Analyzing Your Races

We train so we can win more races. Race analysis is a powerful feature in ChartedSails, and we've worked hard to make it intuitive and insightful.

We have prepared a short video covering this topic, or you can skip ahead to the written instructions below.

The Easy Path: Mark Pings and Race Timer

If you used the ChartedSails mobile app or a GPS device that supports mark pinging (like Velocitek or Vakaros), a lot of the setup is already done for you.

Mark positions: When you pinged marks during the race, ChartedSails knows where the marks are. You don't need to manually drag marks around — they're already in the right place.

Start time: If you used the race timer in the mobile app or your GPS device, ChartedSails already knows when the race started. No need to fine-tune the time with arrow keys.

This is why we recommend getting into the habit of pinging marks and using the race timer — it makes post-race analysis almost effortless.

Manual Race Setup

If you didn't ping marks or use the race timer, you can still set up the race manually. ChartedSails makes this straightforward:

Step 1: Highlight the Race on the Timeline

• Find the approximate beginning of the start sequence
• Click and hold to make a selection around the entire race

Step 2: Define the Start Line and Time

• Click the "Create Race" button
• ChartedSails automatically positions the start line using your GPS data
• To adjust the line: hover over a mark and drag it to the correct position
• To adjust the start time: click the time field and use arrow keys for second-by-second precision

Step 3: Define the Race Course

• Click "Add Mark" to define each leg of the race
• ChartedSails estimates mark positions from your track, but you can adjust as needed
• A red track indicates a mark rounding issue - move the mark until the track flows smoothly around it

Common Issues and Solutions

When defining your race course, you might encounter these common challenges:

• Problem: Red track indicates boat not reaching the mark

• Solution: Move the mark closer to where your boat actually rounded

• Problem: Track loops around mark multiple times

• Solution: Ensure you're placing the mark at the correct location where you actually rounded it

• Problem: Start line appears at wrong angle

• Solution: Use the rotation handle to adjust the angle of the start line

Pro Tip

Set aside 15-30 minutes after each race day to define your races in ChartedSails while the details are fresh in your mind. If you use the mark pinging and race timer features, this will take much less time.

What's Next?

Now that you've set up your race in ChartedSails, you're ready to extract valuable insights from the data. Continue to the next section to learn about turning your race into numbers that you can use to improve your performance.