SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Garmin Ltd., (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced that it has been selected to be the exclusive official supplier of marine navigation, marine communication, and marine sensor equipment to the 34th America's Cup.
A full suite of Garmin electronics, which includes the award-winning GPSMAP 7000 series of touchscreen multi-function displays (MFDs), will outfit the fleet of support boats used for the AC45 World Series, AC72 World Series, as well as the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America's Cup Challenger Series and the America's Cup Finals.
In collaboration with the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA), Garmin has developed tools that enable the most responsive management of the fleet of mark and marshal boats than ever possible before. America's Cup mark and marshal boats can now be tracked and dispatched in real time. If conditions permit, this technological addition will give officials the ability to change the race course faster than has ever been possible in the past.
"We're honored to have the opportunity to collaborate with the America's Cup competition, bringing Garmin's reputation for quality, commitment, performance and world-class support to the sailboat racing community," said Engelhard Sundoro, Garmin's director of marine OEM sales and marketing. "There's no larger stage in sailing than America's Cup, and Garmin gets to illustrate our ability to deliver customized systems to the marine industry while showcasing our technology to the best crews and fans in the world."
"As we work to transform the America's Cup and broaden its appeal globally, we are making a significant investment in technology to make the event more competitive on the water and more compelling off," said Stan Honey, ACEA, Director of Technology. "Our partnership with Garmin has resulted in a set of tools that empowers our race management team to create world-class courses that will start and stop on time, something that has not been easy to achieve in a sport dependent upon the wind."
This agreement, which includes the America's Cup World Series; the Louis Vuitton Cup, The America's Cup Challenger Series; and the America's cup Finals in 2013, will provide key products, including Garmin's 12- and 15-inch GPSMAP 7000 series MFDs, to the support boats throughout the various stages of competition. The touchscreen chartplotters selected by the America's Cup offer the ultimate in usability and intuitive control. During the races, the support staff can quickly and easily interact with the device, without hesitation on which button or knob to use to complete the command. These top-of-the-line MFDs feature Garmin G Motion technology that enables them to react with the high-speed responsiveness and performance needed in the race environment.
For the ultimate in situational awareness, race officials will also have access to premium mapping features with BlueChart g2 Vision functionality. BlueChart g2 Vision gives the user access to a growing database of high-resolution satellite imagery and 3-D "Mariner's Eye" and underwater "Fish Eye" perspective views, plus utilizes Auto Guidance technology to suggest the best routes to follow. Other equipment selected by the America's Cup to equip their support boats include a VHF 300i marine radio, AIS 600 transceiver, GMR 24HD radar, GMI 10 marine instrumentation, GHP 10V autopilot system and GSD 22 digital sounder.
Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 85 million GPS enabled devices - far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin's market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.
About Garmin International
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications—most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin's products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
About the America's Cup
Nearly 160 years old, the America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport. The America's Cup has evolved into one of the world's leading sporting competitions—featuring the best sailors on the world's fastest boats, the wing-sailed AC45 and AC72 catamarans. The new America's Cup World Series begins its inaugural season August 2011. In the summer of 2013, the 34th America's Cup begins with the Louis Vuitton Cup July 4–September 1, followed by the America's Cup Finals September 7–22.