Record with the Android app
The Dinghy Coach Android app records your GPS track on the water and uploads it to the cloud automatically when you get back to Wi-Fi or mobile data. The recording is stored in a compact format (.dtrk) designed for accurate sailing playback.
Install the app
Search for Dinghy Coach on the Google Play Store, or follow the link from dinghy.coach. The app is free to install.
When the app opens for the first time it will ask for a few permissions — GPS, microphone (for voice notes if you're using coach mode), and battery optimisation. Grant them all; see Android permissions and Battery optimisation in Troubleshooting if you need more detail.
Before you go afloat
- Open the app and tap the boat/sailor name field at the top of the start screen. Enter your sail number or name — this is what other sailors will see in the debrief.
- Check that GPS is working. On the start screen, tap Device Check (in the overflow menu
⋮) and confirm the GPS row shows green. - If you'll be uploading straight after racing, make sure you have mobile data or know the Wi-Fi network you'll connect to at the club.
On the water
To start recording, press and hold the Solo button for one second. The hold-to-activate design prevents accidental starts when strapping the phone to the boat or tucking it in a pocket in wet conditions.
The Sailing HUD appears once recording starts. It shows:
- Current speed (large, readable at 2 m in sunlight)
- Bearing
- Heel angle (background colour shifts from blue → green → amber → red as heel increases)
- A timer if your coach has started a countdown sequence
To stop recording, press and hold End Session for one second and confirm.
After sailing
Your session appears in the Sessions screen (tap Sessions in the overflow menu ⋮ on the start screen). Sessions show their upload status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Waiting for a connection |
| Uploading | In progress |
| Synced | On the cloud, ready to debrief |
| Failed | Tap to retry |
Once a session shows Synced, open app.dinghy.coach/open on any browser, tap the Tracks tab, and find your session. Use your device code to filter to your own tracks (see Find your tracks with your device code).
Short sessions
Sessions shorter than 5 minutes are not uploaded automatically (to avoid cluttering the library with test recordings). You can upload them manually from the Sessions screen.
Battery running out on the water? See Battery optimisation in Troubleshooting.