# race watch / start timer



## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

I've been looking for a new watch with a countdown timer. I've found a couple made by Ronstan and Optimum. Any opinions on these or suggestions for better ones?

TIA
Lew


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## Ilenart (Jul 23, 2007)

Use to have a $600 watch with a countdown time, Citizen from memory. Last 5 years have been using a app on my iphone. Latest one is iregatta, $16. Works well.

iRegatta | Zifigo

I have a lot of Ronstan products on my boat (ie blocks). They are a quality product, so assume their watch would be fine.

Ilenart


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## Stumble (Feb 2, 2012)

The best right now imho is an Apple Watch w/GPS and an app called YoNav. It does all the count down stuff as well, but also can display GPS data without needing a separate antenna.


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## cb32863 (Oct 5, 2009)

I have the Ronstan, https://www.ceshowroom.com/ProductD...4963&click=2&gclid=CL6BtKfei8sCFQ2QaQodpjUJgw. Keep an eye on the pricing as it can change a lot, to the less expensive.


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## svHyLyte (Nov 13, 2008)

While we don't race any longer, when we did so we found the Ronstan Clear Start to be an excellent race start/timer. (We still use ours for timing passage legs.) The current version of the Clear Start seems very economical given its capabilities.

FWIW....


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## jeremiahbltz2 (Mar 30, 2017)

I have a Ronstan Clear Start, it's pretty nice. However, any watch with a countdown timer is fine. I rarely have had to use the sync feature.


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## gamayun (Aug 20, 2009)

When I was racing Cal20s with my yacht club, we'd use egg timers. As posted above, anything that shows you the countdown time would work. I had the Ronstan watch for a while, but it is big and clunky, and not actually very intuitive, for some reason. The instruction info was printed in the tiniest text possible (like 5 size font perhaps) so not very helpful when trying to figure out during a start sequence how to get the blasted thing into countdown mode. Maybe it was just me....


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

No point in spending megabucks for a countdown timer. The expensive ones won't give you better starts than the cheap ones. We have a timer on our Tacktick display that works just fine, or I get a cheap waterproof Timex Ironman watch ($40?) at a local department store.


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## JoCoSailor (Dec 7, 2015)

Thanks for all the feedback. I should have posted a couple more details. I have a "cheap" watch now that counts down fine. The things I don't like about it. Are the small buttons and screen. Also, after the start. It continues to countdown from 60 minutes. I'd like to start counting up from zero.

The smart watches are intriguing. While checking them out. I see RaceQ now has a phone app RaceQS
Has anyone tried it?

Lew


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## jeremiahbltz2 (Mar 30, 2017)

Looks like the RaceQS watch app is illegal in some classes (e.g. J/24).


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## gamayun (Aug 20, 2009)

I often use RaceQs. It's nice to see your tracks afterwards and compare them with others, if they have also uploaded their tracks. I'm not aware that there's an app for it that allows you to see other boats in your division in real time or that it has a countdown timer, but maybe I have an older version.


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## siberian_ (Oct 27, 2017)

Freestyle Mariner...large display, looks great, very comfortable and the beeps are loud enough.
($60)


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## Lockjaw (Sep 21, 2016)

While there is no need to pay >$20,000 for a fancy Rolex "regatta chronograph", I do believe it is worth spending between $60-200 for a decent quartz starting watch. Such a specialized watch will perform better than a Timex Ironman or Casio G-Shock, which are great knock-around watches but not designed for race start timing.



JoCoSailor said:


> I have a "cheap" watch now that counts down fine. The things I don't like about it. Are the small buttons and screen. Also, after the start. It continues to countdown from 60 minutes. I'd like to start counting up from zero.


Gill and Ronstan both have sailing watches that can meet your needs. Another option is Optimum Time (same as Ronstan, without the branding).

FWIW, the watch I use is the OS 14R, which has large buttons and screen and is very intuitive to operate. It also has a vibrating timer function, which is helpful when you are multi-tasking (when does that ever happen at a start?!). IIRC, I paid about $140: which is an insignificant expense if you're at all serious about your racing.


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## siberian_ (Oct 27, 2017)

Regardless of what timing device you opt for, on a multi-crew boat, that's a task I prefer to delegate and have that person call the time. As skipper, i like keeping my head up all the time during the pre-start maneuvering and not have to worry about broadcasting numbers to the crew at appropriate intervals.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Lew-
I know you said "watch". But when I was looking at them years ago, I finally went "kitchen timer". For ten or fifteen bucks, you can now get one that has TWO timers. Set both for the countdown and just start the first one. It will normally count UP again after the start, almost all of them do. (Some are limited to one hour, others longer.)
If the RC postpones...no problem, you just switch to the second timer when and as needed. Even on racing watches or apps, you may find you need to get distracted with a postponement and resetting otherwise.

Advantage to the kitchen timer, it velcros on the bulkhead and everyone can see it, in big numbers. And just needs a handy AA cell to work for two years. All for $10-15.

Disadvantage to a lot of fancy watches, is that they also need $200+ servicing at two or three year intervals, to maintain waterproofing and timekeeping. The kitchen timer is a good way to take your time and shop around, and still be able to time things.


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## Lockjaw (Sep 21, 2016)

The kitchen timer suggestion is worth considering. Not every piece of gear used in sailing has to be specifically designed for it. Even if you try it and don't like it, you're only out $15.



hellosailor said:


> Disadvantage to a lot of fancy watches, is that they also need $200+ servicing at two or three year intervals, to maintain waterproofing and timekeeping.


While this is certainly true of mechanical watches, it is not the case for contemporary quartz race-start watches from Optimum Time, Ronstan or Gill.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Oddly enough, quartz watches aren't always cheap to maintain. Those three companies are just resellers--not watch companies--so I have no idea who does "authorized service" for them, or how simple that may be. With some quartz watches, any flea market can pop the back and replace a battery for ten bucks. Or you can DIY with a 4-for-$1 battery.

With others, you need a watch press to replace the back, not just strong hands. And, it will still cost you $100-150 to replace the gaskets (crown, crystal, stem) in order to maintain the water resistant status, which they actually test as part of the servicing.

With a $25 digital, I have no problem with replacing the battery on my own and not worrying about gaskets. With a $300 watch...on the one hand I don't want to flood it (been there done that) but then again, 40% more every third year starts to irk me. I know a hundred bucks is just lunch money these days, but I used to get lunch for just one dollar.(G)

Citizen and Seiko both make solar/kinetic powered watches that in theory won't need a battery or capacitor for 20+ years. But they both still suggest regular servicing. IIRC that's about $75 from one versus $150 from the other--for essentially the same job, changing the gaskets and cleaning the "movement".

Funny how that goes.


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