This page explains the practical onboarding: which data sources make sense, how to tailor the cockpit to your sailing, and how velahelm can be used from inland-lake race starts to coastal and offshore sailing.
The easiest way to get started is to think of velahelm not as one big system, but as a sailing cockpit that can grow step by step.
Getting started can be very simple: an Android device with built-in GPS is enough for first navigation and position-based functions. More options become available when NMEA data or external sensors are added.
Typical setups range from a single tablet in the cockpit to a broader onboard network with wind and performance data.
Next, tailor velahelm to your use case. Depending on your sailing area and style, different information matters most: start line and countdown, performance and polars, navigation and waypoints, or wind and course data.
The goal is not an overloaded instrument display, but a cockpit that shows exactly the information that helps in your situation.
On the water, velahelm supports you with clear, actionable sailing information: on inland lakes during tight starts and shifting winds, in coastal and offshore waters for performance and VMC-oriented decisions, and during ambitious cruising with a focus on overview and navigation.
That way the app grows with your setup and your sailing profile — from a simple starting point to an extended performance cockpit.
Three examples of how velahelm can be used in practice.
Android tablet, device GPS and a clear focus on navigation, waypoints and overview. Well suited for first-time use or as an additional onboard display.
With NMEA data, wind information and a start-focused layout, velahelm becomes a start and performance cockpit for inland-lake and coastal racing.
Combined with existing marine electronics, sensors and suitable views, velahelm can serve as a flexibly configurable cockpit for navigation, performance and decision support.
Alongside the intro video, this page will gradually grow into a small series of short videos about individual features and practical setups.
A compact introduction to the idea, use cases and benefits of velahelm.
Start line, relevant displays and waypoint navigation — without external sensors and without polars.
Connect the Calypso wind sensor, use the wind rose and wind graph, and understand the link to starts and performance.
The Calypso Gateway in velahelm transforms a direct single-device connection into a much more flexible solution for the whole crew – and is quick and easy to set up.
What polar files are, how velahelm uses them, and why they are the basis for polar speed and performance values.
How to import a polar file into velahelm, set it as the active polar, and enable the related performance values.
How VMG and VMC help compare courses to the wind or to a waypoint — and what polar files add for performance and target values.
How to make your chartplotter provide NMEA data on the onboard WiFi network and connect velahelm to that source via TCP.
More videos are planned on dashboard configuration and additional performance setups.
The best way into velahelm is usually step by step: first the data source and basic function, then the views, then the fine-tuning for performance, starts or navigation.
That keeps setup understandable and avoids overloading a strong configuration with too much information at once.
The homepage shows what velahelm is for. Inside the app, you can then discover step by step which data sources, views and functions make sense for your boat and your sailing area.
