We Know Where You Are!

YB Tracking

One of the benefits of sailing in a World Cruising Club rally is the loan of a YB tracker. These neat little transponders operate on the Iridium satellite network, collecting position, speed and direction information.

The YB trackers were first used in 2009 for the ARC racing division and subsequently rolled out to every rally fleet. The advantage of the YB system is that the units have their own power supply, so even if your yacht is affected by a power outage or you need to transfer to a liferaft, the YB continues to send the data. For long rallies like World ARC, the YB can be provided with a permanent or temporary feed from your boat batteries, and fixed units are also available.

With a YB3 handheld tracker, all the skipper needs to do is to attach the waterproof tracker to the pushpit or aft frame, where it gets a clear view of the sky. That's it.

Why Track the Yachts

World Cruising Club needs to know where the boats are for safety purposes and to ensure we're ready to welcome you on arrival! In an emergency, the information from the YB trackers is used to monitor the casualty vessel and to identify rally boats that could assist if needed.

The information we receive is also available to your friends and family at home. They can follow the action on the rally web page using the Fleet Viewer, or download the free YB Races app from the app store.

The boat positions are usually polled by the system every four hours, and usually hourly when close to the start and finish. In an emergency, World Cruising Club and the YB team can request more regular updates for one or more of the fleet. Polling periods may vary between rallies.

What is YB Connect?

The YB tracker can be used to send and receive simple messages via an app on your mobile phone. This is a cheap way for crew to stay in touch with friends, without using the yacht's Starlink or satphone. 

The user simply downloads the YB Connect app from the app store, then buys message credits. Each crew member can have their own YB Connect account, and there is no restriction on the number of YB Connect accounts using a tracker.

About YB Tracking

YB trackers aren't just used on sailing rallies and races, but also ocean rowing, motorsports, skiing, treking and almost any personal adventure or organised event. If you have your own YB, we can connect that to our Fleet Viewer so you have the same benefit as the rest of the fleet.

YB Tracking website