Technology hogs the headlines from boot Düsseldorf - MarineBusinessWorld Oceania newsletter
by Peter Rendle 25 Jan 15:00 PST
VETUS latest innovation in electric motors - VETUS E-LINE AIR © VETUS
Technology continues to hog the headlines this week as we receive news from one of the world's largest boat shows, BOOT 23, currently being held in Düsseldorf, Germany.
VETUS has unveiled a new range of three air cooled propulsion systems at this year's boot Düsseldorf. This latest innovation in electric motors from VETUS brings the many benefits of electric propulsion to a wider range of boats and navigation areas. Available in three sizes, the EAIR04024, EAIR040, and EAIR060 offer outputs of 4kW at 24 volts, 4kW at 48 volts and 6kW at 48 volts respectively, making them ideal for newbuild or repower projects for a variety of hull types up to around 8 metres.
Air cooled electric propulsion systems can offer certain vessels a range of benefits over water cooled variants. Firstly, in areas of possible cooling water inlet blockages such as weed infested inland waterways, with air cooling there is no water inlet to block. The cooling is also provided by a simpler system with a lower parts count; a lightweight arrangement of fan and ducting requiring less maintenance than a water-cooled pump, pipework and strainer. During the cold winter months, air cooling also prevents potentially costly water pump or pipe freezing issues.
Propulsion is not alone in its pursuit of reduced carbon emission levels. Battery development is a major factor in retaining energy generation and Mastervolt has announced the arrival of three new Lithium-Ion batteries: the MLI Ultra 12/3000, the MLI Ultra 12/6000 and the MLI Ultra 24/6000. The new batteries will be manufactured at a new dedicated production plant that Mastervolt has recently opened to meet the growing demand for powerful Lithium-Ion batteries across several markets.
Mastervolt's engineers have developed these larger capacity batteries to be deep-cycle domestic supply batteries for use onboard marine vessels and in mobile applications to provide more power, over a longer period of time, while taking up less space and weight.
The electronics industry never stands still and Raymarine has announced an impressive range of new products at BOOT Düsseldorf including the Axiom® 2 Pro range, a powerful line of multifunction chartplotters, the RVM1600 CHIRP sonar module, new LightHouse charts with expanded coverage and the CAM300 day and night IP camera.
Grégoire Outters, General Manager at Raymarine said: "We are returning to BOOT Düsseldorf with an exceptional range of products which offer a complete solution for today's boaters. Customers are looking for intuitive and easy-to-use onboard navigation systems. We are confident our award-winning range of marine electronics will be extremely well received by visitors to the show."
New boat this week includes the Dufour 41. Dufour Yachts has announced its new yacht at boot Düsseldorf with the model boasting a suite of enhanced features. The Dufour 41 marks a new era for the shipyard, bringing contemporary design, an abundance of light and many other innovations, while effectively preserving the DNA of the renowned brand. Robust and efficient, the Dufour 41 is designed to cross oceans with agility and in optimal comfort.
The Dufour design team has emphasised outdoor living aboard the yacht with ease of circulation, a well-designed deck plan and optimised spaces. The Dufour 41's cockpit volume is comparable to that of a much larger yacht, and her more rounded bow offers larger spaces for the forward cabins while also guaranteeing impressive sail performance. The new Dufour 41 will be available to view in Australia in late 2023.
While some will argue that its not exactly sailing, sailing on foils is becoming increasingly popular, and now so are eFoils. Fliteboard kicks off the new year with a collection of innovative new products including the ULTRA L - the world's lightest performance eFoil, a line of new board shapes, colours and finishes including a lower cost board range, Flite Jet, Dual Drive, Flitecell Nano, and new mast and wing options. Fliteboard, the Australia-based global electric hydrofoil innovator, has announced the release of the most comprehensive and advanced range of eFoils on the market, Series 3.
Expansions continue to take place and recently d'Albora, Australia's Largest Premium Marina and Hospitality Network have launched Sydney Harbour's newest full-service boatyard facility and service centre at The Spit, Mosman. This new constructed state of the art facility will complement the group's extensive 10 strong marina, dry-stack and boatyard portfolio, particularly providing our three Sydney Harbour marinas and their customers with complete end to end berthing, servicing and maintenance solutions in-house.
"Customer servicing is the very core of our business focus, this new boatyard location allows us to offer and provide all elements of our customers' needs on and off the water in one of our largest markets, Sydney Harbour," said Mr Murry Offord, Head of Balmain Asset Management & d'Albora Group.
In New Zealand, Italy's high-performance sailing clothing brand SLAM has joined forces with four-time America's Cup winner Emirates Team New Zealand in the build-up to the 37th edition of the iconic event in Barcelona next year. SLAM, a global brand which was founded in Genoa in 1979, will come on board the New Zealand campaign as Official Apparel Supplier as the team prepares its defence of the America's Cup in October 2024. Emirates Team New Zealand successfully defended the America's Cup in Auckland in 2021 having previously won the world's oldest international sporting competition in 1995, 2000 and then again in 2017.
Enjoy Australia Day!
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com