€450 separates the Vakaros Atlas 2 from the Atlas Edge, and the question we get most is what that money actually buys. The short answer: three features, not a better instrument. The sensors, the screen, the LED array, the battery and RaceSense are the same on both.
Here is what that means for your boat, your class and your budget.
At a glance
| Atlas Edge | Atlas 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price at LiveWatersports | €699 | €1149 |
| Core sensor set | Same as Atlas 2 | 25 Hz, multi-constellation |
| Compass heading, SOG, VMG | Yes | Yes |
| Heel and trim | Yes | Yes |
| Shift tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Data logging | Yes | Yes |
| RaceSense | Yes | Yes |
| Class compliance profiles | Yes | Yes |
| 4.4 inch screen and 7-LED array | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 100+ hours | 100+ hours |
| Distance and time to line | No | Yes |
| External sensor support | No | Yes |
| Backlight | No | Yes |
What both instruments do identically
This is the part most comparisons get wrong. The Edge is not a cut-down device with cheaper internals. Vakaros built it on the Atlas 2 and gave it the same core sensors, which is why it delivers over 90% of the data metrics the flagship does.
Both instruments give you compass heading, speed over ground, VMG, heel, trim and shift tracking on the same 4.4 inch transflective screen, readable through polarised sunglasses in full sun. Both drive the same 7-LED array. Both log every session for analysis afterwards. Both run for over 100 hours on a charge, roughly four days of sailing, and charge on any Qi pad.
Both also run RaceSense, which matters more than it sounds. RaceSense calls the start line with centimetre accuracy, and because the Edge supports it in full, a whole junior or club fleet can adopt the system without every sailor buying the flagship.
Both units measure 115 x 88 x 15 mm and weigh 175 g, and both use the same screen.
The Atlas 2: everything Vakaros builds
The Atlas 2 is the full instrument with nothing held back. It was the first sailing instrument capable of dual-band L1 + L5 GNSS reception, correcting for ionosphere error and delivering positional accuracy in centimetres, down to 25 cm with RaceSense. It reads GPS, Galileo, GLONASS and BeiDou at 25 Hz, and its magnetic sensor resolves heading changes as small as 0.1°.
On the water, the difference you feel is the start. Distance and time to line, live, on a screen you can read at full hike. Then the extras: wireless links to Calypso wind, Cyclops load and Airmar depth and speed, and a backlight for evening racing.
At €1149 it is the instrument for keelboats and high-performance classes where the rules allow you to ping the line: J/70, SB20, Melges 15, RS21, E Scow, Moth and similar.
The Atlas Edge: the same core, three features fewer
For years, dinghy sailors watched all of this from the sidelines. Restrictive class rules, smaller budgets, and boats where through-hull sensors and night racing simply do not apply. The Edge is Vakaros' answer to exactly that.
What it leaves out is what the smaller classes do not use anyway. No distance and time to line, because most one-design fleets ban line pinging outright. No external sensor links, because there is nowhere to put a through-hull transducer on a hiking dinghy. No backlight, because nobody races an ILCA after dark.
Strip those three away and you keep the entire training and analysis package for €699. Boarding-specific features for jump height and acceleration are coming in a future update, which makes it interesting for wing and kite sailors too.
The three real differences
Distance and time to line
This is the big one, and it is worth being precise about what it is. It is not a start timer. Both instruments have a countdown. It is the ability to ping both ends of the line and then see, continuously, how many boat lengths you are from it and whether you will arrive early or late.
If your class allows it, it is the single most valuable number on the boat. If your class bans it, you are paying €450 for a function you will never legally switch on.
External sensors
Only the Atlas 2 links wirelessly to Calypso wind, Cyclops load and Airmar depth and speed sensors. On a keelboat with a crew and a mast you can put a wind unit on, this turns one instrument into a small system. On a singlehander it is irrelevant.
Backlight
The Atlas 2 has one, the Edge does not. Both screens are transflective and excellent in daylight. The question is only whether you race or train after sunset. Distance racing and evening club series say yes. Dinghy fleets almost never do.
Which one for your boat?
- Keelboat, sportboat or foiler in a class that allows line pinging (J/70, SB20, Star, Melges 15, RS21, E Scow, Moth): Atlas 2. You will use all three of the features you are paying for.
- One-design dinghy in a restrictive class (Snipe, ILCA, Thistle, Lightning, MC Scow and the wider dinghy world): Atlas Edge. The functions you are missing are ones your class rules already close off.
- Junior or club fleet standardising on RaceSense: Atlas Edge across the fleet. Full RaceSense support at €699 makes fleet-wide adoption realistic.
- Training-first sailor who wants data to learn from: Atlas Edge. Speed, heel, trim, heading, VMG and a full session log is the whole coaching toolkit.
- You sail two boats, one restricted and one not: Atlas 2. The class-compliance profile locks it down on the restricted boat and you unlock everything on the other.
A word on class rules
Both instruments carry Vakaros' class-compliance system. You set up a profile for your class, and the device shows only the functions your class permits while racing, while still logging the full session in the background for you to analyse afterwards. The log keeps a permanent record of which profile was active, so you can show a measurer exactly what you sailed with.
That is a clever system, and 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. So the honest advice stays the same: for training, both are superb on any boat. For racing, check your current class rules first, and ask your class association or measurer if there is any doubt.
Frequently asked questions
What is the real difference between the Atlas 2 and the Atlas Edge?
Three features. The Atlas 2 has distance and time to line, wireless external sensor support and a backlight. The Atlas Edge has none of those, and is otherwise the same instrument: same core sensors, same 4.4 inch screen, same LED array, same data logging, same 100+ hour battery and full RaceSense support.
Is the Atlas Edge less accurate than the Atlas 2?
No. The Edge is built on the Atlas 2 and carries the same core sensors, which is why Vakaros describes it as delivering over 90% of the data metrics of the flagship. The removed features are functions, not sensor quality.
Is the Atlas Edge physically smaller than the Atlas 2?
No, and this is a common misunderstanding. Both instruments measure 115 x 88 x 15 mm, weigh 175 g and use the same 4.4 inch screen.
Do both support RaceSense?
Yes. Both fully support RaceSense, so a whole fleet can adopt it without everyone buying the flagship.
Can I add wind or load sensors to the Atlas Edge later?
No. External sensor support is an Atlas 2 feature. If you expect to add Calypso wind, Cyclops load or Airmar sensors at any point, buy the Atlas 2 from the start.
Which one should I buy for ILCA or Optimist sailing?
For training, the Atlas Edge covers everything you need at €699. Whether a GPS-based instrument may be used while racing is set by your current class rules, so check them before you enter an event.
How long does the battery last on each?
Both run for over 100 hours on a charge, roughly four days of sailing, and charge on any Qi wireless pad. Note that the Atlas 2 does not include a Qi charger in the box, to cut down on e-waste.
Is €450 worth it?
Only if your class lets you use at least one of the three features. If it does, the Atlas 2 pays for itself in starts. If it does not, the Edge gives you the same data for €450 less.
Ready to race
Both instruments are in stock now, with free delivery on European orders from €150 and fast shipping from Rotterdam. If you are still weighing them up against your class rules, message us on WhatsApp and we will talk it through. Our full Vakaros brand introduction has more on where the instruments came from.
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