Everything about the compass, the start timer, class rules and your iPhone on the water.
NavTactiq is a digital sailing compass and race start timer app for iPhone and iPad. It shows your heading in large digits you can read at a glance, indicates lifts and headers, and runs an audible start countdown you can sync with one swipe. It is built for racing sailors, especially one-design dinghy and keelboat sailors.
NavTactiq is designed, coded and tested by AJ Sorensen, a competitive sailor and multi-time ILCA champion, US Sailing Level 3 certified coach and USCG-licensed Near Coastal Master, who races with it himself. It is published by Sorensen on Sound LLC in Milford, Connecticut.
A phone gives you a far larger, brighter display than a dedicated dinghy compass, it is already in your pocket, and every iPhone since the iPhone 12 is rated IP68 water resistant. NavTactiq turns it into a compass and start timer for $9.99 instead of buying a separate instrument.
Yes. NavTactiq works on any boat: dinghies, one-design keelboats, PHRF and handicap racers, and cruising boats. Handicap and training sailing usually have no class equipment restrictions at all.
No. NavTactiq takes its heading from your iPhone’s magnetometer (magnetic sensor), tilt-compensated for a heeling boat. It does not use GPS and never shows boat speed, position, course over ground or wind data.
NavTactiq’s lift and header detection works from changes in your compass heading, so you can spot wind shifts and tack on them. It uses heading alone and does not measure the wind. A few classes restrict lift and header displays, so check your class rules.
Yes. NavTactiq runs entirely on your phone’s own sensors and needs no internet or cell service on the water. You only need a connection to download the app and install updates.
Swipe left on the compass screen to choose a color scheme and adjust brightness. There are schemes for bright sun, overcast and fog, and night sailing.
NavTactiq has 5:00, 3:00, 2:00 and 1:00 countdowns and custom times. In a 5-minute sequence you can sync to the 5, 4 and 1-minute signals; in sequences of 3 minutes or less you can sync to sound signals down to 30 seconds. When the timer reaches zero, the app switches straight back to the compass.
Long-press the compass screen to open the timer, then tap the screen on the signal to start the countdown. Swipe right to sync up and swipe left to sync down. Audible alerts count you down so you can keep your eyes on the line.
NavTactiq provides only what class rules permit on an electronic compass: a heading from the magnetic sensor and a start timer. It uses no GPS or location data and shows no boat speed, wind or position, and that can be verified: it works in airplane mode, and iOS Settings shows it has no location access. We are working with the ILCA class measurer and other major one-design classes to get NavTactiq listed. Until your class lists it, the deciding question is usually whether your class rules and the sailing instructions allow a phone aboard. Our class-legal compass guide explains what to check.
ILCA Rule 22 permits self-contained digital compasses that use only magnetic input, plus timing devices, and lets the two be combined in one device. NavTactiq is designed to meet that requirement: its heading comes only from the magnetic sensor, with no GPS or location data. ILCA also publishes a list of approved electronic compasses, and we are working directly with the ILCA class measurer to confirm NavTactiq and add it to that list.
The International 420 and Club 420 classes publish their own rules on compasses and electronics, and we are working to get NavTactiq listed with major one-design classes. NavTactiq provides only a magnetic heading and a start timer, the functions dinghy classes most commonly permit. Check the current class rules and the event’s sailing instructions to confirm a phone may be carried and used.
The Lightning class sets its own limits on electronic equipment, and we are working to get NavTactiq listed with major one-design classes. NavTactiq provides only a magnetic heading and a start timer, with no GPS, speed or wind data. Check the current Lightning class rules and the event’s sailing instructions before racing with it.
Any iPhone or iPad running iOS 15 or later, including older iPhones. For boat use, an iPhone 12 or newer is ideal because Apple rates those models IP68 water resistant. An Android version is in development.
Apple rates iPhone 12 and later models IP68, meaning water resistant to a depth of up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes. Water resistance is not permanent and can decrease over time, and Apple’s warranty does not cover liquid damage, so rinse the phone with fresh water after sailing in salt water, keep it on a secure mount or lanyard, and consider a waterproof case for rough conditions.
Yes. The NavTactiq deck mount bracket holds your phone where you can read it while hiking. Before mounting on a class-controlled boat, check your class rules on where and how equipment may be fitted.
NavTactiq keeps the screen and sensors active, so it uses battery. Charge fully before racing, close other apps, lower brightness where conditions allow, and carry a battery bank for long days. The phone can charge while NavTactiq is running.
No. NavTactiq is a one-time purchase of $9.99 USD on the App Store. No subscription, no ads, and all future updates are included.
An Android version, a vertical split-screen mode, and fine-tuning controls for sailors who like to adjust everything. Any future feature that would not be class legal in some classes will be optional and can be switched off for racing.