B&G Gives Racers New Start Line Functionality

Software Update for Zeus2 Brings Powerful Race-Winning Tools to Tacticians at All Levels

B&G^®, the world’s leading sailing navigation and instrument specialist, announced today its latest software update for the award-winning Zeus² series of multifunctional displays (MFD) and Glass Helm systems. The software update with new Start Line functionality gives both professional and amateur sailors the advantage they need when it comes to winning races.

 

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 innovative 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.

 

The new software update is available to download from the B&G website www.bandg.com/en-GB/Support/Downloads/. For more information on the Race Panel, Zeus² series navigation systems or the entire line of award-winning B&G sailing tactical and navigational electronics, contact 800-628-4487 (toll-free) in the USA or 800-661-3983 (toll-free) in Canada, or visit www.bandg.com.