Volvo Penta Unveils Wake Sports Control System
Volvo Penta today unveiled a new Water Sport Control system designed to create a unique user experience for wake surfing, wake boarding and water skiing enthusiasts.
The innovative control and display system gives boatbuilders a turnkey Volvo Penta water sport package that’s fully integrated with the Swedish engine manufacturer’s Forward Drive, electronic vessel control (EVC) and Glass Cockpit systems.
“Wake surfing is one of the fastest growing trends in today’s boating market, and we’re seeing even more boat builders bringing to market a new class of boats optimized for water sports enabled by Volvo Penta’s Forward Drive technology,” said Ron Huibers, president and CEO of Volvo Penta of the Americas. “The Water Sport Control is the latest in our long line of innovations that reflect our Easy Boating vision, applying new automation technologies to make it easier for more people to have fun on the water.”
The new water sport function in the Glass Cockpit display makes it easy to set up and run the boat for wake surfing, wake boarding or water skiing. Individual profiles for up to three users can be created, pre-stored and loaded in seconds. Once set, the system keeps the boat at the desired speed and trim automatically to create and sustain the wake for the desired water sports activity. Settings can be adjusted at any time during a ride using the touch-screen or the manual control levers on the side. The live video display on the screen allows boat drivers to watch the activity astern while keeping their eyes forward.
The first boatbuilder to install the Water Sport Control is Regal Boats, which is now offering it on the 25RX Surf and LS4 Surf models. Paul Kuck, director of product development and marketing at Regal Boats, commented: “Volvo Penta has hit another home run with the new Water Sport Control. Now we’re able to offer our customers a new way to enjoy the excitement and fun of wake surfing. Most important, with Volvo Penta we can deliver a total wake surfing experience as part of a fully integrated helm-to-prop propulsion package that’s supplied, warranted and supported by a single trusted partner.”
