Speedpuck by Velocitek
Velocitek's Speedpuck runs on AA batteries, requires no installation, and delivers GPS speed and compass heading to any boat, big or small.
A couple of years ago, at Key West Race Week, I asked Dave Ullman to divulge a few of the secrets behind another convincing win in the Melges 24 class. The one that stuck in my head was the simplest, "Get a speedo."
The longstanding conventional wisdom for dinghy and one-design keelboat sailors has said why bother with a knot meter when all the necessary speed data can be gleaned by comparison with nearby competition. "The fleet is your speedometer." The difficulty involved with installing a thru hull and the required battery only reinforced the point.
Products like the Velocitek Speedpuck have solved the second problem. As for the conventional wisdom, well, I prefer Dave Ullman's wisdom. So last weekend, I took the Speedpuck out for a test sail in Newport's Laser frostbiting fleet.
Technically, the Speedpuck, a GPS-driven speedo and compass, isn't legal under Laser class rules, which mandate analog compasses. But our Frostbite fleet is fairly casual when it comes to rules-both class and otherwise-and to be honest, I didn't use it while racing. Nonetheless, I came away very impressed with this little tool and the potential benefits for any one-design sailor.
The first thing I liked about the Speedpuck is its compact size. It's slightly bigger than a hockey puck and weighs, with batteries, 10 oz. The second thing I liked is the ease of operation. Simply put in the batteries, screw on the watertight back, hold down the button, and let it sync. Directions? Who needs directions? The Speedpuck has one button, which allows the user to cycle through three modes: speed, heading, and maximum speed.
