket designed for the venerable Tacktick Micro Compass.
Waterproof.
The ProStart has been tested to IPX-8, the most rigorous industrial water-resistance standard. This means that you can count on the ProStart to survive wipeout after epic wipeout.
Second Line of Defense
We do not recommend opening up the ProStart’s battery compartment on the water. On the other hand, we understand that you're unlikely to follow this recommendation so we covered the ProStart’s USB connector with a silicone plug and sealed the batery terminals with epoxy; a few stray water droplets won't ruin your day.
Snap and swap.
The ProStart’s sealed battery compartment can be opened without tools This allows you to swap in a fresh set of standard rechargeable or disposable AA cells in mere seconds.