The Black Pearl. She’s a beauty to behold!

And we were beholden to her high standards when asked to provide a navigation system for the landmark sailing yacht.

Boasting three 70-meter DynaRig carbon masts and iconic black sails, it’s just so easy to glimpse the sophistication behind the veneer of timeless elegance. Black Pearl exemplifies perfection.

To maintain the sailing yacht’s unique design lines, a fixed pole for navigation and communication on deck was not an option - a design evolution was called for.

Black Pearl reference

This is why the owner’s representative and shipyard, Oceanco, invited Wärtsilä to co-create a navigation system that could be inconspicuously fitted to the turning masts. We needed to hit the sweet spot where aesthetics and practicalities meet. In order to fulfil classification standards, the system needed to compensate the radars’ pictures by taking the rotating masts into consideration.

The Pearl is an impressive and unique vessel, one which needed a bespoke and innovative navigation system that fits with our design. Wärtsilä was able to deliver the quality and innovation needed for the unique requirements the vessel demanded.

Derek Munro, Director, Yacht Consultancy

The solution

By connecting advanced sensors to the Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum system, we were able to create an installation whereby the radar display would show the head-marker as correctly aligned with the vessel regardless of the masts’ position and sail setting.  

The X-band radars in the forward and mizzen masts are merged to assure a 360 degree view.

The radar pictures of both scanners are seamlessly merged to form a single picture and targets are handed over from one to the other scanner without re-acquiring.

Our unrivalled technology makes navigating this one-of-a-kind yacht simple and safe! The bespoke radar solution is part of the full Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum Integrated Navigation System, which also incorporates ECDIS, Conning and Trackpilot.

Navigation sensors like Gyro, Speedlog and DGPS are connected to the system to provide Heading, Speed and Position, and a high degree of redundancy ensures safe operation. To maintain the stunning look of the yacht, all antennas are fitted to the rotating masts.

It’s an honour to have Wärtsilä’s state-of-the-art navigation system listed among the unique features that make Black Pearl one of the most magnificent yachts gracing our oceans today.

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