B&G launches wireless wind sensor

B&G has announced the launch of the WS300 wind series, a new range of wireless and wired wind sensors designed for cruising and club racing sailors.

The WS320 is aimed at yachts with masts up to around 25m. B&G says the new sensor is easy to install, very low weight and does not compromise performance versus a wired unit. They say it offers high performance with improved aerodynamics and accuracy. “The smart rechargeable solar power management system ensures that data is always available to your instruments and autopilots, no matter what the weather,” their media release claims.

The WS310 is the wired option; it comes with the same improvements in accuracy and aerodynamics, but allows for the more traditional wired installations.

“Both the wireless and wired units offer exceptional performance in terms of accuracy of wind angle and speed, and are also extremely reliable”, said Alan Davis, B&G’s Product Line Director. “As the most exposed sensor on a yacht, the wind sensor is critical for instruments and autopilot steering. Reliability of these sensors is key and to address this the WS310 and WS320 have undergone rigorous validation. We have conducted benchmarking tests against multiple different sensors in over 500 individual wind tunnel tests and conducted over 200,000 hours of field tests without failure.”

One of the main challenges with wind sensors is installation. The new WS320 wireless sensor is lightweight and eliminates the need to run wires through the mast of smaller boats, therefore making installation much easier. Importantly opting for a wireless sensor does not mean you have to sacrifice accuracy; it is the same as the wired version, outputting wind at a smooth five times per second.

To find out more about the WS300 series and the full B&G range of sailing electronics and navigational products, visit www.bandg.com.