Primary Objective: Serve as the central hub for sailing that connects boat owners, race organizers, and crew while promoting fair racing through OpenVPP and free platform access.
Core User Personas:
- Boat Owners/Racers: Want to find races, track performance, connect with community
- Race Organizers: Need to manage events, build communities, attract participants
- Crew/Sailors: Seeking racing opportunities and connections with boat owners
- Sailing Organizations: Yacht clubs, class associations, regional bodies
"The Free Platform Connecting the Global Sailing Community"
"Find races • Organize events • Connect with crew • Track performance • All powered by fair, free OpenVPP ratings"
- Background: Dynamic sailing montage showing diverse sailing (racing fleets, crew working together, regatta management)
- Overlay Graphics: Subtle icons representing connection, racing, and community
- Live Activity Feed: Real-time ticker showing recent activities across the platform
- "Sarah joined the crew for Catalina 34 race in San Francisco"
- "Newport YC just posted their Fall Series registration"
- "45 boats registered for the Rolex Big Boat Series"
Three prominent path buttons:
-
"Find Races to Join" (Boat Owners/Racers)
- Subtext: "Discover regattas, series, and one-off races"
- Icon: Calendar/racing flag
-
"List My Race" (Race Organizers)
- Subtext: "Free event management and promotion"
- Icon: Megaphone/event
-
"Find a Boat to Race" (Crew)
- Subtext: "Connect with boats needing crew"
- Icon: People/handshake
- "Get My Boat's Rating" (OpenVPP focus)
- "Join the Community" (General signup)
"Everything Sailors Need in One Free Platform"
Column 1: Race Discovery & Management
- Icon: Calendar with sailing flag
- For Boat Owners: "Find races near you or plan sailing trips worldwide"
- For Organizers: "Manage registrations, scoring, and communications"
- Features:
- Global race calendar
- Advanced search and filtering
- Integrated registration system
- Live scoring and results
Column 2: Community & Networking
- Icon: Connected people/network
- For All Users: "Connect with sailors, find crew, build relationships"
- Features:
- Crew finder marketplace
- Local fleet communities
- Discussion forums
- Sailor profiles and ratings
Column 3: Fair Racing with OpenVPP
- Icon: Balance scales/fairness
- For Everyone: "Compete on a level playing field with transparent ratings"
- Features:
- Free OpenVPP ratings
- No hidden algorithms
- Self-reported measurements
- Performance tracking
Column 4: Performance Analytics
- Icon: Chart/analytics
- For Racers: "Track your sailing progress and analyze performance"
- Features:
- Race result history
- Performance trends
- Fleet comparisons
- Personal sailing statistics
Section Header: "Own a Boat? Here's Your Racing Command Center"
Two-Column Layout:
Left Column: Find Your Next Race
- Interactive Race Map: Shows nearby races and events
- Quick Filters: "This Weekend" "Distance Racing" "One Design" "PHRF"
- Personalized Suggestions: Based on boat type and location
- Features Highlight:
- Search races by date, location, boat class
- One-click registration with integrated payment
- Automatic entry into series standings
- Connect with other boat owners in your class
Right Column: Track Your Racing Success
- Performance Dashboard Preview: Sample charts showing race results over time
- Features Highlight:
- Comprehensive race history across all events
- PHRF/OpenVPP performance analysis
- Series points tracking
- Compare performance with similar boats
- CTA: "See How You Stack Up"
Quick Actions for Boat Owners:
- "Find Races Near Me"
- "Get My OpenVPP Rating"
- "Join My Local Fleet"
- "Find Crew for My Boat"
Section Header: "Organize Races Like a Pro - Completely Free"
Three-Column Feature Grid:
Event Management
- Icon: Clipboard/checklist
- Features:
- Event creation and promotion
- Registration management
- Entry fee collection
- Document hosting (NOR, SI)
- Benefit: "Reduce administrative work by 80%"
Live Scoring & Results
- Icon: Stopwatch/timer
- Features:
- Real-time scoring entry
- Automatic results publication
- Protest management
- Series standings tracking
- Benefit: "Results published instantly as boats finish"
Community Building
- Icon: Community/users
- Features:
- Fleet communication tools
- Member management
- Social event coordination
- Sponsor recognition tools
- Benefit: "Build stronger sailing communities"
Success Metrics Display:
- "500+ successful events managed"
- "45,000+ race registrations processed"
- "Zero platform fees - ever"
Organizer Quick Actions:
- "Create My First Event"
- "Explore Management Tools"
- "See How Other Clubs Use Racing.org"
Section Header: "Find Your Next Sailing Adventure"
Two-Column Layout:
Left Column: Crew Opportunities
- Live Crew Board: Current crew openings with filters
- Location, boat type, experience level, race type
- Featured Opportunities:
- "Experienced crew needed for Big Boat Series"
- "Learn to race - no experience required"
- "Regular Wednesday night crew position available"
- Crew Profiles: How sailors market themselves to boat owners
Right Column: Build Your Sailing Resume
- Sailor Profile Preview: Example of how crew showcase experience
- Features:
- Track your racing experience
- Get recommendations from skippers
- Showcase your skills and availability
- Connect with sailing community
- Networking Tools: Join local sailing groups and discussions
Crew Quick Actions:
- "Browse Crew Opportunities"
- "Create My Sailor Profile"
- "Join Local Sailing Groups"
- "Connect with Boat Owners"
"Fair Racing Starts with Fair Ratings - Introducing OpenVPP"
Transparency
- Icon: Open book/eye
- Problem: "Traditional ratings hide their calculations"
- Solution: "OpenVPP shows exactly how ratings are calculated"
- Benefit: "No secrets, no politics, just math"
Accuracy
- Icon: Target/precision
- Problem: "Old systems don't reflect modern boat performance"
- Solution: "OpenVPP uses modern velocity prediction programs"
- Benefit: "More accurate handicapping = closer racing"
Free Forever
- Icon: Gift/free
- Problem: "Rating fees create barriers to racing"
- Solution: "OpenVPP is completely free for everyone"
- Benefit: "More boats racing = better competition"
Simple Three-Step Process:
- "Measure Your Boat" - "30-minute guided process"
- "Community Validation" - "Peer review for accuracy"
- "Start Racing" - "Use your rating at any OpenVPP event"
Quick Stats:
- "12,847 boats already rated"
- "98.7% measurement accuracy"
- "Zero cost - always"
"Join Thousands of Sailors Worldwide"
- "45,000+ registered sailors"
- "500+ yacht clubs using the platform"
- "12,000+ races managed"
- "25,000+ crew connections made"
Story Types:
- Yacht club that increased participation using Racing.org
- Sailor who found regular crew positions through the platform
- Race organizer who simplified their regatta management
- Boat owner who discovered new racing opportunities
- Visual map showing platform usage worldwide
- Regional highlights: "Most active regions: San Francisco Bay, Chesapeake, Great Lakes, Mediterranean"
- Growth indicators: "New clubs joining daily"
"Ready to Join? Choose Your Path"
I Own a Racing Boat
- Primary Goal: Find races and track performance
- Quick Start:
- Add your boat to the platform
- Get your OpenVPP rating
- Find upcoming races
- Connect with local fleet
- Time to Value: "Racing in your first event: This weekend"
- CTA: "Set Up My Racing Profile"
I Organize Races
- Primary Goal: Manage events and build community
- Quick Start:
- Create your organization profile
- Post your first event
- Set up registration and scoring
- Invite your sailing community
- Time to Value: "First event published: 15 minutes"
- CTA: "Create My First Event"
I Want to Race (Need Crew Spot)
- Primary Goal: Find boats and racing opportunities
- Quick Start:
- Create sailor profile
- Browse crew opportunities
- Connect with boat owners
- Join local sailing discussions
- Time to Value: "First crew opportunity: Today"
- CTA: "Find Racing Opportunities"
I Run a Yacht Club/Organization
- Primary Goal: Manage club racing and membership
- Quick Start:
- Set up organization page
- Import member database
- Create race series
- Build community engagement
- Time to Value: "Full club platform: 1 hour"
- CTA: "Get Organization Tools"
"We're Here to Help You Succeed"
For New Users
- Getting Started Guide: Step-by-step tutorials for each user type
- Video Walkthroughs: "How to" videos for common tasks
- Live Onboarding: Scheduled help sessions for organizations
- Community Mentors: Experienced users helping newcomers
For Ongoing Success
- 24/7 Support Chat: Technical help and guidance
- Community Forums: User-to-user assistance and tips
- Feature Requests: Community-driven platform development
- Best Practices: Learn from successful organizations
- "How to Organize Your First Regatta"
- "Building a Successful Sailing Club Community"
- "Crew Etiquette and Racing Tips"
- "Understanding OpenVPP Ratings"
Race Management Tools
- Registration and payment processing
- Scoring and results publication
- Communication tools
- Document management
- Sponsor integration
Community Features
- Discussion forums and groups
- Crew finder marketplace
- Event calendar integration
- Social sharing tools
- Member directories
Analytics & Reporting
- Performance tracking
- Participation analytics
- Fleet statistics
- Engagement metrics
- Custom reporting
Integration Capabilities
- Calendar sync (Google, Outlook)
- Social media integration
- Payment processing
- Email marketing tools
- Mobile apps
"Join the Future of Sailing"
Primary Actions (Large Buttons):
- "Start Racing Today" (General signup)
- "List My Next Event" (For organizers)
- "Find Crew Opportunities" (For sailors)
Secondary Actions:
- "Take the Platform Tour" (5-minute walkthrough)
- "Schedule a Demo" (For organizations)
- "Join the Community Forum" (Low-commitment entry)
- "100% Free Platform"
- "No Setup Fees, No Transaction Fees"
- "Global Sailing Community"
- "Fair Racing with OpenVPP"
For Racers
- Find Races
- Get Boat Rating
- Track Performance
- Join Community
For Organizers
- Create Events
- Management Tools
- Pricing (Free!)
- Success Stories
For Crew
- Find Opportunities
- Create Profile
- Sailing Groups
- Safety Resources
About Platform
- About Racing.org
- OpenVPP Explained
- Community Guidelines
- Contact & Support
- Single Primary Headline: "The Free Sailing Platform"
- Tabbed Navigation: Switch between "Race" "Organize" "Crew" views
- Location-Based: "Find sailing near you" with GPS integration
- Quick Actions: Large, thumb-friendly buttons for primary tasks
- Push Notifications: Race alerts, crew opportunities, weather updates
- Camera Integration: Easy photo sharing from regattas
- GPS Integration: Location-based race and crew finding
- Offline Capability: Access key information without connectivity
This revised hierarchy positions Racing.org as a comprehensive sailing platform while giving each persona clear pathways to value, with OpenVPP as a key differentiator rather than the only focus.