Electromagnetically operated starting aid for sailing boat races - uses sunken cable suspended between boats on starting line to transmit timing signal to contestants

摘要

The electromagnetically operated aid to starting sailing boat races uses a cable sunk along the starting line and suspended between two starting boats to transmit a timing signal to all the contestant boats as they cross the line. The device allows accurate individual tuning for each boat, and also indicates unequivocally when a boat should make a restart. The cable (7) is suspended between two starting boats (1), by suspension tackle (3, 4, 5, 6, 7) and winding drums (2). When the race starts, a high frequency signal is switched through this cable, and this is received by a receiver mounted in a small watertight box temporarily attached to the bow of each contestant boat (9) when a contestant crosses the line, if the start signal has been switched on, a counter in his boat is started, and this accurately records his racing time.