YANMAR a Player in Trimaran Macif Victory
When skipper François Gabart was first to cross the finishing line off New York harbour at 18:24 (22:24 GMT) on Tuesday, May 10, at the helm of his 100ft LOA trimaran, YANMAR was among those celebrating an outstanding victory.
Epic race
French ocean racing yachtsman Gabart took the trophy for the 2016 Transat bakerly single-handed yacht racing in fine style, completing one of the yachting world’s most prestigious grand prix races having left Plymouth, UK, 8 days, 8 hours, 54 minutes and 39 seconds earlier.
Ocean racing pushes not only human endurance to its limits, but also brutally tests yachts, their equipment and systems. Many of those systems, from anchor winches to water desalinators, pumps, hydraulics for rigging, winches and sail handling systems and thrusters, all need mechanical and electrical power. So too do vital electronics for navigation and communication, not to mention living comforts – Spartan in the extreme though these are on racing yachts.
Silent power
Providing the power behind all these was YYANMAR MARINE INTERNATIONAL’s 4JH4-HTE diesel engine. Rated at 110hp with direct-injection and turbocharging , this unit was designed from the start specifically for marine applications, like all YMI engines, and has well-established reputation for quiet and clean running and highly-dependable service .
«We don’t suppose that François was particularly thinking about the engine during his epic race,» says Wil Botman, YMI assistant sales manager. «In fact, we were rather hoping that he wouldn’t be. Our engines are well-regarded for combining good performance with very good manners. They are the smoothest, cleanest and most reliable engines that can be installed in any yacht, so he shouldn’t have been distracted by them.
«We wholeheartedly congratulate François on his latest remarkable sailing triumph aboard trimaran Macif.»