Comparison

Sailing timer tactical vs SailingWatch

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

Head to head
About

Sailing timer tactical

This app provides a spoken countdown timer for sailing races, displaying distance to the starting line and a track view of covered paths with speed indicators. It utilizes GPS for navigation and can be used with Bluetooth earphones for audio alerts.

Highlights
  • Spoken countdown timer
  • Distance to starting line
  • Track view of covered paths
  • Speed indication
  • GPS tracking
  • Bluetooth earphone support
Features
Read full description

Spoken countdown timer. Distance to starting line Track view of covered paths. Colors indicate the speed. Tips: I advise to extend your screen idle timer. Also set Return to Clock to after 1 hour. Settings->General-> Return to clock You can use bluetooth earphones if the volume is not loud enough. Enable background refresh Settings > General > Background App Refresh This app uses GPS and may impact the battery life. A 10-15% battery drain per hour is normal. Future features: Spoken wind shift messages OCS alarm Manually set Windward and leeward mark Battery optimization (turn off GPS automatically) The following permissions are needed Healthkit: To start a sailing workout. This is also needs to get timer updates and location updates when the screen is off. Location: To plot your route on the map and to calculate the distance to the line

About

SailingWatch

Features
Read full description

SailingWatch is the race companion for sailors — a precise start sequence, a real start line, live tactics, and your whole session on a map. Built for dinghies, keelboats and yachts, on iPhone and Apple Watch. THE START, NAILED EVERY TIME • A big, readable countdown with a sweep ring that drains as the gun approaches. • Sync to the committee boat in one tap, or fine-tune with −1 / +1 minute. • The final minute turns red so you always know how long you have. • Start, pause and resume right from the cockpit. A REAL START LINE • Ping the pin and the committee-boat ends to set the line. • See the line bias and your live distance to the line. • Time your approach instead of guessing. LIVE TACTICS • Capture your port and starboard tack angles. • A compass and layline call tell you if you're lifted, headed, or on the groove. • Make the smart call on when to tack. WIND AT A GLANCE • A 6-hour wind forecast strip for your exact location — speed, direction and gusts. • Know what's coming before you leave the dock. EVERY SESSION, ON A MAP • Automatic GPS recording while you sail — speed, heading and full track. • Review past sessions grouped by month. • Replay any track on the map with distance, duration and top speed. SHARE YOUR SAIL • Export a standard GPX file. • Create a video animation of your track to share. • Send your sessions straight to Strava. ON YOUR WRIST • The Apple Watch app puts the timer, start line and live data on your wrist — sail with your phone in your pocket. MADE YOURS • Save your boat profile — class, sail number, polar and hull length. • Choose your units for distance, speed and temperature. • A clean, high-contrast black-and-blue design that stays readable in bright sun. Whether you're lining up for the gun on a club Wednesday or training for the season, SailingWatch keeps the start, the line and the tactics one glance away. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SailingWatch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sailing timer tactical at none against SailingWatch's 2. SailingWatch's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 15 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. SailingWatch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Sailing timer tactical asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sailing timer tactical ships an update every 15 months, SailingWatch every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sailing timer tactical versus SailingWatch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSailing timer tacticalSailingWatch
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPieter OskamFrancesco Vezzani

In-app purchases

None

Sailing timer tactical

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

SailingWatch

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Annual7 Days trial$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Sailing timer tactical free?
Sailing timer tactical is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SailingWatch free?
SailingWatch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sailing timer tactical or SailingWatch have ads?
Neither Sailing timer tactical nor SailingWatch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sailing timer tactical or SailingWatch?
Sailing timer tactical ships an update every 15 months, and SailingWatch every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sailing timer tactical was updated on August 15, 2026 and SailingWatch on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons