For the novice, sailing is often incomprehensible and difficult to access. It is for these customers, boaters who seek above all to be at sea for pleasure and relaxation, that Jeanneau has marketed a system that automates sail adjustments and tack changes.
When he set foot on board, Hervé Piveteau, responsible for the development of sailboats at Jeanneau, announced the colour: "It is not a question of automating manoeuvres, but rather of providing assistance Our successive transfer attempts will show this: Yes it is possible to operate the Sun Odyssey 519 solo. But it is preferable to know how to sail in the front and to understand the automatisms in order to be able to use them to their full potential.
The system is quite simple. He took control of 3 Harken electric winches: 2 winches to tuck in the jib and a third at the piano on which the mainsail sheet is being resumed. From the steering station, a dedicated electronic console, we take control of these three winches.
The functions allow you to:
- automatically transfer
- adjust the sails according to wind variations
- limit the list of the sailboat
The system never takes control of the helm or autopilot. The direction of the boat remains at the discretion of the helmsman. For the transfer to go smoothly, you first need to do a number of things, such as properly adjust your genoa, pretend to have the counter-sheet... and then press the button.
And then everything happens in a dream (noisy because rocked by the mechanism of electric winches). The jib moves from one side to the other without having to touch anything.
In terms of reproaches, it should be noted that the jib is inflated against it for a while, because the shocked sheet is not fast (the winch turns slowly upside down). It is also necessary that the 2 sheets are correctly adjusted for the manoeuvre to be carried out correctly. In practice, at least 2 transfers with independent settings must be made for everything to work on wheels.
Although this system makes manoeuvring easier, it does not replace the know-how on board. It will be a good help for a solo sailor who is tired of pulling on his winches. But he doesn't learn to sail!
The option is sold for 27,900 euros excluding VAT, i. e. approximately 10% of the price of a Sun Odyssey 519 (for the moment the only model to offer it as an option). From this point of view the option may seem expensive, but it also includes the 3 electric winches (11 630 euros excluding VAT) as well as an additional battery and an intelligent controller.
With AST, Jeanneau is trying to offer a truly innovative product. Now it remains to be seen whether sailing enthusiasts will be able to respond and integrate this assistance into their navigation mode.
