I'm in the market for a digital compass and found what appears to be a pretty good deal on a TackTick Racemaster - wondering if this is a viable option to the TackTick Micro. Since I won't be using the GPS speed and VMG functions, it would be F18 class legal, right? How does the size compare? Any thoughts?

Nope. Just because you don't use the feature doesn't make it legal which is also why the speed puck is not class legal. If GPS is in the tech it's a no go, unless you're distance racing then it's ok.

I think I mispoke. I checked in the online manual, and it doesn't appear the racemaster has any kind of GPS capability.

The racemaster doesn't have GPS technology in it so you should be fine. But, seriously, it's pretty large and it really doesn't offer that much that you can actively use on the cat besides the compass that the micro offers in a much tidier package. About the only thing I've ever seen as an advantage is the red backlight for use at night (not sure the new ones still have that or not).

Oh, and don't mount the Racemaster under a spin pole by inverting the mount...the solar cell will not get enough sun to keep it charged for more than a couple of days in a Tybee 500.

Jeff, I like the Micro.

Jeff,
Some might disagree with me. But unless you are distance racing don't bother with the electronics.
As Dave said, GPS based devices (Ie. speedpuck) are not F18 class legal. There was a last minute amendment allowing them in Corpus but this won't happen again unless the class changes the rule.
Yes there are times where the compass can be good to have but 90% of the time it's just going to be a distraction. Save your pennies for coaching or new sails.
The speedpuck can be a good training device, but again not legal for racing.
I have a micro and haven't used it in 3 years. Most of the top F18 sailors feel the same way. You even see less and less of them on dinghies like Lasers, infact most of the top Laser sailors in a class where it used to be used by all the top sailors, do not use them anymore.
-Todd

Thanks guys.

I've sailed my whole life without a compass. Main reason I consider one now is that I realize one of my biggest "opportunities" for improvement is to do a better job staying in phase with the windshifts out on the course.

One solution is to get a compass that puts some simple numbers out there that allow you to judge how much your getting lifted/knocked. Probably the better one is to focus more on getting my stupid head out of the boat.

That being said, if anyone is interested in unloading there Micro, I'm still interested.

Todd makes some good points, we've had similar discussions in the H16 fleet. Bob Merrick was an (the?) early adopter, primarily because he was used to using a compass on other boats prior to sailing cats. He said it helped him know when to tack on headers. He was pretty successful, so a handful of others followed, but most folks still sail without a compass in that class.

Mike

A compass is a useful tool if you know how to use it and you don't let it become a distraction. The most important situation that I use one is ocean sailing where you may not have a stationary point of reference on a blank horizon of water. When I'm racing on closed bodies of water, I tend to use landmarks to sniff out headers and lifts but I do reference the compass to understand the bigger, more gradual, shifts that are taking place - particularly to see if they are lining up with the day's forecast.

As far as speedo's go (not the wearable kind), having a speedo on my J22 really helped shorten up the initial learning curve on how to drive and trim that boat. I'm planning to do more training with a GPS speedo on my F18 this year.

I wish I had known about the GPS rule at F18 Nationals before I got there...I probably would have brought some other devices.