Every now and then a brand lands on our desk that raises the bar for everyone else. Vakaros is one of those. From today, LiveWatersports is an official Benelux dealer for Vakaros, and we are opening with both instruments in the range: the Atlas 2 and the Atlas Edge. One is the no-compromise flagship. The other brings almost all of that performance to smaller boats at a friendlier price. Between them, they cover just about every sailor who races.
Who is Vakaros?
Vakaros started in 2018, when two catamaran sailors from Atlanta, Todd Wilson and Jake Keilman, got tired of owning three separate instruments to do one job. They built the first Atlas on nights and weekends: a single device that combined a compass, GPS speed, heel and trim, distance to line and data logging, and that you could actually read through polarised sunglasses.
The Atlas 1 set a new standard. The Atlas 2 pushed it further, with the first dual-band GNSS receiver in a sailing instrument and over 100 hours of battery. Then came RaceSense, the system that calls the start line with centimetre accuracy and now runs everything from club evenings to Olympic-class fleets. In 2024 alone, RaceSense made over 35,000 start line calls.
The Atlas 2: the no-compromise flagship
The Atlas 2 is the full instrument, with nothing held back. If you sail a class that allows distance to line, this is the one.
It is the first sailing instrument capable of dual-band L1 + L5 GNSS reception, which lets it correct for ionosphere error and deliver positional accuracy measured in centimetres (down to 25 cm with RaceSense). It reads GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou, updates at 25 Hz, and its magnetic sensor resolves heading changes as small as 0.1°.
On the water that means a start you can trust: distance and time to line, shift tracking, heel and trim, and speed, all on one 4.4 inch sunlight-readable screen. It is also the only instrument in the range that links wirelessly to external sensors, so you can add Calypso wind, Cyclops load, or Airmar depth and speed when you want them.
- Dual-band L1 + L5 GNSS, multi-constellation (GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BeiDou), 25 Hz
- Positional accuracy in centimetres, down to 25 cm with RaceSense
- Magnetic compass resolving heading changes as small as 0.1°
- Distance to line and time to line
- Wireless support for Calypso, Cyclops and Airmar sensors
- 100+ hours of battery, Qi wireless charging
- 4.4 inch transflective screen, 7-LED array, data logging, 2-year warranty
Best for classes that allow distance to line: J/70, Melges 15, RS21, E Scow, Moth and more. Price at LiveWatersports: €1149.
The Atlas Edge: the same core, built for smaller boats
For years, dinghy sailors watched all of this from the sidelines. Restrictive class rules, smaller budgets, boats where through-hull sensors and night racing simply do not apply. The Atlas Edge is Vakaros' answer.
The Edge is built on the Atlas 2 and carries the same core sensors, so it delivers over 90% of the data the flagship does at a friendlier price. Speed, heel, trim, compass heading, VMG and shift tracking, on the same excellent screen, with the same LED array, the same data logging and the same 100+ hour battery. It fully supports RaceSense too, which means an entire junior fleet can adopt the system without everyone buying the top instrument.
What it leaves out is what the smaller classes do not use anyway: distance and time to line, and external sensor links. That is what keeps the price down and the device focused.
- Same core sensors as the Atlas 2, over 90% of the data metrics
- Speed, heel, trim, compass heading, VMG and shift tracking
- Full RaceSense support
- 100+ hours of battery, Qi wireless charging
- Same 4.4 inch screen, LED array and data logging
- Boarding features (jump height, acceleration) coming in a future update
Built for the smaller, more restrictive classes: Snipe, Thistle, Lightning, MC Scow and more, and a serious training tool for anyone in the dinghy world. Price at LiveWatersports: €699.
Which Atlas is right for your boat?
Short version: if your class allows distance to line, or you want to add wind and load sensors, choose the Atlas 2. If you sail a smaller boat or a class with electronics restrictions, and you mostly want compass, speed, heel, trim and data to learn from, the Edge gives you almost all of it for €699. Both run RaceSense, both log every session, and both use the class-compliance system below.
Class compliance, and a word on the rules
This is the part every racing sailor asks about, so let us be clear.
Both instruments have a class-compliance system. You set up a profile for your class, and the device shows only the functions your class permits while racing (for a compass-and-timer class, that is all you see), while still logging the full session in the background for you to analyse afterwards. The data log keeps a permanent record of which profile was active, so you can show a measurer you sailed within the rules.
That is a genuinely clever system. It does not, by itself, make a GPS-based instrument legal in every class. Some classes do not permit GPS devices at all, whatever mode they are in. The ILCA class, for example, restricts what you may use on the boat, and whether a device like this is allowed for racing is a question for the current class rules, not for us. So the honest advice is simple: for training, these are superb on any boat. For racing, check your current class rules first, and if in doubt ask your class association or your measurer.
If you are ever unsure, message us. We would rather point you to the right rule than sell you the wrong instrument.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Atlas 2 and the Atlas Edge?
The Atlas 2 is the full flagship: dual-band GNSS, distance and time to line, and wireless external sensor support. The Atlas Edge shares the same core sensors and delivers over 90% of the data (speed, heel, trim, compass, VMG, shift), without distance to line or external sensors, at €699 instead of €1149.
Do both support RaceSense?
Yes. Both the Atlas 2 and the Atlas Edge fully support RaceSense, so a whole fleet can adopt it without everyone buying the flagship.
Is the Atlas Edge legal for ILCA racing?
The Edge has a class-compliant mode that shows only a compass and timer while logging in the background. Whether a GPS-based instrument is permitted for racing in the ILCA is set by the current class rules, so check them before you race. For training it is excellent on any boat.
How long does the battery last?
Both instruments run for over 100 hours on a charge, roughly four days of sailing, and charge on any Qi wireless pad.
Does the Atlas 2 come with a charger?
To cut down on e-waste, the Atlas 2 does not include a Qi charger in the box. It works with any Qi pad, and you can add a Vakaros charger to your order if you need one.
Can I connect wind and load sensors?
On the Atlas 2, yes: it links wirelessly to Calypso wind, Cyclops load and Airmar sensors. The Atlas Edge does not support external sensors.
Which classes suit the Atlas 2 best?
Classes that allow distance to line, such as the J/70, Melges 15, RS21, E Scow and Moth, get the most out of the Atlas 2.
Ready to race
Both instruments are in stock now, with free delivery on European orders from €99 and fast shipping from Rotterdam. If you are weighing up which one fits your boat, your class and your budget, message us on WhatsApp and we will talk it through.
Because life feels better on the water 💦
Explore the new Vakaros range at LiveWatersports.
