B&G Gives Racers New Startline Functionality

 

The software update introduces a new Race Panel menu screen to the Zeus2 display, offering easy access to a selection of powerful sail racing features. Featuring four modes that provide sailors with multiple display choices, Race Panel includes: Race Timer, the “What if?” function, H5000-style Startline data and Deckman-style Startline scaled view.

 

An addition to B&G multifunction displays, the new “What If?” function allows the navigator to simulate a range of sailing options – for example, wind shifts during the current leg, or determining the options for sail selection depending on wind strength and direction on future legs of the course.

 

“This free update adds significant functionality to the already feature-packed Zeus2 chartplotter, helping sailors gain an advantage over their competitors in race conditions,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO and President, Navico. “The introduction of the H5000 Startline technology, new Race Panel and ‘What if?’ functions further demonstrate our commitment to ensure B&G technology continues its long history of being the best available marine electronics in the sailing market.”

 

The Zeus2 software now makes the Startline set-up process simple by allowing a user to simply input the Port and Starboard ends. This set-up can be accomplished either by “pinging” to set each end according to the yacht’s current position, or by setting them at waypoint or cursor. If necessary, the latter settings can by finely adjusted by nudging the end of the line on the Zeus2 screen up or down. 

 

Once these basic settings are in place, the user also has the option of entering a windward/leeward course directly using the range and bearing to the windward mark, the number of laps in the race, as well as the position of the Startline relative to the leeward gate. 

 

The clever processing technology of the H5000 works in conjunction with the Zeus2 large-format touchscreen displays and Glass Helm HD screens – giving the user brilliant visual feedback throughout the race. Zeus2 also now has the ability to display route summaries showing current true wind angle (TWA) for each leg, allowing the crew to determine likely sail selections in advance, along with the ability to input waypoints using range and bearing from the current position.