It has been more than two decades since Yacht Controller was created. The product, which enables handheld, wireless navigation from anywhere on board, is now used in dozens of countries. More than 26,000 systems have been delivered for use on some 270 boat brands.
As feedback poured in from all those boaters, it became clear that not all of them wanted the same experience. “We were finding out that you could put a 50-foot boat next to its twin, and Boater A will use it differently than Boater B,” says Tony Valiente, chief operating officer and managing partner of The Yacht Group. “One guy may be happy at idle-speed engine control, and another guy may want added-speed control, and a third guy may want faster-speed control. We weren’t able to accomplish those algorithms.”
And so, the Maximo Yacht Controller was born. It has a 64-bit quad-core processor that will allow it to evolve in tandem with all the other technologies that manufacturers of helm-navigation devices are creating today. The Maximo Yacht Controller has data storage, the ability to handle software and firmware updates, and more.
“The system also has the ability for remote Wi-Fi access,” Valiente says. “That means consumers can access the system via their smartphones and tablets, and my customer-service department can provide real-time customer support anywhere in the world that customers have Wi-Fi access.”
The Maximo Yacht Controller system is designed to be a plug-and-play operation, so it can be installed with new builds, professional refits and DIY upgrades. Installation should not affect other product warranties, Valiente says, because the company works with manufacturers of everything from engines to transmissions to ensure compatibility.
For yachts 85 feet and larger, the company also introduced the Maximo Platinum Series Edition Supremo. It uses CAN-bus cabling, which was not previously possible and which Valiente says allows it to work on increasingly larger superyachts: “We can run the cabling through 300 or 400 feet without losing transmission signal range.”
