For quite a while at Datchet, we’ve been thinking about using WhatsApp Groups at Open Meetings and Championships.
We have trialled it at a 10R Ranking and then at the DF95 Nationals. We used it for PRO announcements and live scoring after each race.
It was popular!
Click here to see what we learned :
Report to follow !!
We were experimenting with Parallel Scoring on both Excel HMS – and Afleet. Afleet for its ability to publish very fast from the finish line, directly into a competitor WhatsApp Group and Facebook (MYA Downwind). It was pretty successful (modest size fleet on this occasion), but we shall test it soon on a much bigger event and see how feasible it can be.
Lots of Clubs and Fleets will be using WhatsApp’s Groups facility to organise and especially encourage sailing turn-outs. I admit I hadn’t seen this little tool before.
It’s so easy to use, it’s embarrasing. It takes about 15 seconds to set up a poll in the group.
To set one up in your fleet:-
Any member can set up the poll. It doesn’t need the administrator.
1/ Look at your WhatsApp Group screen
2/ There is a + sign on the screen … press that. A list of options appears.
3/ Select the “Poll” option
4/ Type in your question … Tip : to get used to it at the outset, select a question wording that can accept answers of “Yes” “No”or “Maybe”. (You could also try different dates as options perhaps?)
5/ In the row that says “Alternative Answers” type “Yes” in the first row, “No” in the second row, then another new row will open up – type “Maybe” in there
6/ Press “Send”
Amazing – you get pretty fast feedback !!
Datchet Radio Sailing - Making It All Much Easier !! 