B&G launches new Vulcan Family

by Luke Reilly on 13 Sep B&G®, the world’s leading sailing navigation and instrument specialist, is pleased to announce the launch of the new Vulcan family of sailing chartplotters. The updated and extended series now offers a fully refreshed 7”, a 9” and an all-new, large-format 12”; all with Broadband Radar™ compatibility.

B&G’s latest offering with the new Vulcan range ensures all sailors, including coastal cruisers and club racers can easily access B&G’s unique sailing software developed with the input of round the world sailors and modified for the everyday sailor’s needs. Whether you’re looking to fit a Vulcan 12 on a new 40 footer or retro-fit a Vulcan 7 on an older 27 footer, B&G’s Vulcan is the ultimate in value, sailing specific chartplotters.

The Vulcan series delivers innovative sailing functionality controlled through a bright, multi-touch screen with easy to use menu structure that makes setting courses, reading* wind speed and direction, depth, bearings and a host of other sailing functions, simple and intuitive to access and understand.

With award-winning sailing features that make it easy to plan a trip with key information, all Vulcans include SailSteer™ and SailingTime, which combine essential data into one clear and informative screen, as well as SailSteer™ chart overlay which further enhances situational awareness of laylines and windshifts. Sailors can also unlock a host of other features including PredictWind™ weather forecast and route planning, making Vulcan a fantastic central navigation display. In addition, for the club racer the Vulcan features Startline, countdown timer, and a race course building tool.

Increasing safety and making sailing easier, and therefore enhancing on water enjoyment are at the heart of what B&G do. With the introduction of B&G Broadband 3G™ or 4G™ Radar connectivity to the Vulcan series, all are addressed. Vulcan users can now identify and track targets from the bow of the boat, up to 36 nautical miles away, cruise safely through crowded harbours, see very close obstacles in poor visibility and keep an eye on distant storm cells.

With the addition of SonicHub™ marine audio, V20 and V50 DSC VHF Radios and AIS transceivers, a Vulcan provides the ultimate in on-water entertainment, safety and communication. Vulcan chartplotters are also built with ForwardScanTM capability. Connect to B&G’s ForwardScanTM transducer to enable full forward-looking sonar beneath the surface, especially useful when exploring shallow, unfamiliar or uncharted waters and coming into harbours. When connected to a B&G Pilot system the Vulcan can act as a secondary autopilot controller providing Intelligent Sail Steering, manual and auto steering functions, and Smart Manoeuvre functionality combined with intuitive menus for ultimate control.

“The newly updated and expanded Vulcan family brings high-spec sailing features and radar to our entry level range of chartplotters and really shows how B&G is ensuring all sailors have access to the best technology, which in the past has been exclusive to the top racing teams,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO of Navico, parent company to B&G. “From its high-speed GPS, SailSteer™ and ForwardScan sonar, to the addition of Broadband Radar, every part of the new Vulcan series has been designed to meet the needs of sailors at all levels.”

Each of the Vulcans feature built in Wi-Fi allowing connection to the internet, via a marina or smartphone hotspot, giving access to the online store to purchase and download charts or software updates direct to the unit. Users can also mirror the screen and control (tablet only) the chartplotter from virtually anywhere on the boat on a compatible iOS or Android device by downloading the Link app.

The new Vulcan chartplotters will be available in Australia in late 2017, with the 7-inch model carrying a RRP of $1049 for a standalone head unit, and the 12-inch starting at $3499. Bundles with chart cards and radars will also be available.

To find out more about the B&G range of sailing electronics and navigational products, please visit website.