Comparison

Buoy Zone vs Sailing Coach

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Buoy Zone

This app simplifies yacht racing course setup for sailing clubs and race officers. It allows for real-time course sharing, mark laying guidance with compass directions, and participant tracking on a map. Streamline race management and focus on the competition.

Highlights
  • Real-time course sharing
  • Mark laying guidance
  • Participant tracking on map
  • Compass direction and bearing
  • Distance calculation
  • Course updates
Features
Read full description

Buoy Zone is designed to help sailing clubs, Race Offices and support vessels, lay yacht racing courses. The Race Officer sets a course from the start boat and shares this course with their support boats and other participants. The participants can see the course on a map, get course updates in real-time and all support boats can also been seen on the map. Any boats laying marks can zoom in on the map and see exactly where to lay their marks, or tap on a mark for real-time compass direction, bearing and distance. Take the time and pain out of setting an accurate course, and get on with the awesome racing.

About

Sailing Coach

This app provides a portable yacht simulation for explaining sailing concepts. It can be used on one or multiple devices to demonstrate maneuvers, rules, and strategies for various sailing scenarios.

Highlights
  • Portable yacht simulation
  • Demonstrate sailing maneuvers
  • Explain racing rules
  • Multi-device strategy planning
  • Adjustable wind direction
  • Simulate wind shifts
Features
Read full description

There are times when you just need a small yacht in your hand, whether you're trying to explain the America's Cup to a non-sailor, teaching your own young sailor, discussing the rules with your crew, or talking to your team about mark traps. Use the app on one phone to talk about port and starboard, tacking, gybing, and reaching. Use the app on two phones by setting the wind direction for both and you're all set to discuss right of way, proper course, and mark roundings. Use 6 phones and you can strategise for team sailing. Once you've set the wind direction the wind indicator will track it for you just as you would expect and the sail will set accordingly, whether you're heading up to the top mark or down to the bottom gate. You can add a wind shift to right or left and talk about lifts and knocks. And obviously if you're pointing directly into the wind you're going nowhere. Sailing Coach is the yacht you can carry in your pocket wherever you go.

Screenshots

Buoy Zone4 screens
Sailing Coach4 screens

Verdict

The call

Buoy Zone and Sailing Coach both sit at 3.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Sailing Coach's written reviews are positive against 25% of Buoy Zone's. Sailing Coach also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Buoy Zone sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.49 per month. Sailing Coach asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.0 for Buoy Zone against 3.0 for Sailing Coach. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 25% of Buoy Zone's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sailing Coach's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Buoy Zone ships an update fortnightly, Sailing Coach every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Buoy Zone versus Sailing Coach: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBuoy ZoneSailing Coach
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings)3.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews25.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size90 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOCEAN LABS LIMITEDZebra Crossing

Customer experience

Buoy Zone

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive25.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative50.0%

Sailing Coach

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Buoy Zone

Subscriptions2
  • Race Officer Monthly$8.491 Month
  • Race Officer Annual$43.991 Year
None

Sailing Coach

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Buoy Zone free?
Buoy Zone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sailing Coach free?
Sailing Coach is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Buoy Zone or Sailing Coach?
Buoy Zone and Sailing Coach are both rated 3.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Buoy Zone or Sailing Coach have ads?
Neither Buoy Zone nor Sailing Coach shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Buoy Zone or Sailing Coach?
Buoy Zone ships an update fortnightly, and Sailing Coach every 3 weeks. Most recently, Buoy Zone was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sailing Coach on November 3, 2026.

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