About
Sailwave is a comprehensive sailing results and scoring platform created in 2001 by Colin Jenkins and actively developed since 2012 by Jon Eskdale. Trusted by clubs, classes, and championship organizers worldwide, it is fully compliant with World Sailing Racing Rules (RRS 2025–2029 Appendix A) and supports everything from local dinghy racing to Olympic-level medal races. The software offers a fast, intuitive data entry experience through its Sail Number Wizard, and handles a wide variety of race formats including fleets, flights, qualifier/final series, round-robins, and medal races. It supports disciplines such as yachts, dinghies, windsurfing, foiling, kite-surfing, land yachts, model boats, and virtual sailing regattas. Key capabilities include elapsed time and place scoring, built-in support for major rating systems (RYA PY/NHC, SCHRS, PHRF, IRC, CHS, ECHO, and more), user-definable rating expressions, and rich publishing options — HTML, Word, Excel, email, and direct FTP/SFTP/SSH upload. Integration with World Sailing, the RYA, and the Irish Sailing Association is also supported. Sailwave runs natively on all Windows versions and is compatible with Linux, Intel Macs, and Intel Chromebooks (with Apple Silicon support via Parallels). It is completely free to use, with optional community donations, and offers multilingual support through downloadable locale files. A vibrant Sailwave User Group (SUG) provides community support.
Key Features
- Comprehensive Race Format Support: Handles fleets, flights, qualifier/final series, round-robins, and Olympic medal races across sailing disciplines including dinghies, yachts, windsurfing, foiling, and virtual regattas.
- Built-in Rating Systems: Supports RYA PY & NHC, SCHRS, PHRF (TOD & TOT), IRC, CHS, ECHO, USSA PN, and many more, plus user-definable rating expressions for custom handicap schemes.
- Flexible Publishing & Integration: Publish results to HTML, Word, Excel, and email; upload directly via FTP/SFTP/SSH; submit XML results to World Sailing; and integrate with the RYA and Irish Sailing Association.
- Fast Data Entry with Sail Number Wizard: Streamlined data entry tool allows race officers to input finishing positions and retirement codes quickly and accurately, even under time pressure at events.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Runs natively on all Windows versions; also compatible with Linux, Intel-based Macs, Intel Chromebooks, and Apple Silicon Macs via Parallels.
Use Cases
- Managing scoring and results for local sailing club races and series across multiple fleets and handicap systems.
- Running national or world championship regattas with qualifier/finals structures, round-robins, and Olympic medal races fully compliant with World Sailing rules.
- Publishing real-time regatta results to a club website or the Sailwave results folder via automated FTP/SFTP upload.
- Submitting official results and RYA returns electronically to governing bodies such as World Sailing, the RYA, or the Irish Sailing Association.
- Scoring multi-discipline events including windsurfing, kite-surfing, and virtual sailing regattas using flexible format and rating configurations.
Pros
- Completely Free to Use: Sailwave is available at no cost with optional community donations, making professional-grade scoring accessible to clubs of all sizes and budgets.
- World Sailing Compliant: Fully aligned with World Sailing RRS 2025–2029 Appendix A, ensuring results are valid for national and international championships.
- Active Community & Support: The Sailwave User Group (SUG) provides a friendly, experienced community forum for help, advice, and access to the latest beta versions.
- Extensive Rating & Format Flexibility: Supports a wide range of built-in and user-definable rating systems alongside multiple race formats, covering virtually every type of sailing competition.
Cons
- Windows-Primary Design: While Linux and Mac usage is possible, Apple Silicon Mac users require Parallels, and the experience is most seamless on Windows.
- Niche Use Case: Sailwave is purpose-built for sailing event scoring and offers little utility outside of that specific domain.
- No Native Mobile App: There is no iOS or Android app, limiting on-the-water or on-the-go access without a laptop or desktop device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sailwave really free?
Yes, Sailwave is completely free to download and use. The developers welcome optional donations to support ongoing development, but there is no cost or subscription required.
Which rating systems does Sailwave support?
Sailwave has built-in support for RYA PY & NHC, USSA PN, SCHRS, Texel, PHRF (TOD & TOT), IRC/IRM, CHS, ECHO, Victorian, General TCF, RORC, and more. Users can also define custom rating systems using flexible expressions.
Can Sailwave be used on Mac or Linux?
Yes. Sailwave runs natively on all Windows versions and is also compatible with Linux and Intel-based Macs. Apple Silicon Mac users can run it via Parallels.
What sailing disciplines does Sailwave support?
Sailwave supports yachts, dinghies, windsurfing, foiling, kite-surfing, land yachts, model boats, and virtual sailing regattas, making it versatile for virtually all competitive sailing formats.
How can I publish results from Sailwave?
Results can be published to HTML, Word, Excel, and email. You can also upload directly to the Sailwave results folder, send to World Sailing via XML, upload via FTP/SFTP/SSH/FTPS, and post to Yachts & Yachting — all from within the application.
