Getting Started with OutSail.pro: Core Concepts & Data Hierarchy

Whether you are a solo sailor tracking your own performance or a coach running a multi-boat regatta debrief, OutSail.pro organizes all sailing data around a structured hierarchy.

1. The Data Hierarchy (Tree Menu)

The left panel of the dashboard (the Tree Menu) is the command centre of OutSail.pro. It organizes your data into logical parent-child levels:

Note on Folder Organization: Both Events and Training Sessions are automatically sorted into year and month folders based on their Start date. These date folders are managed automatically by the system.

Hierarchy Breakdown:

• Event: The highest organizational level. Represents a regatta, clinic, or multi-day training camp.
• Boats: The fleet roster assigned to this Event. You can also add stationary or coach-RIB wind stations here.
• Series: A subdivision of an Event, typically representing a single day of racing or a division (e.g., Day 1 or Finals).
• Sessions Bucket: The storage container inside each Series holding your source GPS logs. Source files are always preserved without alteration, allowing you to slice or re-slice races at any time. It contains:
• Day Sessions: Full-day recordings covering the entire time on the water. These are sliced into individual races.
• SR Sessions (Single Race Sessions): Pre-cut tracks imported directly into a specific race window (organized in folders like SR1 Sessions).
• Race: A single race or training drill defined by a start time and an end time window.
• Training Session: Standalone, single-boat tracks located at the bottom of the tree, allowing quick solo analysis without setting up an entire Event.
• Predefined Boats: Your persistent fleet roster of sailors and boats you coach or train with. Once added here, they can be bulk-added to any new Event with one click.
• Shared with me: Contains Events and Training Sessions that have been shared with you by other users.

2. Supported Devices & Formats

OutSail.pro processes data from all standard sailing GPS loggers and formats: * Vakaros: Native .vkx binary files and .csv exports (including 10 Hz telemetry). * Sailmon: .csv exports from MAX and MAX Mini units. * Velocitek: ProStart and SpeedPuck files (.xml, .vtk, .csv). * GPX: Standard .gpx files from Garmin, Suunto, Apple Watch, Stentec, and mobile tracker apps. * Expedition & Generic CSV: Standard .csv and .txt sailing log formats.

Speed units (knots, m/s, km/h) are detected automatically, GPS spikes are filtered, and timestamps are normalized to a consistent 1 Hz timeline for side-by-side comparison.

3. Navigating the Interface

The Action Menu Popover

You interact with the Tree Menu using standard left-clicks: * Left-click on any item (an Event, Series, Sessions Bucket, or Race) to open its Action Menu popover. * The Action Menu displays only the operations valid for that specific item (e.g., Add Series, Copy Dropzone Link, Slice Series into Races, Course definition, Analyse).

The Workspace

• Central Area: Displays the active tool or viewer based on your selection — including the interactive 2D Race Replay map, Speed Analysis charts, Course Editor, or the Data Inbox.
• Header Bar: Shows your current account plan and resource usage (active boats and analyzed hours).