Kit News

To celebrate the launch of the all new RYA Sail Trim Handbook – for Cruisers, the book’s author and expert in the art of sail trimming, Rob Gibson, will provide one lucky reader and guest with a one-day training course courtesy of Poole Sailing Ltd.
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Two new mid-range Suzuki outboards, featuring the company’s energy-saving ‘Lean Burn Fuel Control’ technology, will be on display for the first time in the UK at the 2010 Southampton Boat Show. Announced earlier this year and first seen at the Miami Boat Show, the new DF40 and DF50 promise improved fuel efficiency, lower weight and the more compact physical profile that so many of today’s recreational boaters demand.

The two new three-cylinder twin-cam 12-valve engines have a capacity of 941cc. In tests, the new DF50 has been seen to give 26 per cent faster acceleration and six per cent greater top speed than the existing DF50, as well as delivering up to 23 per cent fuel savings over current engines in the Suzuki range.

Suzuki is also about to uncover a new flagship 300hp outboard. The original DF300 was the very first 300 horsepower four-stoke outboard and the new version adds Suzuki’s Lean Burn Control technology (first introduced on the DF 70, 80 and 90) as well as a new Oxygen (O2) Feedback Control System designed to improve the air-fuel ratio and ramp up the economy levels. Again, initial tests have shown the new DF300 to be 15 per cent more economical than the current DF300 without sacrificing on any of the power for which the original model was famous.

In another first, the new DF300 will also incorporate a fuel filter that detects any water in the fuel and warns the operator by means of the digital dash display and an audible buzzer. Mr Yamamoto, Head of European Marketing Group, Suzuki Motor Corporation said: “With this new technology, we have made our flagship engine even better. Once again, Suzuki’s technology is set to give our four-strokes the edge when it comes to fuel efficiency and clean, environmentally friendly operation without sacrificing performance.” The new engines can be viewed on stand C005 at the Southampton Boat Show.

Boat accessories are great fun, and they don't get much better than this. Marine Electronic Services are all set to launch a new super tough (and super affordable) underwater camera great for using on a boat. Capable of capturing images down to a depth of 45 metres, the AquaCam is housed in a lightweight waterproof casing and features a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.4-inch colour display. The nine-megapixel stills are complemented by the capacity to capture video footage as well as voice recordings. The complete unit is quite heavy at just over half a kilo but once you’re in the water that’s not likely to matter. It runs on AA batteries and will be available to view on stand G093 at the Southampton Boat Show.
Price: £199.95

Thinking of buying new kit for your boat? McMurdo’s new SMARTFIND GMDSS NAVTEX receiver is designed to provide shipping and other marine users with vital navigational warnings, meteorological information and urgent safety data making it a handy piece boating equipent to have on board. It delivers its information automatically, in bright colour-delineated text on a well proportioned six-inch screen. Three parallel digital receivers simultaneously provide tri-channel monitoring of the international 518 KHz English language service, 490 KHz national language and the 4209.5 KHz long range NAVTEX services. Simple to use and easy to read, it will connect to your integrated nav system, as well as to a printer for hard copy readouts. For NAVTEX lovers (and there are still plenty around), it will be very well received.