Introduction

This user guide covers Njord's two main products:

• Njord Analytics, a web-based sailing analytics app
• Njord Player, a PC and Mac app to combine video and data for a visual debriefing of your sailing day

Njord Analytics and Njord Player work well together, and some aspects work very similar in both apps. See Loading Boat Data.

For help with your user account, see Your Njord Account.

Make sure to use the search feature of this user guide (loupe icon above) to find relevant sections.

Getting More Help

In case this document does not answer your question, please contact us via email to support@sailnjord.com.

Your Njord Account

To use either Njord Analytics or Njord Player, you need a Njord user account which is tied to your email address.

Signing Up

1. Visit app.sailnjord.com/login and select Sign Up
2. Enter your email address and a password of your choice
3. You will receive an email with a confirmation code
4. Enter this code in the signup form to complete the signup

When signing up fails, you may already have a user account with that email address, perhaps because someone invited you a while ago. In that case, try resetting your password (see below).

In Case You Don't Remember Your Password

1. Visit app.sailnjord.com/login and select Reset Password
2. Enter your email address and click Reset Password
3. You will receive an email with a confirmation code
4. Enter this code and a new password of your choice to complete the password reset

Overview

Njord Analytics and Njord Player support the same types of files for loading data, and the process to load data looks the same in both Njord Analytics and Njord Player.

You can find the full list of supported data types at www.sailnjord.com/data-sources.

Metrics

Below is a list of all standard Njord metric names. These have special meaning in the software, are used to calculate derived metrics, and some features are only enabled when these metrics are present.

When loading data from any data source, we will rename data to match these standard metrics. When importing data in CSV format, name the CSV columns to match the metric names below for the best experience.

Depending on the data source, you can include any number of additional metrics with custom names. They will all be shown in the software, but don't carry any special meaning.

Formulas

The formula syntax below can be used to add calculated variables when loading data:

• In the upload screen in Njord Player or Njord Analytics
• In Njord Analytics, modify already uploaded data by selecting the uploaded data segment (Data section), and select Process
• In Njord Analytics, configure one or more formulas to be applied every time data is uploaded to a certain boat. Set this up under Boat - Settings - Process

Examples

Operators

Functions

Note: all function names are case insensitive and may be written in lower case too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a smoothing function for wind data? E.g. 5s, 10s, 15s, 30s averaging of wind coming from dinghy masts to remove noise?

When loading data and adding a wind data file (set file purpose: "Wind Data"), go to the file settings panel via the Info symbol in the uploaded files list. You can enter a custom amount of damping (in seconds) there.

Overview

Njord Analytics is a web-based application that can be used from any modern browser and operating system. You can upload boat log data from anywhere, and share with your team.

Analytics Visualization Types

Njord Analytics offers a variety of different visualization types which are available in different contexts, depending on the required data and the nature of the visualization.

Table

Available In Entire Day, individual races/trainings

Displays a tabular view showing data at configurable time intervals.

Table Configuration Options

• Interval: determines the time interval of rows displayed in the table; starting at the start time of the selected race, training or day.
• Displayed Metrics: determines the columns displayed in the table
• Show Averages: when selected, displays the average (mean) of values in the interval preceding each row's timestamp. Otherwise, the momentary value at each row's timestamp is displayed (using interpolation, if required).
• Exclude Maneuvers: when selected, excludes data before and after maneuvers (configurable in the boat's filter settings).

Line Chart

Available In Entire Day, individual races/trainings

Displays a line chart (strip chart) of one or more metrics for the selected time range.

Where targets are available, they are automatically shown as a grey line together with the the main variable (e.g. BoatSpeed and TargetBoatSpeed).

Hover over the chart to highlight a point in time and get an instant reading at that time.

Click and drag on the chart area to create one or more highlighted time ranges. An instant average is shown. Click the save icon at the bottom of the area to save the highlighted time range as a new training.

Click on the +/- buttons or use the slider at the bottom of the view to zoom into the chart.

Note that for bearing metrics like TWD, COG, or Heading, a continuous line is drawn where the value wraps around 0/360 degrees. The Y axis may span more than 360 degrees in case of multiple consecutive "turns" of the bearing value.

Line Chart Configuration Options

• Select one or more metrics, which will be shown as a vertical stack of individual line charts
• Damping: applies damping to the data with a damping/moving average window size of 1/100th of the displayed time range.

Scatter Chart

Available In Entire Day, Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Performance Database

Displays a scatter chart (X/Y chart) plotting data points by two selected metrics (X and Y axis).

In all modes except the performance database, data is automatically averaged into phases of a specific duration, to achieve a reasonable number of datapoints in the chart.

Hover over a data point to see a tooltip with exact values and the corresponding timestamp / phase duration.

Scatter Chart Configuration Options

• X and Y metric: determine which metrics are used to plot points in the chart
• Fit Curve: overlays a polynomial fit of the chosen order onto each data series, which may help indentify trends in a dataset or compare different datasets (port vs. starboard or different boats)
• Targets: displays a purple line showing the targets for the chosen Y metric (select TWS as the X metric). Targets can be either from the log file itself, or from a polar/targets configured for the boat.
• Performance Database: adds data series for comparison from the boat's performance database
• Color by Tack: breaks down the data points into separate port/starboard data series for comparison
• Highlight Top VMG%: adds a yellow highlight to all data points whose VMG% (percentage of VMG target) lies within the top 10 percentiles of VMG% of the entire dataset
• Exclude Maneuvers: excludes any data points that lie before and after maneuvers (configurable in the boat's filter settings)
• Filter: define additional filters to narrow the data in the chart, e.g. to remove outliers that disturb the analysis

Map

Available In Entire Day, Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings

Shows the track of one or more selected boats and any marks of the race/leg on a map.

Use the highlight mode and click on a track twice to mark a time range. You can save this highlighted time range as a new training.

Use the distance measurement mode and click on the map twice to highlight and measure a distance and bearing.

Click on the bearing control to select the "up" orientation of the map. Some options may not be available if either TWD data is missing or a race course has not been entered.

Map Mode: Speed

Click on the speed legend to change which metric is used to color the boat's track.

Map Mode: Tactical

In Tactical mode, the width of the track represents true wind speed (TWS, in the range shown in the legend, 10.5 to 17.5 kts in this example), and the color of the track represents shifts in true wind direction (TWD, around the average shown in the legend, 337 deg in this example).

Click on the color legend to select a coloring mode, either port/starboard or lifts/headers.

Map Tool: Ladders

When two boats are selected, click on the Ladders button to enable ladders between their tracks (connecting the boat's positions at equal times).

Map Tool: Maneuvers

Click on the Maneuvers button to show all analyzable maneuvers on the map, with maneuver loss calculated from average COG/SOG before the maneuver, and when zoomed in, a visualization of the loss calculation. Refer to the maneuver report for more details.

Statistics / Gain Loss

Available In Entire Day, Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings

Displays detailed statistics for selected metrics (average/mean, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation - a measure of the amount of variation of a set of values).

Supports comparing two boats (primary boat in blue, secondary boat in orange in this example).

Displays a gain/loss analysis for two boats for a selected time range (lineup). Gain is broken down into the forward direction (boat's heading), upward (perpendicular to forward direction), and the resulting gain (VMG, in TWD direction).

Targets

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Performance Database, Entire Day

Requires True wind speed (TWS) data

Displays a performance metric (BoatSpeed in this example) for either Upwind or Downwind data for all available true wind speed (TWS) buckets. The range of those performance metric values (min/max) in each TWS bucket determines the lower and upper end of the colored area.

The bold line represents the average of that data, which may optionally be calculated only from a subset of data in each TWS bucket. For example, you could chose to average only the top 30% of data in each bucket by VMG, which would represent your "best data" and would be suitable to determine more "ambitious" targets for the selected performance metrics, compared to averaging all data in each TWS bucket (adjust the "Percentiles" setting).

Displays targets from configured polars for the selected boat as purple lines for comparison.

Polar Diagram

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Performance Database, Entire Day

Requires True wind angle and speed (TWA/TWS) data

Displays BoatSpeed data relative to true wind angle (TWA) in certain true wind speed (TWS) buckets in a radial diagram.

Two labeled points on each TWS line represent the upwind/downwind angles with best VMG (target boat speed).

Consider limiting the visualization to only a small handful of TWS buckets, especially when comparing different performance database entries, or when comparing port to starboard data (enable Color by Tack in the settings menu), to keep the diagram readable.

Consider increasing the Smoothing setting if you have limited data and lines appear jagged. However, for best results, the more data you can collect the better.

Use the Speed Metric configuration menu to select either BoatSpeed or SOG as the speed metric.

Use the zoom buttons or your mouse wheel to zoom into crowded areas.

Use the Download button to download the polar data in one of the supported polar file formats:

• Expedition
• B&G
• Deckman
• Adrena
• ORC
• SailGrib

Bin Table

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Performance Database, Entire Day

Groups data into bins (buckets) along two configurable metrics. In each bin, a configurable aggregation is displayed (in this example, the average/mean, and count of values).

You can let a certain number of bins be automatically determined by from the range of data, or enter custom bin boundaries.

Correlation

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Performance Database, Entire Day

Explore how various metrics correlate and discover different ways to achieve your best performance in different conditions.

Sails / Comments

Available In Entire Day, individual races/trainings

Fleet Race

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event

Requires Races with complete race course (start line, marks, finish line)

Displays the average mark ranks, start line positions and distance sailed / time taken of each boat in the fleet.

A variant of this view is also available for each race individually, in a Fleet Race Report.

Maneuvers

Available In Only Races, Aggregate all Dates in Event, individual races/trainings, Entire Day

Displays a table of maneuvers of the selected maneuver type (tacks, gybes, turn ups, bear aways). The line chart(s) below show the values of selected Line Chart Metrics superimposed and aligned around the time of each maneuver (head to wind or TWA = 0, unless configured otherwise). Click on any maneuver to highlight it in the charts and table.

Adding Wind Data

If there is no wind instrument on your boat that can be recorded in the boat's log file, there are 3 ways to add True Wind Direction (TWD) data to the analysis.

Setting TWD to a Fixed Value

Even when wind data is not otherwise available or cannot be inferred, adding a fixed values for TWD can enhance the data and provide TWA and VMG estimates. Choose "Use a fixed wind direction" in the upload form.

Adding in TWD from Other Sources

When sailing small boats, it can often be easiest to measure true wind from off the boat, such as from a coach boat or nearby buoy. Wind data can be uploaded in any of the supported formats (select File Purpose: Wind Data in the upload form).

Using Inferred TWD

Use the TWD Inference feature to let the system infer True Wind Direction throughout the day. It uses maneuver angles from tacks and gybes, and will also follow wind shifts when sailing straight. Having TWD data available (even if only estimated), unlocks features such as VMG gain/loss analysis which can be performed on any part of a test or lineup.

What's New in Njord Analytics?

Note: for changes to Njord Player, refer to the version-specific changelog on our website.

May 2023

• Improved support for reading the start timer from Vakaros files

April 2023

• New Maneuvers view type, similar to the Maneuver Report. This enables quicker access and deeper analysis of maneuvers, including the ability to highlight the maneuver timestamp across analytics views.
• Extended download options in Polar Diagram view, offering polar file download in Expedition, B&G, Deckman, Adrena, ORC and SailGrib formats

• Added a form to send messages to Njord Support and find suggested help content, accessible at https://www.sailnjord.com/support/ and via the Message Support item in the cogwheel menu

March 2023

• New views in any event / race date: Entire Day and Only Races
  • Entire Day shows the full 24 hours of the selected day, which is useful to get an overview of your day using views like the Map view or Line Chart view
  • Only Races and its sub-items Only Trainings and Only Races & Trainings only show combined data between the start and end time of all races (and/or trainings, as chosen) of that day. This is useful to visualise the overall performance for your day using views like Targets, Polar Diagram or Scatter Chart. For best results, make sure that your trainings are trimmed to "good sailing sections" and races are trimmed to start time (gun time) and to the time your boat crossed the finish line, this limits performance analysis to "good" data only.
  • The Aggregated Data / Multiple Races view (showing data across multiple days of the same event) has been moved below Only Races and works in a similar manner

• Editing/trimming races has moved to the Trim Races entry and has been improved with a race selector, the capability to enter multi-day races and to upload mark files for easier mark input
• The Targets view for analysing upwind/downwind targets is now available outside the performance database, for any single race and in the Only Races/Multi Races section (requires upwind/downwind filter)
• The Scatter Chart and Correlation view types are now available in the performance database
• Most race views have gained an upwind/downwind and port/starboard filter control (top bar) to help you narrow down your analysis in views such as the Scatter Chart view faster

• Data loading speed of the Table view has been improved
• Map view gains the ability to show maneuver loss, activated via the Maneuvers button. It uses our "maneuver loss from COG" method, for more details refer to the maneuver report.

February 2023

• New Polar Diagram view type, in event/race view and performance database (with ability to compare different boats, or multiple events)

• Bin Table view type now available in the performance database
• Ladders button in map to show "ladder" connecting boat's tracks in a lineup of two boats:

• Line Chart supporting more than two boats, and more than two metrics at a time
• New license checkout form makes it easy to find the best price for a certain usage period; allows pre-paying for a fixed usage period
• ROLLINGSUM() function

January 2023

• Download button in maneuver report to export maneuver data in CSV or XLS format
• SIN() and COS() functions
• Live Map showing all online boats and wind stations that you have access to (custom setup required)
• Tool to measure distance and bearing on map:

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I add additional data (like heart rate) once a base log file has been uploaded?

To augment data or change any other settings that you made during the initial upload, go to the uploaded file (under Data) then click on the link "Uploaded by ... at ...", then select "Augment uploaded files". You will be able to add (or remove) files from the upload, and finally click "Update Data".

How do I access calibration info (e.g. difference between TWA tack to tack and HDG tack to tack and TWS upwind to downwind, etc)?

The Njord Analytics single boat report contains a calibration report which contains data to help with compass, paddlewheel and wind instrument calibration.

You can create a single boat report via the left hand panel, or via the cogwheel menu ("Edit Reports"). You will find the calibration report at the very bottom of the report main page.

Do you have an app that coaches can use for speaking in coach comments?

We offer text input for coach comments, which you can do by accessing https://app.sailnjord.com/ on your mobile phone.

For hands-free use on the water, consider using the dictation feature of your phone to let your speech be transcribed into a text comment.

Is it possible to see HDG-COG?

If you want to see a HDG-COG number in all chart types, you can calculate it like so:

• Go to the uploaded data segment; select Process
• Select Add Metric, then Custom Formula
• Enter HDG-COG = Heading - COG
• Press Apply

You can also see HDG-COG in the calibration report without performing the steps above.

My Velocitek is mounted on the cockpit side, how can I add 90 degrees to Heading to ensure that it is correct?

You can change Heading data like so:

• Go to the uploaded data segment; select Process
• Select Add Metric, then Custom Formula
• Enter Heading = Heading + 90
• Press Apply

Heading values will be re-aligned to the 0..360 degrees range after adding 90 degrees.

When setting up the course, is the bearing "from previous element" taken from the starboard end, port end, or middle of the line?

For course elements consisting of two marks (start line, finish line and gates), the center point between the two marks is used to calculate bearing from/to the previous/next course element.

How can I cut a race from a long day's track?

The All Day view helps you to trim a long day's track into relevant training segment or races for further analysis.

• Use the controls in the timeline to restrict the tracks displayed to the approximate time of the race you want to cut out
• Click and drag on the lower part of the timeline to let the boats move along the track
• Click on the track of the boat once to mark the start time, using recognizable maneuvers such as the prestart phase to guide you. As you hover over the track to find the end time, you will see a preview of the race track
• Click on the track another time to mark the end time
• Adjust the start and end time as needed, for example to round the start time to the full minute
• Enter a name for the race and click Create

What do I need to do to see an event in the performance database?

Events need to be added to the performance database first. Click on "Phases Database", then "New Phases Collection". You will be asked which races of that event to include (you could exclude practice races, for example, which is why events are not added to the performance database automatically).

Is there any way to output a GPX file of the race data?

Unfortunately, we don't support exporting data to GPX files yet. Supported export formats include CSV and Bravo file formats.

Does Njord Analytics run on iPad?

Njord Analytics runs on any modern browser, including on iPads.

Do you support yardstick / ratings?

No. Any calculations showing the rank of boats, such as in the Fleet Race Report, assume the boats are identical.

Do I need to recreate the report after changing a race's course?

You don't need to make a new report after adjusting the marks. Simply refresh the report page in your browser and the new course will apply.

How can I add sails, and delete old sails?

You can enter your sails, and enter new sails, in Njord Analytics using one of the 3 following methods:

1. On the water, use the live sail input page - it's accessible when navigating to your boat and choosing "Live Coach Tools"
2. When selecting any race or training, go to the annotations view, click "Edit Sails Usage", you can enter new sails there
3. When using any software to record events on the water, such as Expedition or KND, you can import the events file with your log file and the sail changes from that file will show up

You can rename and remove sails on the Sail Database page.

How do I send a Njord Analytics report to my team?

You need to add people to the boat first, you can do that under Data, then select your boat, then Settings - Permissions and enter the team's email addresses there.

All users that have access to the boat will also be able to access the report by visiting Njord Analytics. You can also have them notified via email with a direct link to the report. To do that, go to the report, and click on the share button next to the title. Select the people you want to send the email to and click Send Notification Emails.

Is it possible to set a manual TWD for each leg?

You may enter a fixed TWD for the entire day when loading data, or, In Njord Analytics, you can also use the TWD inference feature.

You may also use the INTERPOLATED(SERIES(...)) Formula.

In the comparison with another boat, sometimes the boat that loses meters ("VMG gain") has a higher average VMG - why?

It's a different calculation... "VMG gain" is calculated from the start & end position, using the TWD (average TWD, from both boats) as the reference bearing. "Average VMG" that you see in the table above is taking each boat's TWA & Boatspeed, calculating the instantaneous VMG along the track, and averaging that. In principle the winning boat should have higher average VMG, but that is only true when there are no wind shifts during the tests and both boat's wind instruments are perfectly calibrated. This is rarely the case, that's why such a small deviation is not unexpected. Place higher trust in the "VMG gain" value in this case.

How can I add a boat to an event?

Option 1:

• Go to the event
• From the cogwheel menu (bottom right) select "Edit Event"
• Add the boat to the "Boats" field
• Click "Update"

Option 2

• Go to the boat and select a relevant segment of uploaded data
• Uncheck "Show events with boat only"
• Find the event you want to add the boat to, and click "Add boat to this event"

Overview

Njord Player is a document-based application. When launching the app, you will start with an empty document. It is recommended to add boat data and media assets from a single race or racing day to a document only, and create additional documents for other racing days.

To add content to a document, follow these guides:

• Import Boat Data
• Import Media

Once data has been added, configure media playback in the main window and additional windows, and seek on the timeline to play back the race at any point in time.

Don't forget to save the document – this will allow to pick up after reopening the Njord Player app.

Import Boat Data

Method 1 - Loading Boat Log Files Directly in Njord Player

This method is recommended when you are not using Njord Analytics, or when your computer does not have an internet connection when you load data. See method 2 below when you are using Njord Analytics together with Njord Player.

To add boat log files to a document:

• Open the Data screen by clicking the Data button in the timeline of the main window, on the Load Data button in the respective notification bar (see screenshot below).
• Add a boat log file via the Add Log File button or by dragging it onto the view (read more about supported data sources.
• Select the correct boat from the selection field. Boats are retrieved from your Njord Analytics account; you may add new boats directly from Njord Player by specifying a name and a boat class.
• Click Use Data to confirm.

You may add multiple boats to the same document. This can be useful to show training partners or competitors in addition to the main boat. To do so, repeat the process above.

Method 2 - Loading Data via Njord Analytics

This method is recommended when you are using Njord Analytics together with Njord Player. We recommend to load the relevant boat data in Njord Analytics first, as it is then straightforward to use the same data in Njord Player. In some cases support for new data file formats is also available in Njord Analytics first, requiring use of this method over method 1 above.

1. Ensure that the boat's data has been loaded in Njord Analytics by you or another team member.
2. From the menu in Njord Player, select File, then Download from Njord Analytics….
3. Select the date that you want to download data for.
4. Choose the boats that you want to download.
5. Njord Analytics may also have race information that is useful in Njord Player (such as race start times, and course marks). Select an event to download races from.
6. Click Download to confirm.

Import Media

Adding Media to a Document

To add media assets to a document:

1. Open the media group configuration screen by clicking on the name of any media group (Video by default) in the timeline of the main window, or on the Add Media button in the respective notification bar (see screenshot below).
2. Add one or more media assets via the Add Assets button.
3. The asset file timestamp and the file time zone will be autodetected in many cases. If the autodetected values are not correct, you may change them using respective fields. Select multiple assets to change the time zone for multiple assets at the same time.

Supported Media Formats

Video

Extensions: MP4, MOV

The file timestamp is taken from the capture date recorded in the video file (falls back to file creation date if unavailable).

When recording video using DJI drones, it is recommended to enable the Video Caption option and retain the generated .SRT files. These files will allow the Njord Player app to accurately detect file timestamp offsets that may be present in DJI video files.

When using newer GoPro models, select time stamp source QuickTime Time Code = Start of video in Njord Player to make consecutive clips align correctly.

Njord Player supports MP4 files using the AVC/H.264 codec or the HEVC/H.265 codec. Since Njord Player version 2.4.0, HEVC/H.265 playback uses hardware acceleration and requires one of the following graphics cards:

• NVIDIA GTX950 and above
• AMD RX460 and above
• Intel HD4400, HD515 and above
• AMD Radeon R7, Vega M and above
• Apple M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra and above

Detailed list of hardware support: Intel, AMD and NVIDIA.

HDR video is supported by Njord Player since version 2.4.0.

Photo

Extensions: JPG, PNG

The file timestamp is taken from the photo capture date recorded in the file's EXIF tags (falls back to file creation date if unavailable).

Audio

Extensions: MP3, WAV, M4A

The file timestamp is taken from the file creation date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Njord Player support 360 degree-type video (e.g. from a Garmin Virb 360)?

Yes, 360 degree video is supported since Njord Player version 2.3.0. Add a 360 degree video and drag/pan the video using your mouse (also during playback).

Do you have a suggestion for a dictaphone, preferably with GPS for time stamping?

Phones (e.g. the iPhone Voice Recorder app) work great as a dictaphone because the timestamps are usually accurate with no effort required.

Other dictaphones work too, but you might have to set the time each morning for it to be accurate.

In any case, it helps to do an audible time countdown at the beginning of the recording, so you can verify the correctness of the recorded timestamp after you load the file in Njord Player.

How to I switch off the dual view in the main window?

From the menu, select View - Window Layout - Single View.

How do I share video with performance data overlays?

Njord Player does not support exporting video files with the performance data that you see on screen "burned in" (this is supported for photos, however).

If you need to share video and data, consider sharing the Njord Player file and video files together, which allows someone else with a Njord account to download Njord Player and view the video and data together.

If you really need it to be a video file, you could do a screen recording of Njord Player playing your video & data.

Does Njord Player run on iPad?

Njord Player does not run on iPad. It runs on Windows and Mac. Find the right download link for your platform on our Njord Player page.

I am moving video files off of my laptop onto a hard-drive (running out of space). Does this mean that Njord Player is now looking in the wrong place for the files? Do I have to re-import the media again?

We suggest to keep the Njord Player file (.sail2) in the same folder as your video. E.g., one folder per day usually works great. You can have sub-folders for video, but everything should be in the same top folder. You can then move that entire folder around and it's not going to be a problem for Njord Player.