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Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries, in concert with Ferretti Group, has recently developed
an entirely new approach to roll stabilization, the Anti Roll Gyro, or
ARG. Rather than using small gyroscopic sensors to control external fins
or other devices, the system draws on technology developed for stabilizing
satellites in space, using the effect of a large gyroscope to reduce the
rolling motion of yachts.
The gyroscope units
vary in weight from 600 to around 3,600 pounds and take up about the same
space as a genset. Senior editor Capt. Bill Pike traveled to Italy to
see the system in action aboard Norberto Ferretti’s personal yacht,
a 108-foot Navetta. The yacht was fitted with three medium-size units,
each drawing about 3.5-kW of power. While the system was designed for
use in one- to three-foot seas in sheltered anchorages, six- to eight-footers
were in existence at the time, so the practical usefulness of the system
was difficult to accurately measure. However, by referencing a distant
shoreline during testing, Pike estimated roll reductions at approximately
50 percent, a figure in line with the manufacturer’s claims. Moreover,
he reported no noise from the units, except for a faint hum he heard while
standing next to them in the boat’s garage and utility room.
Ferretti will be offering
ARG as standard equipment on all Custom Line yachts (from 94 to 128 feet)
and on the Ferretti 83- and 88-foot models. It will be available as an
option on most other models built by the Ferretti Group. Currently available
in Europe, the system will debut in the United States at the Fort Lauderdale
International Boat Show this year. —G.L.P.
Ferretti Group USA
Phone: (954) 525-4550. www.ferrettigroupusa.com.
Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries America Phone: (212) 969-9000. www.mhi.co.jp.
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