Polar & angles
Speed is only useful if it's pointing the right way.
Speed over ground looks great on a watch face, but pinching into irons or sailing too low throws all that momentum away. KnotNow identifies your true angle bands:
- Polar sweet spots Automatically pinpoints the exact angle band and speed where your upwind and downwind VMG peaks. No single "magic degree" - just the working band where your kit performs.
- Angle charts True wind angle, speed over ground, and upwind VMG. Check the entire session, or isolate port and starboard.
- Port against starboard max speed Compare your peak 5-second burst at every wind angle. See instantly which tack holds speed and pointing height, and which one bleeds pace.
- Best legs by VMG Highlights your most efficient upwind beat and downwind run on each tack based purely on real progress, not just top speed.
Shift in the breeze while you were out? Correct the base wind direction on the session at any time. The app recalculates every angle and polar curve to match the actual conditions. Without a wind direction set, these screens stay clean on purpose.
Heading up
How much higher you point once flying.
Pointing while taxiing through displacement is completely different to pinching upwind once you are up on foil. KnotNow separates the two. On non-foiling boats, it tracks your pointing gain as the hull powers up within the leg.
- Typical upwind angle The median pointing angle across all your upwind time.
- On-foil pointing Your true sailing angle once up on the mast, plus what share of your flight time was spent driving upwind.
- Pump and taxi angle How high you pointed while still below take-off speed on upwind legs.
- Legs headed up more than 10° How many upwind legs gained genuine height, alongside your typical degree gain.
- The spread From falling away, through 0–5°, 5–10°, and up past 35°. See whether holding height is becoming second nature or if it was just a fluke gust.
Race cropping
Cut the noise. Keep the race.
Recording an entire afternoon catches everything: rigging up on the slipway, drifting behind the committee boat, and the slow reach home after the flags drop.
- Drag-and-drop trim Drag the start and finish points on your timeline to isolate pure racing time, cut out delays between starts, and review pure beats and runs.
- Upwind and downwind split Automatically calls out beats and downwind runs as distinct legs.
- Garmin race timer Time your sequence straight from your wrist with the built-in countdown on the KnotNow Garmin watch app so the start is clean in the file itself.
Built specifically for wing foiling, windsurfing, dinghies, and wind craft. Wave-riding and paddle sessions leave VMG off entirely - because it is the wrong question to ask.
Questions
What is VMG in sailing and wing foiling?
Velocity Made Good measures how fast you are moving directly towards or away from the wind direction, rather than just your raw speed over the seabed. KnotNow calculates your upwind VMG, downwind VMG, and the best-performing leg on each tack.
What does the polar chart show?
It plots your speed over ground and upwind VMG at every wind angle for the whole session, or split port against starboard. It highlights your sweet spot: the exact angle range where your forward speed and pointing height combine for maximum progress towards the wind.
How much higher do you point once you are flying?
Heading up tracks how much higher you point once your craft is flying or planing compared to displacement taxiing. KnotNow measures your typical upwind angle, on-foil pointing angle, taxiing angle, and how many legs gained more than 10 degrees of height.
Can I correct the wind direction if the breeze shifted?
You can update or fine-tune the wind direction in the app after your session. KnotNow instantly recomputes all angles, polars, and VMG calculations to reflect the true breeze. VMG metrics are hidden on wave and paddle sessions where wind progress isn't relevant.