Team Vodafone sailing supported by B&G

High-end marine electronics brand B&G yesterday hosted a select group of guests onboard Team Vodafone Sailing (TVS), the exciting ORMA 60 trimaran, for a product demonstration on Sydney Harbour.

TVS is one of a breed of French racing trimarans capable of speeds in excess of 40kt. The yacht is fitted with a range of B&G high-performance instrumentation including the H3000 central processing unit, Zeus navigation system, six 20/20 large format data displays and the all-new BR24 Broadband 3G Radar.

B&G’s top-of-the-line instrumentation has been developed for Grand Prix race boats and sailing superyachts and is perfectly suited to yachts of the ORMA 60 calibre.

Product features include high-performance software for superior accuracy in the H3000, comprehensive multi-function capabilities and advanced integration in the Zeus navigation system, race-proven display units in the 20/20s and the most cutting-edge radar technology available to maritime users in the BR24 Broadband 3G Radar.

TVS crossed the Tasman Sea from Auckland during the recent storms that also swept the NSW coast. Experiencing wind speeds in excess of 50kt and heavy sea conditions, the yacht was forced to heave-to for over 36 hours while 350 miles offshore.

Owner and skipper Simon Hull said it was an uncomfortable experience for boat and crew but the trimaran coped well.

“It’s interesting to try to heave-to in a 60’ performance trimaran, they’re not really suited to it,” Mr Hull said.

“It’s also not a boat designed to accommodate seven crew below decks so it was a challenging crossing all-in-all, but we’re very happy with how the boat handled it.

“Once we finally made it to Sydney there were dozens of ships waiting to come in as the port had been closed… the BR24 3G Radar’s detection was excellent from quite a distance out and the level of detail of ships and their locations was maintained all the way through close range navigation making the last stretch much simpler and safer.”

Navico Asia Pacific chief Doug Anderson introduced the guests to the electronics suite.

“B&G is the world leader in performance sailing electronics,” Mr Anderson said.

“The gear onboard TVS is designed to meet the needs of extreme high-performance and is complemented by market-leading Broadband 3G Radar that delivers a massive 30 per cent increase in both range and target detection.”

TVS will be completing a busy race schedule in Australia including Audi Hamilton Island Race Week.