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In the cockpits of IMOCA boats, maxis, multihulls and Admiral's Cup yachts, B&G displays are almost a permanent fixture. For 70 years, the British brand Brookes and Gatehouse follows the evolution of ocean racing and onboard electronics. A technical and sporting story that spans several generations of skippers and major ocean races.
B&G's debut in British regattas in the 1950s
B&G was founded in the UK in 1955 by Ronald Brookes and Williard Gatehouse. At the time, navigation was still largely based on mechanical instruments and crew know-how.
The first equipment developed by the brand concerned electronic speed and depth measurement systems (log and depth sounder). In the 1960s, yachts competing in British offshore regattas began to adopt these instruments.
The Fastnet Race becomes a real-life testing ground. This race, renowned for its often rough conditions in the Celtic Sea, pushes crews to seek more precise data on speed and wind.
And gradually, on-board electronics began to modify race tactics.
Admiral's Cup and Whitbread accelerate electronics needs
In the 1970s, major offshore competitions took on a new dimension. The Admiral's Cup became an international benchmark in ocean racing, while the Whitbread Round the World Race, forerunner of today's Ocean Race, imposed new technical constraints.
The yachts entered in these races sail for several weeks offshore. Crews need reliable information to optimize trajectories and protect equipment. B&G has therefore developed control units capable of combining several types of data: surface speed, apparent wind angle, compass heading and true wind.
Skippers such as Sir Peter Blake and Robin Knox Johnston took part in this period when electronic navigation became an increasingly important part of racing strategies.
Hercules becomes a benchmark in the 1980s
One of B&G's most important products appeared in the 1980s: the Hercules Performance System. The Hercules system calculates data that were previously difficult to use in real time: VMG, polar performance, laylines and wind angle optimization.
In the 1990s, Hercules systems were installed on many maxi yachts and America's Cup sailboats. Network displays and large mast repeaters become a familiar sight in racing cockpits. Crews begin to sail with true digital analysis of boat performance.
At the same time, ocean racing is also evolving. The IMOCA boats in the Vendée Globe are becoming faster and more demanding on their electronic systems.
Vendée Globe, Volvo Ocean Race and IMOCA become floating laboratories
From the 2000s onwards, modern ocean racing accelerated the development of onboard instruments. The Vendée Globe, the Volvo Ocean Race and then the IMOCA circuits imposed new requirements: shock resistance, reduced power consumption and complete integration between autopilot, navigation system and weather software.
Skippers like Michel Desjoyeaux, François Gabart, Charlie Dalin and Jérémie Beyou use B&G systems on several generations of IMOCA boats. Power plants Hydra then H5000 appear during this period.
The H5000 platform, launched in the early 2010s, is clearly targeted at advanced racing yachts and professional offshore programs. It enables faster performance calculations and extensive customization of the data displayed. In the Southern Ocean, or when reaching at more than 25 knots, legibility of information becomes as much a safety issue as a performance one.
Autopilots change the way offshore racing is done
The other major development concerns autopilots. On the first solo round-the-world races, skippers still spent long hours at the helm. With the ACP and NAC generations from B&G, autopilots are gradually becoming more precise. They can steer according to the apparent or real wind, handle finer variations in course and adapt to the accelerations of modern hulls.
On foiling IMOCA boats, these systems have become almost an additional crew member. Sailors like Armel Le Cléac'h and Thomas Ruyant have made a major contribution to this evolution in autopilot requirements on modern ocean-going monohulls.
And today, in certain fast downwind conditions, autopilots sometimes steer more consistently than a tired human after several days at sea.
Zeus, Vulcan and Triton bring offshore technology to cruising
From the 2010s onwards, B&G has also been developing products aimed more at offshore yachting and amateur racing. Multifunction displays Zeus then Vulcan centralize cartography, radar, AIS and sail data on a single interface.
Zeus introduces several functions dedicated to sailing: SailSteer, automatic calculation of laylines and simplified polar management. The displays Triton and Triton2 cockpit repeaters.
This democratization reflects an evolution in modern yachting: cruising sailors now use tools once reserved for professional ocean racing teams.
70 years of history linked to the evolution of modern navigation
From the Fastnet Race of the 1960s to today's flying IMOCA boats in the Vendée Globe, B&G's story is one of modern ocean racing. Instruments have profoundly transformed the way we sail, trim sails and manage weather trajectories.
But despite touch screens, digital networks and performance calculators, skippers' needs are still very similar to those of the pioneers of offshore sailing: fast, reliable information to keep the boat moving in the right conditions.
