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About HandyNav
HandyNav is a program designed for use on a Windows® Mobile PDA that will strategically and tactically plot the most effective Course Made Good (CMG) in all types of sailing regattas. Using HandyNav we can continually visualize our position within the race circuit while HandyNav will indicate to us the bearing to follow, when to tack etc ensuring we complete each leg of the race in the fastest possible time.
HandyNav will also keep track of our movements around the course in a track log. Using this we can graphically visualize our performance during the race. This feature can be invaluable when used for post race analysis.
To begin using HandyNav we would first go to the "Home" tab and enter the boat's angle of close hauled. This will be the same for all races for a particular boat. Now for each event first select the type of race from the list of preconfigured options, for instance "60° Olympic Triangle". Then we enter the wind direction and distance to the windward mark. At any time before the race begins we can take the position of the committee boat by positioning ourselves as close as possible and simply pressing a button in HandyNav.
HandyNav will now have the coordinates of the Committee Boat, the windward mark and the wing mark calculated and you can see these represented graphically along with our current position by switching to the Plotter tab.
Now all that remains is to wait till the 5 minute warning signal then hit the "Start" button on the home page. HandyNav will now start counting down to the beginning of the race allowing you to ensure you are in the optimal position at the start. Once the race has started you can follow the Plotter tab to see just what heading you should be following at all times and at what points you should tack in order to arrive optimally at each mark. Also on the Plotter tab, by pressing the compass button you can superimpose a compass image on the screen to show clearly and graphically the course you should be following.
It's always important of course to check for changes in the wind direction and the facility is given in the plotter tab to increase or decrease the initial wind measurements. HandyNav will then update it's tactical recommendations based on this new reading. The Plotter tab will also give an accurate indication of speed acording to the GPS along with the current and recommended headings.
As HandyNav takes GPS readings it saves them to a track log file and in the "Replay" tab we can revise these at a later date. Simply click the "Play" button and select the log file that corresponds to the race you are interested in. HandyNav will then play back your course through the race.