Set up automatic synchronization between your Garmin watch and ChartedSails — from the mobile app or directly on chartedsails.com.

The ChartedSails mobile app and website can automatically import your sailing activities from Garmin Connect. Once connected, every sailing session you record on your Garmin watch will appear in ChartedSails within minutes of finishing.

## Requirements

- A Garmin watch that syncs to Garmin Connect
- The [ChartedSails mobile app](/app) (iOS or Android), or a [chartedsails.com](https://www.chartedsails.com) account
- A Garmin Connect account

## Step 1: Open Profile Settings

In the ChartedSails app, tap your profile icon in the top right corner to open your profile settings. On the website, click your avatar and choose **Profile**.

## Step 2: Tap on Garmin Connect

Scroll down to find the **Garmin Connect** option and tap on it.

## Step 3: Authorize ChartedSails

You will be redirected to Garmin Connect to authorize ChartedSails. Log in with your Garmin credentials and approve the connection.

## Step 4: Select your default boat

After connecting, choose which boat should be assigned to your Garmin activities by default. You can always change this later for individual sessions.

## How synchronization works

- When you finish a sailing activity on your watch, it syncs to Garmin Connect
- Garmin Connect notifies ChartedSails of the new activity
- ChartedSails automatically downloads and processes the activity
- The session appears in your ChartedSails app and web dashboard

Only activities with **sail**, **kite**, **foil**, or **wing** in the name are imported. Other activities (running, cycling, etc.) are ignored.

## Video walkthrough

*Coming soon: A short video showing the setup process.*

Connect Garmin in the ChartedSails App

How to create a Sailing activity type on your Garmin watch if it does not have one built-in. Required on some Forerunner models.

ChartedSails only imports activities with **sail**, **kite**, **foil**, or **wing** in the name. Some Garmin watches come with a Sailing activity built-in, but many do not.

If your watch does not have a Sailing activity, you can easily create one.

## Check if you already have Sailing

Press the **START** button on your watch to see your activity list. Scroll through to check if **Sailing** is already available.

If you see Sailing, you are all set. If not, follow the steps below to create it.

## Create a new Sailing activity

### Step 1: Open the activity list

Press the **START** button to open your activity list.

### Step 2: Add a new activity

Scroll to the bottom of the list and select **Add**.

### Step 3: Choose an activity to copy

The watch will ask which existing activity profile to use as a base. Select **Other** (or **SUP** / **Kayak** if available, as they have similar settings).

### Step 4: Name your activity

Type **Sailing** as the activity name. You can also use **Kiting**, **Foiling**, or **Winging** if you prefer.

### Step 5: Choose a color

Pick a color that will help you identify sailing activities on your watch.

### Step 6: Confirm

Save the new activity. It will now appear in your activity list.

## Start recording

Next time you go sailing:

1. Press **START** to open your activity list
2. Select **Sailing**
3. Press **START** again to begin recording
4. Press **STOP** when you are done, then **Save**

Your activity will sync to Garmin Connect and, if connected, automatically appear in ChartedSails.

## Activity names that work

ChartedSails imports activities containing these words (case-insensitive):

- **Sail** or **Sailing**
- **Kite** or **Kiting** or **Kiteboarding**
- **Foil** or **Foiling**
- **Wing** or **Winging** or **Wing Foil**

Activities like "Morning Sail", "Kite Session", or "Wing Foiling" will all be imported.

Create a Sailing Activity on Your Watch

Use the lap button on your Garmin watch to mark race starts. ChartedSails uses these to align gun time perfectly.

When racing, knowing your exact start time is crucial for analyzing your performance. ChartedSails can automatically detect race starts if you mark them on your watch using the **lap button**.

## How it works

Most Garmin watches have a lap button (usually the **BACK** button during an activity). When you press it:

1. The watch creates a "lap" marker at that exact moment
2. This marker is saved in your FIT file with a precise timestamp
3. ChartedSails reads these lap markers and converts them to race starts

## When to press the lap button

Press the lap button at the moment of the **starting signal** (the gun or horn). This marks the official race start time.

You can mark multiple starts in a single recording - useful for:

- Multiple races in a series
- Restarts after a general recall
- Practice starts

## Viewing race starts in ChartedSails

After importing your activity, ChartedSails will:

1. Show race start markers on your track timeline
2. Calculate your distance and time to the start line
3. Analyze your approach and acceleration
4. Compare starts across different races

## Using dedicated sailing apps

Some Garmin watches support dedicated sailing apps from the Connect IQ store that offer more features:

- **Sailracer** - Race timer with countdown
- **Regatta** - Start line distance and timing

These apps can provide countdown timers and more detailed race timing features. The race start events from these apps are also recognized by ChartedSails.

## Tips for accurate start marking

1. **Be consistent** - Always mark the gun, not when you cross the line
2. **One press per start** - Multiple quick presses create multiple events
3. **Practice** - Try it a few times before race day
4. **Check your recording** - After importing, verify the start markers appear where expected

## What if I forgot to press the lap button?

ChartedSails can still analyze your session, but without explicit race start markers:

- You can manually mark race starts in the session editor
- Speed patterns may help identify likely start moments
- Wind shifts and course changes can indicate race legs

Mark Race Starts with the Lap Button

Configure your Garmin watch to record GPS data every second for maximum track quality and accurate sailing analysis.

By default, most Garmin watches use "smart" recording which only saves a GPS point when the watch detects a change in direction or speed. This saves battery but creates gaps in your data.

For sailing analysis, you want a GPS point **every second** (1Hz recording). This gives you smoother tracks, more accurate speed readings, and better maneuver detection.

## How to change the recording frequency

On your Garmin watch:

1. Hold **UP** and press **START** to open the main menu
2. Navigate to **Settings**
3. Select **System**
4. Select **Data Recording**
5. Change **Recording Interval** to **Every Second**

This setting applies to all activities on your watch.

## Why does it matter?

With "smart" recording, the watch might only save a point every 3-5 seconds (or longer on straight lines). When sailing, that means:

- **Tacks and jibes look like sharp angles** instead of smooth curves
- **Speed data has gaps** so peak speeds may be missed entirely
- **Start line analysis is less precise** because you have fewer data points
- **VMG and polar calculations are noisier**

With 1Hz recording, ChartedSails can:

- Accurately detect and measure every maneuver
- Calculate precise polar performance data
- Show smooth track replays
- Identify your exact timing at the start line

## What about battery life?

Recording every second uses slightly more battery, but on modern Garmin watches the difference is minimal for a typical sailing session. Most watches easily last a full day of racing with 1Hz recording.

## Verify your setting

After changing the setting, record a short test activity and check:

1. Export the activity as a FIT file
2. Upload to ChartedSails
3. Look at the track detail - points should be evenly spaced, roughly 1 second apart

Set Up 1Hz Recording for Better Data

Need to export old activities manually? Learn how to export a FIT file from Garmin Connect and drop it into ChartedSails.

If you have not connected your Garmin account to ChartedSails, or if you want to import an older activity, you can manually download it from Garmin Connect and upload it to ChartedSails.

## Step 1: Open Garmin Connect

Go to [connect.garmin.com](https://connect.garmin.com) on your computer and log in to your Garmin account.

## Step 2: Find and export your activity

1. Click on **Activities** to see your activity list
2. Find the sailing activity you want to download and click on it
3. Click the **gear icon** (⚙) in the top right corner
4. Select **Export Original** to download the activity in FIT format

![Export activity from Garmin Connect](/assets/garmin-guides/download-activity-export.png)

The FIT file will be downloaded to your computer.

## Step 3: Upload to ChartedSails

Go to [ChartedSails](https://www.chartedsails.com) and drag the FIT file onto the page, or click **Import** and select the file.

Your sailing session will be processed and ready for analysis within a few seconds.

## Video walkthrough

*Coming soon: A short video showing the complete process.*

Download an Activity from Garmin Connect

Enable PHRF time-on-time scoring, enter each boat's handicap rating, and verify corrected results in ChartedSails.

ChartedSails can calculate PHRF time-on-time corrected results for a race, including corrected times for the whole race and each leg. Setup takes two steps: enable PHRF scoring for the session, then enter a rating for every boat.

## Before you start

You need permission to edit the session and:

- The PHRF rating for each boat, in seconds per mile
- The time-on-time constants used by your fleet or regional authority

ChartedSails starts with **A = 650** and **B = 550**, the US Sailing recommended defaults. If your race committee uses different values, use those instead.

## 1. Enable PHRF scoring for the session

Open the session replay and click the **Session Settings** gear beside the session title. Select the **PHRF Scoring** tab.

![The Session Settings gear beside the session title](/assets/docs/phrf-scoring/session-settings.png)

Check **Score this session with PHRF time-on-time corrections**. Confirm the A and B values used by your fleet, then click **Save**.

![PHRF Scoring enabled with A and B constants](/assets/docs/phrf-scoring/enable-phrf-scoring.png)

PHRF scoring is enabled separately for each session. This lets the same boats participate in both handicap and one-design sessions without corrected times appearing where they do not belong.

## 2. Enter each boat's PHRF rating

In the performance table or boat card, open the boat's settings menu and choose **Edit Boat**. Enter the boat's **PHRF Rating**, then click **Save**.

![The PHRF Rating field in the Edit Boat dialog](/assets/docs/phrf-scoring/edit-boat-rating.png)

Repeat this for every boat in the session. The rating is saved with the boat, so you do not need to enter it again each time that boat appears in a new session. You can edit the rating later if its certificate changes.

> Use the rating adopted by your race committee for this race. Ratings can differ by region, course type, or configuration.

## 3. Check the corrected results

Open the race performance table or create a session report. For each rated boat, ChartedSails shows elapsed time and **Corrected** time. Reports also include the PHRF rating used in the calculation.

![Elapsed and corrected times in the race performance table](/assets/docs/phrf-scoring/corrected-results.png)

ChartedSails calculates:

`corrected time = elapsed time × A ÷ (B + PHRF rating)`

The performance table keeps its **Rank** column in finish-line order while showing corrected time alongside elapsed time. In session reports, when every finisher has a rating, the ranking, Delta, and overall points use corrected time. This follows RRS Appendix A, Rule A3 for a handicap system.

If only some finishers have ratings, corrected times still appear for the rated boats, but report rankings remain based on elapsed time. This prevents an incomplete set of ratings from producing a misleading corrected order.

## Troubleshooting

### The Corrected column does not appear

Open **Session Settings → PHRF Scoring** and confirm that PHRF scoring is enabled for this session.

### A boat has no corrected time

Open **Edit Boat** and add its PHRF rating. A blank rating produces a blank corrected time.

### The result differs from the race committee spreadsheet

Check the A and B constants in Session Settings and the rating assigned to each boat. ChartedSails uses time-on-time scoring; confirm that the comparison spreadsheet does too.

For the story behind this feature, read [PHRF Corrected Times—and the Fleet Champion Who Made Them Happen](/blog/phrf-corrected-times).

Help & Guides

Garmin

Race Analysis