
GEOCORAIL installs a test rig in the Fos oil port
6 April 2016
Tony Flemings in the Glaces Splendide Video
7 April 2016Volvo Penta acquires Humphree stabilizers
Swedish engine manufacturer Volvo Penta has announced its intention to acquire Humphree.
A great opportunity for yachtsmen, Humphree specializes in stability and performance accessories for fast boats, so we can expect stabilizers to be democratized and glide optimized for planing hulls in the future.
The only downside is that fin stabilizers seem to be under serious attack from Quantum’s Magnus-effect dynamic stabilizers, which look promising on paper.
Remember that the fins are relatively fragile external appendages, and require a little care to avoid getting a spinneret or pendulum caught in them. On the other hand, they are efficient devices, and gyroscopic stabilizers have not dethroned them in terms of overall efficiency, except when anchored.