Your iPhone is a race instrument

Flying Start turns your iPhone and Apple Watch into a precision start line tool. GPS distance-to-line, time-to-line, OCS alerts, and synchronised crew haptics — no $1,400 hardware required.

Download Free See Features
The upgrade

Why sailors switch

Before
ProStart / Vakaros Atlas ($1,200 – $1,400)
Now
Flying Start — $19.99/yr or free core features
Before
Basic countdown apps (timer only, no GPS)
Now
GPS intelligence: DTL, TTL, VMG, OCS alerts
Before
Shouting at the helm (no crew coordination)
Now
Crew Sync: every wrist buzzes at the same millisecond
Before
Guessing the line (instinct only)
Now
Early/Late indicator tells you exactly when to pull the trigger
Precision data

Start line intelligence

Six data points that replace guesswork with certainty. Every number is computed from live GPS, updated every second.

Time to Line (TTL)

At your current speed and heading, how many seconds until you cross? The number that wins races.

TTL 00:47

Distance to Line

Real-time GPS distance to the start line in metres. Set your PIN and RC marks, and the geometry does the rest.

DTL 82m

Early/Late Indicator

Bold, colour-coded: RED = you're early (OCS danger), GREEN = you're late (safe). No mental arithmetic.

LATE +3s

OCS Alert

Crossed the line early? Full-screen red flash, alarm, and wrist haptic. Unmissable — even in a 25-knot start.

OCS!

VMG to Line

Your closing speed perpendicular to the line. Green = closing, Red = opening. Combined with TTL, this is your approach plan.

VMG 4.2 kn

Bow Offset

Compensate for iPhone position (pocket, not bow). Eliminates 3+ seconds of error on final approach.

OFFSET 12m
Crew coordination

Every crew member, in sync

One person hosts, everyone joins. Bluetooth mesh networking keeps the whole crew locked to the same countdown — no internet required.

  • One person hosts, everyone joins — Bluetooth, no internet needed
  • Up to 8 devices, Apple Watch included
  • Synchronised haptic countdown on every wrist (plus or minus 10ms accuracy)
  • Auto-reconnect with instant catch-up if signal drops
  • Free to join, premium to host — every crew member gets the full experience
04:59
Synchronised across all devices
iPhone (host) Watch (helm) Watch (tactician) Watch (bow)
On your wrist

Apple Watch — your wrist is a race instrument

Purpose-built for sailing. Glanceable data, haptic signals, and full standalone operation when your iPhone is below deck.

Standalone + Tethered

Works independently when iPhone is out of range. Seamless handoff, no data loss.

Haptic Choreography

Different haptic patterns for warning, preparatory, 1-minute, start gun, OCS. Feel the race without looking.

Digital Crown

Scroll through DTL, TTL, COG, SOG on your wrist. Each click gives haptic feedback.

Simple pricing

What's free, what's premium

The basic race timer is free. Premium unlocks every race type, start line intelligence, and the full Apple Watch experience.

Free

$0
  • Race countdown (5-4-1-Go only)
  • COG, SOG
  • GPS recording
  • Night Mode
  • Crew Sync (join)
  • Signal reference

Premium

$19.99 / year
  • Everything in Free
  • Race countdown (all types)
  • Distance to Line
  • Time to Line
  • Early/Late Delta
  • VMG to Line
  • Apple Watch (full)
  • Sunlight Mode
  • Crew Sync hosting
  • Marine instrument connectivity (Beta — help us test it)

Your crew joins for free. Only the host needs premium.

Head to head

Replace your ProStart for $19.99/year

The same start line data — plus features dedicated hardware can't match.

Feature Flying Start ProStart Vakaros Atlas 2
Price Free / $19.99/yr $769 $1,249
Distance to Line Yes Yes Yes
Time to Line Yes No Yes
OCS Alert Yes No Yes
Crew Sync Yes No No
Apple Watch Yes No No
Marine Instruments Yes, beta testing No +£355 dongle
Live Tracking Yes, included No +£39/mo
Post-race Replay Yes No No

Your next start, nailed.

Download Free

See the full feature guide