It is very important we know how much time we have to get down and get everything set up in case we have other errands to run. It is also important we know how late the day or night might be. Having boats out at night without having a clue where they are is just silly in this day and age. knowing where they are and how much progress takes a huge load of stress off of us and the ground crews.
The marketing benefits are secondary. I bought my initial Spot unit because of safety not marketing and upgraded because of the additional texting ability in emergency situations. I also own an EPIRB, VHF, and the rest of the safety gear on the list because I sail regularly in the area you are racing in.
This makes my point exactly , they are for the benefit of everyone except the racers who are already shouldering all of the financial burden ( hence 10 boats or bust).They aren't reliable enough to count on in an emergency and that's what the racers need them for, other than that they are a headache( mounted in the way, remove every night, put back on in the morning and do the silly button dance to try and get them to work). If the RC wants them so they know how much time they have, then they should find a sponsor to foot the bill for them, not expect us to. Plus it can add an unfair advantage to know where everyone is by talking with your ground crew who is checking tracks. And we still don't have finish waypoints.
You could always do like Randy and somehow that Spot never seems to work. But, seriously, the SPOT isn't that big of a deal. The batteries last forever (especially if you get the lithium type). I'm pretty sure you can get through the entire week on one set of batteries if you remember to turn it off at night. Second, who has time to call their ground crew unless they're broken on the beach? Third, if you can't see your competition in a race like this, having "inside" knowledge about where they are isn't going to help you.
