I love quick and clear access to data when I’m racing. Even when I’m cruising, I enjoy running numbers through my head. In both cases, it keeps me entertained and drives me to push the boat harder and to sail better.
Raymarine’s new Alpha series offers a streamlined way to deliver all the numbers I can handle on deck. The 7- or 9-inch displays function as a flexible sailing instrument, delivering any data on the network in a wide range of formats (portrait or landscape mode). From pre-defined pages to templates, and even the option to easily design custom pages, the screens can be set up exactly how I want them. This dials down as far as being able to select separate colors for each piece of information, like boat speed or apparent wind angle. Imagine being able to seamlessly switch between custom pages for each watch, or even between inshore and offshore modes—we know we all have our preferences!
The real beauty of this display is that the versatile hardware (android base with a quad-core processor, with attitude and heading sensors) has even more potential with software upgrades; we’re not stuck with a fixed-purpose instrument, the applications are infinitely expandable. The brainpower is all housed in an Axiom MFD, which is required to be in the network for the Alpha to function and also serves as a remote control. Note that older generation products (SeaTalk) can also be tied in with a converter module.
There’s no need to drop down your sunglasses to read the Alpha instrument. Not only do the IPS displays have a super wide viewing angle, but Raymarine has also applied a new polarization technology as a film on the inside of the glass that takes a 3D approach. The only blocked angle is from almost directly above the unit (not sure about you, but I’m not exactly looking at those screens when I’m aloft). And forget a mess of wires—the IPX7-rated Alpha display uses a single combined power and gigabit-speed data cable, and you can daisy-chain up to four of them.
I’m typically hesitant about devices that are touch-only control. However, the Alpha uses Raymarine’s latest technology that combines new advanced driver software and a nano-coating on the screen to deliver the best possible experience. The nano-coating keeps more than just water from hanging around—even the oils from fingerprints will not stick, and the screen stays clean. And if you prefer not to venture forward, pages and brightness can be changed right from the Axiom MFD via a remote control on the left edge of the screen.
The new Alpha series takes a simple approach to sailing instruments, cutting out any professional calibration and using performance processing that already exists in their latest plotters. From entry level cruising to offshore racing, it is full of features like group dimming, sail point, and polar integration to keep us focused and sailing fast. Nine-inch Alpha MSRP $1,999; 7-inch Alpha $1,299.
