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National One-design Cruiser/Racer

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GPS Equipment

9th August 2010

Andy Fernie

9th August 2010 at 9:06 PM

My Old Garmin Handheld circa 1995ish is becoming unreliable. It has a nasty habit of switching itself off when it feels like it. I have been having a look for a suitable replacement and am not sure what is legal on a Sonata. The class rules allow GPS Equipment in the optional equipment list, but can anyone help with what constitutes GPS equipment?

My old handheld GPS gave me bearing and distance to a waypoint and my course and speed. It seems that a modern handheld GPS is a small version of a chart plotter, one can even install an app on the I phone with gps and chart software. I remember a time when gps was not allowed by the class.The questions I am asking are: What constitutes GPS equipment? Does this include chart plotter type equipment? What features of this type of equipment are banned (if any)? I know I can fit any equipment and wait and see if I am protested but I dont want to spend a fair bit of cash only to have it banned and have to buy twice.

Andy Fernie

peterbooth

11th August 2010 at 8:27 AM

Andy,

My memory of allowing GPS is that it was felt impossible to know if someone was illegally using a handheld GPS and therefore it was agreed to allow it. With the passage of time and the improvement in this type of equipment and hand held plotters availability etc I believe that the same principle of policing the issue would still apply and therefore you can use whatever you wish in GPS equipment. You should not of course use the autohelm to steer when racing.

Peter

Filed Under: Archives, Forum Archive, IPB Archive

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