Raymarines Intelligent Autopilot Enables True Wind Sailing

Raymarine's new Advanced Steering Technology has recently undergone some of the most rigorous testing available. The technology, which enables an autopilot to sail to true wind, is currently being used on several of the single handed Open 40s, 50s and 60s racing in the Around Alone yacht race

Brad Van Liew on Tommy Hilfiger Freedom America, Derek Hatfield on Spirit of Canada, Kojiro Shiraishi on Spirit of Yukoh and Simone Bianchetti on Tiscali are using Raymarine's highly intuitive software known as Advanced Steering Technology (AST). This is being used with Raymarine's new G Series Course computers (150G and 400G) and with the 6001 and 7001 auto pilot control heads. AST operates by processing heading data from the fluxgate compass and yaw data from the built-in gyro. Using sophisticated vector maths, the heading and speed are used to calculate the true wind. The result is unprecedented course keeping and boat handling even in the most extreme conditions.

Autopilots are crucial, especially when solo sailing, and a reliable pilot is one of the keys to success. A good autopilot can steer the boat to a similar level or better than the most experienced sailors, and for solo sailors it provides time to catch up with the day to day chores on board. However, without AST when a boat encounters the extreme conditions inevitable in a race like the Around Alone or the Route du Rhum, big rollers result in the boat accelerating and reducing speed, thus changing the apparent wind. This can result in the pilot steering a zig-zag course as the boat speeds up and slows down, which could, unless manually over-ridden by the helm, lead to disaster. Having AST eliminates this, reducing wear and damage on the boat and also makes it less stressful and dangerous for the skipper by avoiding repeated and unexpected gybes.

The software was put to the test by Brad Van Liew after his Open 50 was overpowered while sailing downwind using Raymarine autopilots without the AST feature. He said; "The boat was pushed to wind by a passing swell just enough that the main sail became the steering device and the rudders had no effect as they simply cavitated. I jumped on deck to ease the main and left the pilot to steer back to course. The autopilot had an over correction in and sailed through to the wrong side of the wind and crash gybed the boat." In circumstances most sailors would find terrifying Brad says, "This situation will happen a few times as we get around the world and is not entirely new to me, however it's something I will never get used to."

The incident persuaded Brad to try out the AST software installed in his Raymarine ST6001 pilot and control head. He admitted that he had some reservations about the software's ability, believing that sailing to true wind is one situation where a person is better than an autopilot. Brad reported: "I pushed a few buttons, configured the pilot and turned it on. I sat there with my hand on the tiller imagining what corrections I would make. At first I couldn't believe it, but after watching it for a couple of hours surf off at speeds up to 22 knots and recover, I started laughing like a kid and saying stuff like, 'I could kiss those guys at Raymarine'.

The news about Brad's delight in the AST software feature spread quickly by email, and other skippers soon elected to also have AST functionality on their autopilots. Derek Hatfield was so delighted with his Raymarine autopilots that he asked the readers of his email newsletters to come up with a name for it. They did, and "Joshua the pilot" is due to arrive in Tauranga in late January.

AST is available on Raymarine's G Series Course computers, the 150G and 400G, and can be integrated with Raymarine's ST6001 and ST7001 control units, which provide the pilot with the capability to learn the handling characteristics of an individual boat. This results in a pilot that can calibrate itself and steer a vessel with greater precision than previously possible.

The high precision heading data determined by the vector maths can also be used by Raymarine's Pathfinder/HSB² radars for MARPA and Chart overlay. Heading alignment is also easy if a Raymarine GPS is integrated with the autopilot, as the pilot's compass can be aligned with the COG at the press of a button.

Fiona Pankhurst, Marketing Manager at Raymarine says: "The AST autopilot technology has been developed as a result of Raymarine's commitment to its customers. By investing in R&D and providing the technological advancements that have led to the development of this technology, Raymarine is providing the highest quality products to this very specialised sector of the sailing market. The development of this software will also provide enormous benefit to users of Raymarine equipment in the core sailing and motorboating markets."

Malcolm Miller, the newly appointed CEO at Raymarine, who joined the organisation in January 2003, said that by harnessing the core skills and expertise already available within Raymarine, this will enable the company to grow its product range, revenues and profitability. Previously CEO at UK-based Pace Micro Technology, which was the world's largest dedicated developer of digital home gateway (set-top box) technology, Miller stated recently that his intention at Raymarine is to formulate a vision that is understood by all, and to make user interfaces on Raymarine equipment as universal and easy to use as possible.

More Information:

• Raymarine Website