Data one way or the other just isn't going to happen.

But, one can make general inferences, and mine is, it really isn't going to matter.

There are (at most) two people on the beach cats we race. There isn't a separate tactician, or any other guys hanging around with nothing to do but ping the boat and pin, then watch the system and try to figure out where to start. Even if there were, there are always boats that are OCS in the big boat fleets that use such devices (they have all the toys you can imagine).

IMHO, the cost issue is the ultimate red herring. Our boats cost $10,000 (H16) to over $20,000 for F18s and such. Unless these devices start to cost at least $1,000, you're not even making a dent. Admittedly, this is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially when the cost argument is used to justify not allowing VHFs to be used while racing (and you can buy one of those for under $100).

Mike