REAL-TIME LEADERBOARDS FOR BOAT RACING IN NEW ZEALAND

INTRO

The boat racing season in New Zealand is an exhilarating event that runs annually from April to July, featuring six weekly races of various styles and locations, including marathons, river circuits, and open water races. While thrilling, it poses significant challenges. Telematics technology, however, offers a convenient solution that enhances the experience for both organisers and racers, making it safer, more accurate and convenient.

CHALLENGE

Traditionally, race officials watched from the sidelines, timed the races, and filled in results manually. Being prone to human errors, this way of handling racing data was often inaccurate. There were also safety concerns due to remote and varying race locations across New Zealand’s waterscapes.

It was almost impossible for race organisers to spot accidents or technical faults unless they happened within direct sight of spectator rows. The potential risks did not end with races themselves. Even after the events, with no way to verify if narrow waterways were clear, patrol boats faced collision risks, and stuck boats often went unnoticed.

These challenges in the racing industry have been identified as an opportunity to address them effectively by utilising Teltonika GPS tracking devices.

SOLUTION

One of our customers identified the above difficulties in the racing industry and saw an opportunity to address them using Teltonika trackers. The company modified the online interface of the ADVANCED category model FMC130 to digitise and automate race reporting. Based on the configuration setting, the device transmits data that is later programmed into a usable format to organise boats within geofenced race tracks with checkpoints and live leaderboards.

How it works – before each racing season, each FMC130 is pre-configured and supplied to all registered racing teams throughout New Zealand. The GPS trackers are then easily wired into each boat by the race teams themselves using a cable with clamp connectors, either in advance or just before the start of the race. This simple installation process involves connecting Teltonika trackers to the boat's battery.

Our client developed a user-friendly web application that organises the season's races, registered boats and trackers. The app runs a pre-set series of 'pre-flight' checks to ensure that all GPS tracking devices are reporting data as expected. As a result, race officials have full visibility of the entire season through the web app, including detailed race information, checkpoints, leaderboards, registration lists, maps, custom reports, and race replays.

During each race, Teltonika FMC130 model utilises advanced GNSS positioning to accurately track the location of each boat in real-time, regardless of cellular coverage. This allows race officials to conveniently monitor the live location of all boats from a centralised platform, and even manage the entire race remotely from their offices. The tracker data and web application geofencing capabilities enable our customer to create virtual race tracks and checkpoints, calculate lap times and speed, and update the race leaderboard in real-time.

The solution also includes collision reporting alerts enabling rescue patrol boats to respond quickly and effectively to any incidents during a race. They can locate a vessel and assess the severity of the incident before reaching it, ensuring the safety of racers and spectators throughout the season.

TOPOLOGY

BENEFITS

• Accurate real-time tracking - Teltonika FMC130 tracker enables precise monitoring of each boat's speed and location during a race, providing instant data for strategic decisions and fan engagement.
• Geofencing scenario - this handy feature helps to create virtual boundaries for races, ensuring boats stay within the designated course, improving race fairness and safety.
• Automated leaderboards - they update in real-time based on race performance, adding to the excitement by allowing spectators and racers to see the standings instantly.
• Instant collision alerts - the system can quickly warn race officials and patrol teams of collisions or mechanical failures, enabling faster response times for rescue operations.
• Quick and hassle-free installation - thanks to the cable with clamp connectors, racing teams can install the pre-configured FMC130 model without technical expertise, ensuring that all boats are equipped and ready for tracking before each race.

WHY TELTONIKA?

At Teltonika, we understand the critical importance of precision and safety in the exciting world of boat racing. This practical solution, centred around the robust FMC130 tracker, provides an essential layer of safety and operational efficiency, enabling rapid response to incidents and accurate monitoring of race progress. Such approach transforms traditional racing into a safer, more exciting sport where every second and every safety measure is accurately tracked and monitored.

A key factor in this solution was the ease of configuration and installation of our tracking devices - making Teltonika telematics business unit the clear winner. Competing GPS trackers from other manufacturers were also tested, but they appeared to be either too slow or too expensive for the solution. FMC130 stood out to the engineer because of its superior reliability and unbeatable accuracy - allowing the entire system to function without a hitch.