Southport Yacht Club - Gold Coast Broadwater - photo © Lhamo Johnson
Dear Mags
Our newsletters have been scant over the past few months as we continue to upgrade the technology that we use in providing the Sail-World sites and improve download speeds and layout. However variety being the spice of life our content is wide and varied this week.
We begin with the announcement from the USA that BRP, the parent company of Evinrude, announced today that Evinrude will be inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame during the Space Foundation's 34th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado on April 19th. As a 2018 Organization Inductee, Evinrude will be honoured for the company's role in commercializing the high-strength, wear-resistant aluminum alloy (NASA 398) originally developed by NASA scientists, Jonathan A. Lee and Dr. Po-Shou Chen.
Far removed from space technology the Gold Coast's customs clearance port which is now in operation has paved the way to drive growth in the superyacht and tourism industries.
The new port, which opened mid last year at Southport, means foreign superyachts and other international vessels are able to sail directly into the Gold Coast Seaway for customs clearance.
In the USA Raymarine announced a marine electronics first at the Miami International Boat Show: UAV integration with Axiom/Axiom Pro MFDs. This leading-edge technology now brings a hands-free, aerial view to the water, ushering in a new era of UAV control and video possibilities for anglers and boaters. Not only does it make capturing video footage of fish catches easier, it increases Axiom's inherent fish-finding power to include aerial scouting capabilities.
Not to be outdone B&G®, the world's leading sailing navigation and instrument specialist and official supplier of sailing instruments and navigation electronics for the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race, is pleased to introduce the new Zeus3 Glass Helm series. Designed specifically for blue-water sailing, multihulls and superyachts, this premium, super-fast, large-screen, multifunction display sits at the heart of a fully integrated navigation system.
For sailors, the VMG tension meter is the first electronic tension for all dinghy and small offshore yacht sailors for over 100 classes. The VMG tension gauge makes rigging set up easier and more accurate. The video demonstrates how it all works.
Powerboat construction is not immune from technical advancement and motor yachts are subjected to a vast range of stresses at sea and it is vital that every component is designed and built to withstand these and continue to work efficiently in what are, at times, very challenging environments. However, a process of building a component and then testing it until it breaks would be incredibly expensive and inefficient.
Riviera's design team employs Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to model stress in a highly sophisticated virtual environment. So these systems allow the design and engineering teams to test every component before it is even built.
And anyone sailing at this year's Audi Hamilton Island Race Week would be advised to book accommodation as early as possible. All the best properties book out early, so make sure you book soon. Hamilton Island Whitsunday Holidays have a variety of accommodation options available but be quick as the supply is limited.
Aveagooden
Peter Rendle Sail-World.com
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