Ronstan Gauges
Ronstan Gauges: Race-Ready Timekeeping for Serious Sailors
When it comes to sailing instrumentation, few names carry the authority of Ronstan. Founded in 1953 by sailors Ron Allatt and Stan Lenepveu in Melbourne, Australia, the company's initial focus on wooden-hulled boats quickly expanded to include manufacturing high-quality deck fittings — setting the foundation for Ronstan's enduring reputation. Today, that same engineering DNA runs through every product in their Gauges lineup.
The ClearStart™ Family: Purpose-Built for the Starting Line
Ronstan's flagship gauge offering is the celebrated ClearStart™ range — a suite of sailing watches and race timers engineered specifically for competitive sailors. The ClearStart™ sailing watches are specifically designed with the racing sailor in mind, combining contemporary styling with true sailing functionality. This isn't a generic sports watch repurposed for the water; every feature exists to give sailors a measurable edge at the start line.
The ClearStart™ lineup spans several distinct products. The RF4055 ClearStart™ Sailing Watch is available in 40mm and 50mm face sizes across multiple colorways. They feature large buttons, easy-to-read displays, and advanced intuitive programming — developed with input from some of the world's top sailors. The RF4050 ClearStart™ Race Timer takes things further with a dedicated cockpit-mount design: the entire ClearStart™ range features oversized digit displays for easy viewing, with the Race Timer presenting 16mm (5/8") numbers that can be easily viewed by the crew when mounted on the boom or mast base, while the 50mm watch still offers 13mm (1/2") digits readable at a glance without taking your hand off the helm.
One of the standout features across the ClearStart™ lineup is the SYNC function. Racing sailors know it can be hard to start a watch at the exact second the start sequence is commenced — but with ClearStart's SYNC function, you can quickly re-synchronise to the official race time. This alone can make the difference between a perfect start and a costly penalty.
Race-mode capabilities include multiple start sequence options — World Sailing 5,4,1,0, Match Racing, and User Set — a synchronisation function, multi-line display showing Start Sequences and Time simultaneously, and loud, intuitive countdown and start sound signals. Water resistance is rated at 5 ATM (50m/150ft) for the digital watches and timers, making them genuinely capable in wet conditions.
For sailors who want to transition from the cockpit to the boardroom without changing watches, Ronstan also offers the RF4056 ClearStart™ Analogue Watch. The RF4056 is the perfect daily accessory, equally at home in the office or on the water, featuring a matte black finish with red accents and a high-quality Japanese quartz movement protected by a durable 2mm hard mineral crystal lens. It is water resistant to 10 ATM and includes a five-minute chronograph countdown function along with 24-hour time and date.
Why Choose Ronstan for Gauges?
Internationally, Ronstan is one of the top three sailboat hardware brands in the world, instantly recognized and respected in 45 countries. Their gauges reflect the same philosophy applied to their blocks, shackles, and rigging hardware: innovative designs developed through real-world testing. Whether you're racing a dinghy at your local yacht club or competing on the international regatta circuit, Ronstan's ClearStart™ gauges deliver the precision and reliability that serious sailors demand.