Garmin Marine Electronics Exclusively Selected for Chaparral Boats

Garmin has announced that Chaparral Boats has selected Garmin to be the exclusive electronics supplier to outfit their broad mix of award-winning recreational pleasure boats stretching from 18-foot bowriders to 42-foot luxury cruisers.  This new OEM relationship is being announced in conjunction with the Miami International Boat Show, February 17-21, 2011, and Garmin exclusivity across the entire line of Chaparral boats is expected to begin immediately.

“Since its founding over 45 years ago, Chaparral Boats has developed and maintained a reputation for manufacturing a diverse fleet of high-quality performance-minded boats,” said Engelhard Sundoro, Garmin’s director of marine OEM sales and marketing.  “We are proud to join the Chaparral team, and believe that having Garmin electronics onboard will further enhance that reputation thanks to the straight-forward interface and full integration that our products are praised for, and the worldwide support network we have in place.”  

“Chaparral chose Garmin as our exclusive Navigational Electronic partner due to their strong brand awareness, intuitive designs, and overall value, said Jim Lane, President of Chaparral Boats.  “Their product’s are user friendly and will help promote a more enjoyable boating experience for our customers.”

More than a dozen Chaparral boat models will be factory-installing electronics selections that include the leading edge technology customers expect from Garmin, including the industry’s most sophisticated array of touchscreen multi-function displays.  The full suite of Garmin electronics selected by Chaparral also includes the GMR™ 18HD and GMR 24HD high-definition radomes, GMR 404 open array radar, GSD™ 22 digital sonar, VHF 200 marine radio, and GXM 51 XM satellite weather/audio antenna. For increased confidence at the helm, some models will also offer the GHP™ 10, Garmin’s Marine Autopilot with its patented Shadow Drive technology that automatically disengages the autopilot if the helm is turned, allowing the helmsman to maneuver the boat.

Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 75 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider.  Garmin’s market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.