Garmin Named Official Navigation Supplier to 34th America's Cup
Garmin announced today 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, which will be held in San Francisco in September, 2013. A suite of Garmin electronics will outfit the fleet of support boats used for the America’s Cup World Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, and the America’s Cup Finals.
America’s Cup mark and marshal boats can now be tracked and dispatched in real time, providing more responsive management of the race. If conditions permit, officials say 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 to the support boats throughout the various stages of competition.
The America's Cup deal comes on the heels of the navigation company's sponsorship of another major sailing event, the Global Ocean Race 2011-12, which is an around-the-world race that covers approximately 30,000 nautical miles.
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