It is connected to a computer with special software, via waterproof cable, on the boat:
Then each jet ski is outfitted with a little transponder, and every time the jet ski crosses the Start/Finish line, the transponder communicates with the antennae below.
Here's the Start/Finish line....
As the jet skis (or boats, as the racers call 'em) do their thing on the course, we are on the boat next to the Start/Finish line, watching the computer to be sure it is communicating with each transponder. Also, we're keeping a hand-written record of the race numbers as they go by. That's a good thing, because you never know when someone's transponder is gonna fail to "blip" as they go by us. And in a 300 mile race, with 10 mile laps, you're gonna want to count every single lap. Sheesh.
In the past, our scoring was entirely by hand on clipboards, and that meant a lot of writing. Three people would be stationed on the boat, with their clipboards, logging numbers. Then we'd spend HOURS afterward counting up everyone's laps. HOURS. Really. Now with the computer and transponders we can merely verify the numbers as they're posting. Genius. And the hand-written log sheets are just there for safety. I like that more than coconut cream pie.
We celebrated with a nice BBQ at sunset...
BBQ....
Sunset...
