Tracking System Architecture

The SailTracker system has three main components:

• the client, a transponder (a GPS device which is capable of transmitting information via cellular or wifi networks)
• the data server (software which collects the data sent by the tracking device and enters it in a database)
• the tracking server (the software to display the data on a map)

As a racer wanting to have their track viewed live during the race and recorded, the only component you need to worry about is the client/transponder.

The SailTracker server uses a modified version of OpenGTS, an open-sourced GPS tracking and logging system. The OpenGTS project provides the data and tracking servers and one no-cost tracking app: that for the Motorola i290/i335 phone. At the time it was released, this phone was the least expensive GPS-enabled phone available and made for a great inexpensive "GPS transponder". The app is written in J2ME and it is possible it may work with other Motorola GPS phones, but it has not been tested.

Since the intial release of this site an Android and iPhone app have been published which are compatible with OpenGTS and SailTracker. These were written by third parties and are not open sourced.

All other components of the SailTracker system are not open-sourced.