Comparison

Flying Start vs Regatta Pulse

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

Head to head
About

Flying Start

Features
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Flying Start is the countdown timer that every racing sailor wishes they had on their wrist. Built for dinghy and keelboat racers, Flying Start replaces clipboard timers and generic stopwatches with a purpose-built instrument panel that shows you exactly where you are relative to the start line. COUNTDOWN TIMER Standard 5-4-1-Go sequence plus 3-2-1-Go for short courses. Quick Start mode for instant race timing. Large, high-contrast digits you can read in full sun or spray. GPS INSTRUMENTS Distance to Line (DTL) shows how far you are from the start line in real time. Time to Line (TTL) tells you if you'll arrive early or late at your current speed. Course Over Ground (COG) gives you heading without a compass. OCS DETECTION Crossed the line early? Flying Start alerts you instantly with visual and haptic warnings so you can turn back before the recall flag goes up. APPLE WATCH Full countdown timer on your wrist — works independently or synced with your iPhone. DTL, TTL, and COG right on your watch face. Start celebration haptic when you nail the start. START RATINGS After every race, get a 0-100 score measuring how well you timed your start. Track your improvement over the season. Share branded start cards with your crew. GPS TRACK RECORDING Every race is recorded with GPS. Review your approach, share your top speed, and replay your starts at flyingstart.app. CREW SYNC Connect multiple iPhones via peer-to-peer so your entire crew sees the same countdown, perfectly synchronised. SUNLIGHT MODE High-contrast yellow digits at maximum brightness for when the sun is directly overhead and you can't see anything else. FREE FEATURES 5-4-1-Go countdown, Quick Start mode, basic race timing. FLYING START PRO Unlock DTL, TTL, COG, OCS alerts, start ratings, season stats, Apple Watch, sunlight mode, crew sync, and GPS track recording. Privacy Policy: https://flyingstart.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://flyingstart.app/terms

About

Regatta Pulse

Features
Read full description

A full start-line instrument, running on the iPhone and Apple Watch you already own. Distance to the line, TIME-TO-BURN and the favored end, live, in digits you can read in sun and spray. For one-design and club racers who keep arriving late to the line. One payment, no subscription. THE START • Sequence timer (ISAF 5-4-1-0, 3, 4 or 10 minutes) with whistle sound signals and a final count. • Ping the PIN and the BOAT end from the phone or with one tap on the watch: the app computes the line and your distance to it (DTL). • TIME-TO-BURN: how many seconds you have to spare (or are missing) to hit the line at the gun at your current speed. • Line bias: which end is favored for the wind you entered. RACING • Speed (SOG), heading, max and average in giant race-display digits. • Heel and trim from the phone's motion sensors, with a configurable target band. • Recent heading shift to spot wind shifts. • Performance against J/24 polars for the wind you entered. • Mark tacks, buoy roundings and notes without letting go of the tiller: one tap on the Apple Watch. APPLE WATCH • The display mirrored on your wrist: timer, DTL, BURN and the start line graphic. • Strong haptics at every sequence mark and at the start. • Works on its own (no iPhone): the watch's GPS for light racing. AFTER SAILING • Session replay on the map with a time scrubber. • Tack, start and speed analysis; progress across sessions. • Export GPX or a full JSON backup. Your data is yours. • Optional cloud backup: create an account and every session is copied on its own when it ends, even if you close the app. Switch iPhones, sign in, and it is all there. Edit a title or a note on one device and it shows up on the other. TRIAL AND PRO • Try the full app for 30 days: the clock starts with your first recorded session, not with the install. • After that, a single purchase unlocks everything for good. It is not a subscription. • Free forever: the start sequence timer with whistle signals and the big heading and speed screen. • Anything you recorded stays viewable, analysable and exportable. No ads, no tracking. The account is optional: without one, not a single byte leaves your phone. Made by racers, for racers. NOTICE: Regatta Pulse is a sports support instrument. It is not a navigation aid or safety equipment, and its sound alerts are not official signals: the only valid signals are those made by the Race Committee. Command of the vessel and the duty to keep a proper look-out rest with the skipper. Terms of use: https://regattapulse.com.ar/terms.html

Screenshots

Flying Start4 screens
Regatta Pulse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Regatta Pulse at none against Flying Start's 2. Regatta Pulse also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 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. Flying Start sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Regatta Pulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flying Start ships an update every 2 months, Regatta Pulse every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Flying Start versus Regatta Pulse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlying StartRegatta Pulse
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominic BrandrethNICOLaS SALARI

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Flying Start

Subscriptions2
  • Flying Start Pro$4.991 Month
  • Flying Start Pro14 Days trial$19.991 Year
None

Regatta Pulse

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flying Start free?
Flying Start is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Regatta Pulse free?
Regatta Pulse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Flying Start or Regatta Pulse have ads?
Neither Flying Start nor Regatta Pulse shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flying Start or Regatta Pulse?
Flying Start ships an update every 2 months, and Regatta Pulse every 3 days. Most recently, Flying Start was updated on October 8, 2026 and Regatta Pulse on October 18, 2026.

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