Famous boat builder set to create more pearls
by Peter Rendle, Sail-World.com 22 Mar 15:00 PDT
Oyster © Mike Jones
It is always disappointing to hear of an international brand running into financial trouble. And so it was with Oyster, the UK boat builder recently being placed in receivership. However it appears that this well-known builder of high quality production yachts has been saved from oblivion. Oyster Yachts is delighted to announce a new owner and management team for the business, which is expected to secure the future of over 400 jobs and this iconic British sailing brand.
While on the subject of boat builders, the Hudson Bay 470 which is marketed by an Australian company, Clipper Yachts, has supplied an interesting video that gives an overview by Managing Director, Brett Thurley, on how these boats are built.
In Europe, 40 years ago, the entrepreneur Winfried Herrmann began building boats in the Franconian town of Giebelstadt in southern Germany. He was the first in Germany to introduce a modern assembly line production to boatbuilding; "The days of handmade boats are numbered," he said at the time. Since 2015, CEO Lutz Henkel is at the helm of Bavaria Yachts. Under his management, the new motor-yachts like the Bavaria R-line were developed and the Italian designer Maurizio Cossutti created the large Bavaria C57 sailing yacht. It was introduced in 2017 as the first of a new generation of cruisers, called C-Line that now also includes the Bavaria C45, C50 and C65. The very impressive Bavaria Yachts flagship, the Bavaria C65, was presented in January 2018.
Technology plays an important part in the marine scene and Simrad Yachting, have announced the release of a new software update for NSS evo3, NSS evo2, NSO evo2 and GO Series displays that includes sonar enhancements, C-MAP® charting improvements and touchscreen control of MotorGuide® Xi5 trolling motors.
At the heart of the release is FishReveal™, an exciting new sonar feature that makes fish easier to see on DownScan Imaging™. The upgrade also includes significant enhancements to StructureScan® 3D and StructureScan® HD; plus, a new, easy-to-interpret C-MAP Navigation Palette and support for touchscreen control of MotorGuide® Xi5 trolling motors.
At the same time mobile app NEBO has taken the marine world by storm with more than 10,000 skippers across 180 countries now using it to automatically log their voyages. The app has also just upgraded its features to include a unique tracking function that allows friends and family or commercial companies to keep tabs on a Nebo user's location at sea.
The new "Track Me" function provides invaluable peace of mind for those who want to check on the location and progress of loved ones at sea. A simple link shared by the Nebo app user delivers live details of the boat's location, speed, and even current weather conditions.
On the product scene Mark Jardine, Sail-World's Managing Editor, met up with Harken's Small Boat Product Manager at the RYA Dinghy Show in England. The Nacra 17 produces extremely high loads and the engineers at Harken have been working on making the mainsheet more efficient since 2014, resulting in the GP Cat Mainsheet System.
The GP Cat Mainsheet System is unique compared to the multi-sheave Carbo product since it is tailored precisely to the way the boat is sailed, making it close to perfect for this application.
More news this week includes quick release line guides from Colligo, USA, Twin Discs' Express Joystick System® (EJS®) and Express Positioning® technologies and new gear from Musto including the BR1 inshore jacket and the ultimate performance footwear.
Aveagooden
Peter Rendle Sail-World.com