Joystick controls sails and bow thrust on luxury yacht

The world's largest, single-masted luxury yacht, the Mirabella V, which measures 75m in length, is using sophisticated, ergonomically-designed joysticks to control bow thrust and winch controls for raising and furling the sails. Developed by Dorset-based company Penny & Giles, the JC150 joystick appears in 25 locations around the yacht, including three joysticks to control bow thrust and a further two sets of 11 joysticks positioned at the sailing control panels at each helm (port and starboard). The joystick, developed for use in applications where lever strength and handle functionality are paramount, use potentiometer technology to control the movement of the winches to position the sails. According to Penny & Giles, "the technology is inherently stable and so the joystick offers excellent repeatability". The company also said there is no need for re-calibration and the joystick has an expected life of more than five million cycles. Designed to be used with an electronic controller, the JC150's conductive plastic potentiometer track generates analogue and switched reference signals, proportional to the distance and direction over which the handle is moved. The signal is then passed to the machinery control system and the winches and bow thrust are positioned accordingly. The 25 joysticks can withstand forces of up to 300N on the handle and are situated on deck, exposed to harsh weather conditions, so the unit's IP rating protects its mechanical and electrical parts against ingress of rain and sea water. A variety of ergonomically-designed handles are available with the JC150 that offer push-button and rocker switch functions, membrane keypads and LED displays. There is also a 'person present' switch option and centre lock mechanisms to improve the integrity of the control system. Peter Medcalf, electrical design engineer at VT Shipbuilding, makers of the luxury yacht, commented: "There were a number of key factors in determining which joysticks to use. The joysticks needed to be weather resistant, functional and look good too; the JC150 matched all these criteria." "The owner [of the yacht] requested that no fixing bolts show on deck," explained Metcalf. "Together [with Penny & Giles] we came up with a solution to mount them from underneath the control panel."