YANMAR Brings Joystick Sailboat Maneuvering to Boot Düsseldorf 2017
The YANMAR 4JH80 SPP (Steerable Propulsion Pod) system for sailboats is highlighted on the marine diesel engine manufacturer’s stand at Europe’s leading winter boat show, boot Düsseldorf (January 21-29, 2017). 4JH80 SPP is the world’s first, and to date only, steerable saildrive propulsion system and it gives sailing cruiser skippers all the advantages of low-speed joystick maneuvering and docking that so far have only been available to powerboat owners.
SPP couples YANMAR MARINE INTERNATIONAL’s advanced 80mhp 4JH80 common-rail marine diesel engine with an all-new transmission developed jointly by YANMAR and leading marine driveline manufacturer ZF Marine. This has a drive leg that rotates through 360⁰ with full electronic management that also links in the yacht’s bow thruster so that sailors too can now finely execute all low-speed maneuvering and docking procedures with easy precision via a joystick that gives light and intuitive fingertip control. The YANMAR 4JH80 SPP is presented on an interactive display in Hall 10 on the stand of YMI and its German distributor Friedrich Marx (10 G57).
New inboard joystick docking system
Another manifestation of joystick maneuvering is also shown on this stand. This is the new JC20 system which is designed specifically for boats with conventional twin-engine shaft drive propulsion. The JC20 has been designed and engineered in-house by YANMAR as an easily-installed and competitively-priced joystick control package. The system’s central processing unit vectors the thrust from the engines and a VETUS Extended Runtime bowthruster to provide the ease of maneuverability that’s more commonly associated with pod drive propulsion, but at a price that is expected to appeal to many inboard powerboat owners who otherwise have might have thought that joystick control was too expensive to be worth considering.
Class leading engines
Joystick systems are exhibited alongside several of the latest YANMAR marine diesel engines. As well as the four-cylinder 4JH80 engine with its SPP transmission option, the ‘head of the family’, the 110mhp 4JH110, and 57mhp 4JH57 with saildrive are also displayed. The JH CR engine family is part of YANMAR’s new generation of common-rail diesel engines developed specifically for marine applications. Within the past couple of years the company has built up what is now the fullest range of common-rail (CR) engines in the boating market. These are class leaders for fuel efficiency, low noise and vibration levels and minimal exhaust emissions. All comply with the latest EU RCD 2 and EPA Tier 3 emissions limits.
Other examples of YMI’s investment in CR fuel-injected engine technology are also presented. These are the company’s six-cylinder 6LY CR flagship model launched early last year and the 8LV V8 engine. Both are represented at boot 2017 by top-of-the-range models. These are the compact and high-performance 6LY440 which develops 440mph at 3,300rpm and the high-torque eight-cylinder 8LV-370 (370mhp) paired with YANMAR’s sterndrive transmission.
“With such a wide selection of new and best-in-class marine diesels, innovative transmission and control options providing easy and carefree boating solutions, YANMAR has something for everyone, ” says Floris Lettinga, YMI global sales manager. “Therefore, where else could we be at the end of January than at Düsseldorf for the one premier winter show that is at the crossroads of the global boating market?”