Quest for the fastest monohull on the planet.

News Release 2 – 3^rd March, 2010

Revealing (some) Secrets Behind the SpeedDream Performance Concept

image from SpeedDream via www.ajaxnetphoto.com

In this News Release the SpeedDream team lifts (only slightly) the veil surrounding their revolutionary design concept and shares some ideas on how they plan to advance monohull performance to a totally new level. “We want the sailing public to be aware of our campaign and to get involved in the SpeedDream challenge with their ideas, comments and support,” says design coordinator Vlad Murnikov. “We do, however, have to be careful about how much information we can let out on this very early stage of the project. This News Release should be viewed with the understanding that our team has many more tricks up our sleeves which we will keep there for a time being. We will continue to work tirelessly on improving our radical SpeedDream concept until it evolves into the most extraordinary speed machine ever. And we will continue sharing our progress with you every step of the way.”

Items covered in this News Release are:

Monohull versus Multihull

A Slender Hull that Sails through the Waves

The search for the Ultimate Canting Keel

A Boat with Wings

Making a Wet Boat Less Wet – and More Beautiful

Learning from Powerboats

SpeedDream Design Background

Monohull versus Multihull

The SpeedDream campaign, the quest to create the world’s fastest monohull, is gaining momentum. The reaction to the SpeedDream announcement in early January was overwhelmingly positive demonstrating that the sailing world is ready for a radical super-fast monohull, capable of competing on equal terms with the record-setting multihulls.

"If everything comes together as anticipated our revolutionary boat will be capable of reaching and maintaining unprecedented open-ocean speeds," says project leader Vlad Murnikov. Murnikov is confident that many new records will be set in open ocean conditions including the fastest transatlantic crossing as well as the fastest non-stop global circumnavigation.”

Why a monohull?

“For decades catamarans and trimarans have proven themselves to be the fastest boats under sail," says Murnikov. "All this time these multihulls have enjoyed unrestricted development leaving their designers free to explore every possible recipe for speed. Monohull development, on the other hand, has always been governed by strict class rules which puts a big damper on single-hull performance capabilities."

Today’s fastest monohull, the VOR 70, is a relatively conservative design developed in accordance with a stringent 'box' rule in order to keep all boats similar and to reduce costs, and risks, associated with the ultimate ocean race. These rules put limits on length, beam, draft, displacement, rig dimensions, and sail area, all the major design parameters, as well as materials that can be used for boat’s construction. And yet, despite all these restrictions, VOR 70s are capable of reaching speeds in excess of 40 knots, the same as some of the fastest multihulls. The problem is, much wider and shorter monohulls tend to slow down after each burst of speed, while catamarans and trimarans, with their needle-like hull forms, can sustain higher speeds for a substantially longer periods of time. This explains why multihulls dominate the record pages.

The SpeedDream team believes, however, that the current superior multihull performance could be matched and even exceeded by a monohull if we are able to throw away all restrictions and design the most advanced boat possible.

“After all multihulls, no matter how long and slender, still sail in displacement mode while high-speed monohulls can glide over the water in a much more efficient planing mode,” explains Murnikov. “We see potential for a quantum leap forward in monohull performance, a true design revolution. While this is happening catamarans and trimarans would continue their incremental advancement becoming larger and wider while growing more complex and costly.”

Generally, light boats are fast. Monohull critics are quick to point out that the ballast weight that a traditional single-hull boat has to carry in order to achieve sufficient stability is dead weight most of the time. Recent advancements in canting keel design allow for enormous gains in stability while reducing ballast weight. In fact you can hardly call a canting keel a “keel”. It’s more accurately a ‘stability strut’ that adds power in a very efficient and effective manner. It’s true that multihulls don’t need ballast for generating righting moment but they do have to carry around the weight of at least one or even two extra hulls, plus all the complex structure necessary to keep it all together.

“Advancements in modern technology and design make it possible to produce a monohull with a comparable weight and righting moment of a multihull while taking full advantage of the drag reduction of a high-speed planing hull,” says Murnikov. “Our preliminary estimates show that the SpeedDream concept would result in a monohull capable of reaching speed in excess of 50 knots and maintaining an average speed on par with the fastest multihulls. Creating the world’s fastest monohull questions the status quo and shatters existing stereotypes of high performance sailing, while adding a new level of excitement to the never-ending quest for speed.”

When SpeedDream is built, the boat will effect the sailing community in more profound ways than any speed-record multihull could ever do simply because the vast majority of sailboats on water are monohulls. The design innovation and research that will go into this project, and the experience gained from it, will benefit the future of sailboat design and set the direction for generations of yachts to come.

A Slender Hull that Sails through the Waves

image from SpeedDream via www.ajaxnetphoto.com

High performance results from a combination of two main factors: providing a boat with enough power and reducing resistance in order to utilize this power in the most efficient way possible. Most designers focus performance optimization on increasing power. Multihulls are typical of this approach as they grow larger and wider with each new generation in order to achieve higher and higher sail-carrying capability. This, however, results in over-powered vessels that are inevitably over-stressed requiring a more and more robust structure to survive. This all comes at the expense of extra weight which in turn calls for even more power to maintain speed.

“Our solution is to reduce drag, by all means possible,” says Vlad Murnikov. “This way all the available wind power is used more efficiently requiring less sail area to achieve higher speeds. Less righting moment is needed, the boat is less stressed and will be lighter while remaining strong. Lighter means faster”.

To greatly reduce resistance the SpeedDream boat features a relatively narrow, slender hull, almost triangular in plan view and equipped with a sharp wave-piercing bow. The goal is to reduce drag in heavy seas as well as minimize pitching and slamming.

The boat is designed to sail most of time at a constant heel angle of around 20-25 degrees. This angle of heel will be maintained by adjusting sail area and keel angle in accordance to the changes in wind strength. Both the hull and rig are optimized to be most efficient in such conditions with the hull having two narrow planing surfaces port and starboard, each tilted at 20-25 degrees. Further design development will concentrate on verifying the optimal heel angle and determining both the shape and width of the planing surfaces in order to achieve the best combination of maximum hydrodynamic lift and minimal hull drag. The resulting hull design will have minimal volume and surface area with its buoyancy and hydraulic lift moved as far outboard as possible.

The search for the Ultimate Canting Keel

VOR 70 rules limit keel cant to 40 degrees. The geometry of most modern canting systems allows for a maximum cant of up to 50 degrees. Beyond 50 degrees the loads grow dangerously high. For SpeedDream we have developed a proprietary system that allows much higher cant angles while at the same time being able to significantly reduce loads. The goal is to ultimately sail the boat with the keel completely out of water thereby removing a significant amount of drag. Even if the keel is going get submerged periodically, on the whole this concept promises sizable benefits to overall drag reduction.

A Boat with Wings

Wings were first attached to the keel in 1983 to help the Australians win the America’s Cup. Recently we saw a huge wing sail propelling BMW Oracle to its victory. Now the SpeedDream designers are looking closer at wings, trying to utilize uniquely shaped hydrofoils to create additional righting moment and to partially offset the boat’s displacement. Placed near the center of gravity to diminish the negative effect of hull movement on their performance, these foils will be capable of creating lift equal to 30-50% of the total displacement. The wings could be retractable or fixed and could be used as separate appendages or in combination with a daggerboard. The parameters of the wing will be decided in the later stages of design process.

Further analysis will be focused on finding the optimal size and shape of the hydrofoils and their profile in order to achieve maximum lift and minimal drag.

Making a Wet Boat Less Wet – and More Beautiful

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of the deck design and layout as it relates to performance since at high speed the deck will frequently get submerged. Its shape will be sculptured to shed water as quickly and to throw as little water and spray forward as possible and to prevent large amounts of water reaching the cockpit. All of this will help reduce resistance and provide the best protection for the crew.

“Naturally the task of protecting the crew from the elements on a boat intended to reach 50+ knots in real ocean conditions is an enormous design challenge, but we have a few interesting tricks up our sleeve that will help make this inevitably wet boat a little bit less wet and more comfortable for her crew,” says Murnikov.

The deck, with several strategically placed breakwaters, is designed to shed water aside as quickly as possible. The cockpit is set far aft and is significantly elevated relative to the rest of boat, and both the helmsman and crew are protected by good-size dodgers. The cockpit sole is a mesh trampoline with a deep, steeply sloped channel below that allows water to easily pass aft and discharge through the open transom with minimal impact on the crew and boat speed.

“It has to be said that so far no offshore sailboat has ever sailed at such speeds so we are venturing into totally uncharted territory. No one quite knows what we will face there,” admits Murnikov. “High-performance sailing could be dangerous, but so is climbing Mount Everest or driving an F1 car. Our design team will keep working on making this boat as safe as possible and we believe that the experience gained throughout our project will greatly benefit all offshore sailors.”

All the functional attributes of the SpeedDream design also contribute to the boat’s strikingly futuristic image. “I view design as part science and part art and believe that beautiful boats are fast boats. This boat looks like nothing ever seen before and to my eye she is very beautiful, and therefore she has to be very fast,” jokes designer Murnikov.

Learning from Powerboats

Among other venues the SpeedDream design team is actively exploring are applications of stepped hulls, spray rails and other speed-enhancing features that are widely used on powerboats. “The next step will be to take a closer look on the benefits of bottom aeration in order to further reduce wetted surface,” says Murnikov. “And that’s only a start. During the extensive research and development process, throughout design, construction and boat testing, our designers and engineers will keep improving our revolutionary SpeedDream concept until it evolves into the most extraordinary speed machine ever.”

SpeedDream Design Background

SpeedDream is the brainchild of Vlad Murnikov, a radical sailboat designer, born in Russia, now based in the USA. Vlad was the project leader and design coordinator for FAZISI, Russia's first-ever entry in the Whitbread Round the World Race, the premier oceanic sailing competition in the world, now known as the Volvo Ocean Race. In the 1989-90 Whitbread race, not only did the remarkable FAZISI with her minimal budget and crew of novice sailors overcome impossible odds to place 11th in a field of the world’s best yachts, she posted the next-to-longest 24-hour run racking up the then-incredible 386 miles in a single day.

FAZISI was one of the lightest boats in the entire Whitbread fleet. Although the almost twice-as–heavy, over-canvassed New Zealand ketch STEINLAGER won the race under the command of the legendary skipper Peter Blake, the light-displacement boats ultimately prevailed in the design competition. Today they fully dominate the racing scene getting lighter and faster with every new generation. Murnikov’s unique SpeedDream concept improves upon the once-revolutionary FAZISI blueprint and advances the scientific art of boat design into yet uncharted territory.

Another trend-setting design that influenced the SpeedDream concept was MX-Ray, a revolutionary boat that forever changed small boat sailing. When Murnikov came up with the idea of super-fast, single-handed dinghy with asymmetric spinnaker, nobody believed that the concept could work or that there would be sailors skillful enough to handle such a boat.

Not only did the tiny 13-foot MX-Ray proved to be extremely fast, capable of reaching 27 knots, she turned out to be great fun and very easy to operate. Over the years more that a half-dozen designs from various manufacturers followed in her wake, and today practically every dinghy producer has a similar boat in their line-up. It is from the MX-Ray that the SpeedDream concept has borrowed her sharp wave-piercing bow, very narrow waterline, and dart-shaped hull.

Other members of the SpeedDream design team are bringing their cutting edge expertise in offshore racing boats, record multihulls, hydrodynamics, structural engineering, hydrofoil and keel design. On top of this SpeedDream’s innovative rig and sails are going be developed by industry leaders. We are confident that our team is capable of producing the fastest sailboat ever.

For more information please take a look at the latest SpeedDream magazine found online at http://issuu.com/speeddream/docs/speeddream2

Attached 3D renderings are by Tyler Doyle of Doyle Sailmakers - www.doylesails.com

For more information and to obtain the high-resolution images, please contact SpeedDream Media:

Speeddreammedia@gmail.com

Brian Hancock - Media Relations

Vlad Murnikov – Design Aspects

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ATOLLVIC SHIPYARD SPONSORS WORLD SUPERYACHT AWARDS 2010

Press Release


29 January 2010, Vigo, Spain.


Atollvic Shipyard, specialists in the construction, refit and repair of luxury sail and motor yachts, is proudly partnering with organisers of the World Superyacht Awards 2010 by sponsoring the category for the Best Sailing Yacht in 30m to 44m size range. The 5th annual ceremony of the World Superyacht Awards, taking place on Saturday 22 May at London’s Guildhall, will see Atollvic celebrate the best of the best in superyacht build and design.

Strategically positioned in Vigo on the north-west coast of Spain, Atollvic’s new-build team combines a highly skilled group of designers with naval architects and interior specialists to craft vessels that perform seamlessly and offer the ultimate in tailored comfort and style. The Spanish shipyard, which also provides refit and repair services, can fulfil a broad range of projects including motor yachts, sailboats and luxury superyachts and is part of Grupo Vicalsa, a group of companies with more than 35 years experience in the construction and repair of steel and aluminium boats.

The World Superyacht Awards is a celebrated event in the superyacht industry calendar and recognises the talents of industry professionals including builders, naval architects and designers. Judged by an independent panel, the awards will honour the best yachts launched during the last 12 months.

Marco Villar, Yard Director of Atollvic Shipyard, is looking forward to the forth-coming partnership: “Atollvic is delighted to be sponsoring the World Superyacht Awards 2010. We are committed to offering our clients the highest standards in all aspects of our work and welcome the opportunity to share the celebration with the industry’s very best.”

Atollvic Shipyard was founded in 2006 and is strategically positioned in Vigo on the north-west coast of Spain. Experts in custom sail and motor yachts in steel or aluminium, Atollvic is dedicated to the construction, refit and repair of luxury yachts up to 70 meters.

Atollvic is part of Grupo Vicalsa, a group of companies providing the technical and logistic support needed to successfully design and build the most complex custom yachts.

Ends


For more information
Contact: Zoe Thompson, PR Account Director, Marketing Matters
E-mail: zoe@marketing-matters.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 777111



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The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks , registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed users.

Panasonic’s DMC-FT2 – Unique Hybrid Tough Model

Press Release



Panasonic’s DMC-FT2 – Unique Hybrid Tough Model –
Perfect for Capturing the Action



Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new Lumix DMC-FT2, a successor to Lumix’s first camera geared for active outdoor use, the DMC-FT1. Featuring AVCHD Lite HD movie recording capability, the new 14.1-megapixel FT2 further strengthens its toughness to be waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to -10 degrees C and dustproof. The camera is also empowered internally by the newly developed Venus Engine HD II integrating “Intelligent Resolution” technology.

The FT2 features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO ELMAR 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4.6x optical zoom[1]. A folded optics shaft guide method is adopted to secure the toughness of the lens unit. Comprising 10 elements and a prism unit in 8 groups, including 1 ED lens and 5 aspherical lenses with 6 aspherical surfaces passing the Leica's stringent standards to deliver exceptional optical performance to the edge. Thanks to the newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available with the FT2 which extends the zoom ratio by approx.1.3x maintaining the picture quality even combining the digital zoom. This means the 4.6x optical can virtually extend to 6x equivalent. Furthermore, the Extra Optical Zoom function that extends zoom power to 9.8x (at 3-megapixel resolution) by u sing the center part of the 14.1-megapixel high resolution CCD to bring subjects even closer.


Take Me Swimming


Thanks to rubber padding, reinforced glass and carbon resins inside the camera, the FT1 features an airtight body that lets users operate the FT2 underwater to a depth of up to 10 meters. The FT2 can even be used in seawater, so users can take images of friends snorkelling or tropical fish darting in and out of coral reefs. Since additional housing is unnecessary for underwater operation, the FT2 is an extremely versatile camera that you can take with you wherever the action calls. The FT2 can be used at a beach, ski resort, hiking trips, festivals and in a host of other active, outdoor situations where no-one would dare use a conventional camera.

Designed with users in mind, the FT2’s cover panel of the LCD is thickened by 1.3x compared to the predecessor FT1 to withstand pressure underwater as deep as 10 meters.


Feel Free to Drop Me


It’s true – the FT2 is drop proof from a height of up to 2 meters[2]. In addition to reinforcing the exterior of the camera with shock-resistant material, the FT2 uses folded optics to prevent its lens unit from taking damage when dropped during operation. The lens unit is protected by a supplementary damper to absorb the force from shock impact. Combined with its dustproof, waterproof and freezeproof performance, this makes it the ideal camera for anytime use outdoors, in active situations, and for casual everyday shooting.


Dust Proof Too


A dust proof design[3] shuts out airborne dust particles that can lead to malfunction – enabling worry free shooting in places like the beach, or any place with lots of dust.


Freeze Me


Expanding your photographic opportunities, the new FT model is now freezeproof up to -10degrees C – perfect for active winter travellers, skiers, and snowboarders for example. Don’t be fooled by the durability of this camera – the FT2 still looks good too! Sporting a folded optics design, the FT2 is sleek and sophisticated.


Film me in High Definition


In addition to Motion JPEG images[4], the DMC-FT2 can record high-definition motion picture in AVCHD Lite. It features almost doubling the recording time in HD quality compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format. The picture quality is greatly enhanced thanks to the newly added Intelligent Resolution technology. The FT2 also features Dolby Digital Creator to record high quality audio, so you can match the beautiful motion images with outstanding sound.

Now on the FT2, the popular iA (Intelligent Auto) is also available in motion image recording. Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using zoom or shooting in low lit situations. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion on it so it always turns out beautiful. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.

The 4.6x optical zoom is also available in movie recording. With the newly added Video Divide function, users can divide the video into two sections to shorten or to delete the unwanted half on the spot in the camera. You can cutout a still image from a movie in the camera. Intelligent Resolution makes it possible to produce 1920x1080 still images from 1280x720 HD movies even recorded in AVCHD Lite. A Wind Cut function is also available to block out most of the noise from background wind.

Still or motion images recorded in AVCHD Lite on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV[5]. Simply insert the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SD Memory Card slot) on VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to playback your contents. Alternatively, you can use an optional mini HDMI cable to output the still and motion images you took from the FT2 directly to the TV for VIERA Link. You can take maximum advantage of Lumix camera's playback functions including the slideshow in which both still and motion images are integrated in the timeline, category playback according to the scene mode you used or calendar display and so on. All control is possible using only the TV's remote control.

In addition, with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition, it is easy to view and edit your recorded contents. You may also choose to upload your videos to YouTube or burn them to a DVD disc for archiving.

Intelligent Resolution Technology Assures High Picture Quality for Both Photo and Movie
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD has been re-engineered to compile the new image processing technology “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photos and high-definition movies with higher quality signal processing.

With the Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas –outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clearness while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, superior noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and movie recording.

The Intelligent Resolution technology also facilitates Intelligent Zoom, which virtually extends the optical zoom ratio to its 1.3x equivalent maintaining the picture quality even combining the digital zoom. Details of an image in high sensitivity recording tend to be lost in the noise reduction process, however, the Intelligent Resolution works to keep them.

At the same time, the multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine HD II supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as approx. 0.005 seconds and the camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus) that lets you lock on the subject minimum in approx. 0.24(wide-end) / 0.28(tele-end) seconds[6] and the short startup time of approx. 1.1 seconds. The high performance Venus Engine HD II is also energy efficient compared with the conventional Venus Engine HD, extending the battery life up to 360 shots (CIPA) per a single charge.

iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode Further Evolved with POWER O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer)
Panasonic incorporated the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode in pursuit of the ultimate ease of operation and the reduction of misshots. In the iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving you free to compose shots and capture moments. Just press, aim and shoot. This mode is now further advanced with the inclusion of a greater advanced image stabilization - system POWER O.I.S. and Intelligent Resolution technology for DMC-FT2.

Taking advantage of Panasonic's accumulated optical technologies, MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) has been incorporated into LUMIX cameras from the early stage of digital camera development. MEGA O.I.S. has evolved into the POWER O.I.S. on the DMC-FT2, with a great performance improvement - twice the shake suppression capability of the predecessor FT1.

The hand-shake component, which is physically generated when pressing the shutter button or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is recognized as a low-frequency vibration, for which the new POWER O.I.S. is particularly effective. This greatly improves the quality of shots taken at night or indoors where a flash cannot be used, or where the photographer doesn't want to use a flash because it would spoil the mood. It captures beautiful photos in situations that previously resulted in blurring.

The DMC-FT2 features Face Recognition, a function that was made popular in the previous FT1, but with several upgrades. Three face images can be registered for each person, to raise the detection accuracy. And when the angle of view is changed horizontally, the name display also rotates for easier reading. The Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically selects whichever of 6 Scene Modes - Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and newly added Sunset -- that best suits the shooting situation.

In addition, newly incorporated Intelligent Resolution technology is always activated in iA mode which results in the clearer and higher picture quality in every photo and movie with extended zoom range equivalent to 6x optical zoom.

Once you enter the iA mode, these functions happen automatically together with other powerful shooting-assist functions - AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure - so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change. You can enjoy easy, trouble-free shooting in any situation and get the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images.

The new Happy Mode, a colour mode option in the iA mode, optimizes colour, saturation and brightness to make both photos and movies more vivid and true to the colour of the scenes you memorized.


Other Versatile Functions Adding to the Photographic Enjoyment


The FT2 is equipped with a 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD with wide viewing angle and AR(Anti-Reflection) coating. The screen brightness automatically adjusts in 11 steps as the surrounding brightness level changes, ensuring easy visibility at all times. The big screen reflects fine details, making it easy to check the focus before shooting. It also serves as a small photo and video viewer, allowing the user and friends to enjoy viewing the still and motion images together.

Scene modes, which are optimized for a variety of still-image shooting situations, are now available for motion images as well. The most commonly used scene modes for outdoor photography including Sports, Snow, and Beach & Surf can be accessed directly via the mode dial.

A High Dynamic mode is newly added to the existing Scene modes. This mode helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure, even though the scene contains both bright and dark areas together. The user can select either of three options, Standard, Art, or B/W, depending on the desired effect and personal taste to make the photo look natural to artistic.

The built-in LED light greatly supports shooting in dark situations and the included silicon jacket protects the camera by softening the shocks of dropping while preventing from scratching.

The optional marine case (DMW-MCFT2) is available for underwater photography even to 40m.

In addition to the conventional SD/SDHC Memory Card, the DMC-FT2 accepts the next-generation SD format SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), that features high potential in both capacity and data transfer speed. The DMC-FT2 is compatible with Windows 7.

With an improvement of operational ease, an abundant of functions for both photo and movie recording

Enjoy stunning photos and HD videos with tremendous ease on land and under sea – the FT1 is the ideal partner for your outdoor adventures. The FT2 will be available in the UK from mid March in a choice of striking orange, cool blue or stunning yellow.

-ends-


Digital images available on request
Reader enquiry number: 0844 844 3852


Panasonic UK, Panasonic House, Willoughby Road, Bracknell Berks RG12 8FP



■About Waterproof / Dustproof performance of the camera
This camera’s waterproof/dustproof rating complies with the “IPX8” and “IP6X” ratings. Provided the care and maintenance guidelines described as following are strictly followed, this camera can operate underwater, to a depth not exceeding 10m(33FT) for a time not exceeding 60minutes. This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.
- Attention -
To prevent water leak, take care not to nip any foreign objects, and close it by pressing until it clicks. ●Use the camera underwater up to 10m(33FT) depth, water temperature from 0℃ to 40℃, and not longer than 60 minutes continuously.●Do not leave the camera under low temperature in the cold climate, or where it has high temperature above 40℃ for long period of time.( Waterproof performance will degrade.)●Do not use chemicals, such as benzene, thinner, or alcohol, soap, detergents.●If it was used in the sea, soak the camera in fresh water a shallow container of for 10 minutes or less. Do not leave the camera uncared for more than 60 minutes after using it underwater. It may cause deterioration of the waterproof performance.●To keep the waterproof performance, it is recommended to replace the waterproof seal(with fee) at least once every 1 year at the retail store where you have bought the camera .● When the zoom lever or mode dial becomes difficult to operate, dip the camera in a fresh water and remove the foreign objects.


■About Shockproof performance of the camera
This camera complies with “MIL-STD 810F Method516.5-Shock”, the camera has cleared a drop test from a height of 2.0m.This does not guarantee no destruction, no malfunction, or waterproofing in all conditions.
Testing Method –
Drop height: 2,0m / Drop surface: thick plywood (lauan)
Drop orientation: On each face, edge and corner, for a total of 26 orientations. (5units)
Number of drops: Once for each orientation.
Camera was inspected after each drop, and found to be operating within product specifications.
Change of appearance - paint-loss or deformation not measured.


■About Freezeproof performance of the camera
●The performance of the battery (number of recordable pictures/operating time) may decrease temporarily when using in a temperature between -10℃to0℃( 14゜F to 32゜F)　(at the cold climate such as ski resort). ●If the camera gets cold in a cold environment, performance of the LCD monitor may temporarily drop immediately after turning the power on, such as the picture on the LCD monitor being slightly darker than usual or ghost images appearing. Keep the camera warm when using in a cold environment. The performance will resume to normal when theinternal temperature rises. ●When using the camera in a cold place such as a ski resort, if the camera is left with snow or water drops still on it , the snow or water drops in-between the zoom lever, the mode dial, or the camera (OFF/ON) button may freeze, making it difficult for some parts of the camera to function properly. This is not a malfunction. When the camera returns to normal temperature it will function normal.●It is recommended to use the camera while keeping it warm in the coat etc.


*Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH.
*The LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards.
*The "AVCHD" is a high definition (HD) digital video recording / playback format jointly established by Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation. The "AVCHD Lite" is a subset of the "AVCHD format" for HD digital video cameras with HD video recording restricted to 720P. The new "AVCHD Lite" Logo and the "AVCHD Lite" License are restricted to devices within the AVCHD Video Camera category. Digital cameras have been added to the AVCHD Video Camera category.
*The "AVCHD Lite" and the "AVCHD Lite" logo are trademarks of Panasonic Corporation and Sony Corporation.
*AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.
*Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby Laboratories.
*HDMI, the HDMI logo and High-Definition Multimedia Interface are trademarks or registered trademarks of HDMI Licensing LLC.
*YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc.
*All other company and product names are trademarks of their respective corporations.
*This unit is compatible with both SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Cards. You can only use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are compatible with them. You cannot use SDHC Memory Cards on devices that are only compatible with SD Memory Cards. (When using a SDHC Memory Card on another device, be sure to read the operating instructions for that device.)
*Some accessories are not available in some countries.
*The use of recorded or printed materials that are protected by copyright for any purpose other than personal enjoyment is prohibited, as it would infringe upon the rights of the copyright holder.
*Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.


[1] Equivalent to 28-128mm on a 35mm camera.
[2] This camera has passed a drop test from 1.5 m in height in accordance with “MIL-STD 810F Method 516.5-Shock
[3] Equivalent to “IPX8” and “IP6X” standard
[4] Motion pictures can be recorded continuously for up to 29min 59 sec in some countries. Continuous recording exceeding 2GB is not possible when recording motion JPEG. Remaining time for continuous recording is displayed on the screen.
[5] AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard. Use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class4”or higher when recording motion pictures in [AVCHD Lite]. Also, use a card with SD Speed Class with”Class6”or higher when recording motion pictures in [MOTION JPEG].
*SD Speed Class is the speed standard regarding continuous writing.
[6] Using 1-area AF.



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SP WORKS WITH ARGENTINEAN BOAT BUILDER ON RADICAL NEW PRODUCTION

Press release,

24 November 2009,

Isle of Wight

SP, the marine business of Gurit, has teamed up with M Boats, the Argentinean yacht builder, to supply materials for an innovative production race boat project, the ‘S40 - One Design’ (SD40-OD). The S40-OD is a modern racer designed by Javier Soto Acebal Naval Architects and while conventional in its construction, it is radical in its design. The boat is 40 foot / 12.3m in length with hull lines that are the result of a long research period that aimed to achieve a combination of speed and balance.

The relatively young company M Boats is rapidly building itself a name because of its team’s wealth of experience and strong relationships with world-renowned designers and structural engineers. Founded by acknowledged naval and nautical experts, the company’s mission is clear-cut – to satisfy the increasing demand for custom, semi-custom and high quality production boats between 30’ and 90’ in an efficient and competitive manner.

SP has been involved with the project for over 14 months, supplying a selection of composite materials including epoxy laminating and adhesive systems as well as SP’s marine structural foam Corecell™ and reinforcements for the hull, deck and bulkheads.

SP’s laminating system Ampreg 22, which is ideal for manufacturing large, high performance composite structures due to its long working time and low exotherm, and the low viscosity Spabond 340LV adhesive system, were chosen. Corecell™ also provides increased strength and durability in return for significant weight reduction making the boats faster, stronger and more economical.

The fifth S40-OD was launched earlier this month and is the first boat to hit the water that utilises SP’s new Corecell™ M-Foam, the only core to offer a complete cost-effective package comprising high shear strength, low weight and high elongation, low resin uptake for infusion processes and high temperature stability for prepreg processes.

The first two yachts produced have been running the Circuito Atlántico Sur Rolex Cup and, on 5th July 2009, all four yachts constructed raced at Ilhabela Sailing Week in Brazil where they demonstrated their potential and competitiveness, and ignited a lot of interest in the class.

Lucas Dittrich, Director of M Boats, says: “The S40-OD is a thoroughbred racing machine already being sailed by some of South America’s finest sailors. The design is truly innovative and has attracted much interest in the market, indicating a successful future for the S40-OD.”

Orders for boat numbers five and six have been received and advanced discussions are in place with a number of other clients.

M Boats is one of SP’s major raceboat clients, and SP has also worked with them supplying materials for a one-off IMS 42, a conventional construction significant because it is a boat made of ST70 E-glass prepreg from SP’s SPRINT® range. The IMS 42 boat is now built, and work on a 48ft design by Javier Soto Acebal will commence soon.

Ends

Product Information

Laminating Systems
Ampreg 22
Ampreg 22 is an established and widely used laminating system. It is intended for both wet lay-up and vacuum bagging processes and uses the most up-to-date epoxy chemistry available. Its long working time, low exotherm and low viscosity make it ideal for the manufacture of large, high performance composite structures. Consisting of a resin and a choice of five hardeners to provide a complete range of working properties, Ampreg 22 can provide laminate working times of over 14 hours at 20°C whilst having low exothermic reactions even when used in thick sections. The Fast hardener has such rapid through-cure at 25-30°C that it can be used to produce small mouldings that are demouldable in just a few hours.

Ampreg 22 resin has one of the lowest diluent contents of any epoxy resin system available today. Together with the use of some unique chemistry in the hardeners, the overall system shows marked improvements in handling safety over other products.

Spabond Adhesives

Spabond adhesives have been designed to offer Production, Superyacht and Race boat builders a comprehensive range of adhesives for structural bonding of polyester and epoxy GRP boats. Offering outstanding performance in numerous composite and non-composite bonding applications, Spabond adhesives are perfect partners for SP laminating products.
Spabond 340LV – Epoxy Adhesive System
Spabond 340LV is a lower viscosity variant of Spabond 340. It has been designed for mixing/dispensing from cartridges and to provide higher dispense rates from mixing machines. This product is ideal for bondline thicknesses up to 20mm.

Corecell™ – Structural foam core
SP’s Corecell™ is the leading structural foam core and has become widely accepted for the construction of large, high performance structures. Instrumental in improving the speed of boat production due to its smooth finish and ease of application, Corecell™ also offers increased strength and durability in return for significant weight reduction making boats faster, stronger and more economical.

Corecell™ is supplied in a wide range of product forms, optimised for different applications and composite production processes. Current grades within the range are Corecell™ A-Foam, Corecell™ P-Foam, Corecell™ T-Foam and Corecell™ S-Foam.

The Corecell™ product range provides increased levels of performance, strength, structural integrity and comfort, unmatched by any other core material.

Corecell™ M-Foam
Corecell™ M-Foam is the performance leader for all marine applications, whether slamming area or superstructure, hull or deck, using hand lamination, infusion or prepreg.

This new core product offers a unique combination of properties through enhancing the qualities in all Corecell™ products such as chemical resistance, built-in toughness, fine cell size and unique ‘knife-cuts’ (which ensure resin absorption is very low, saving both weight and cost). Furthermore M-Foam is tough and easy to machine, offers superior uniformity through lower density variation and is compatible with polyester, vinylester and epoxy resin systems.

Corecell™ M-Foam is available in a wide range of thicknesses, multiple resin infusion formats and in four grades – M60, M80, M100, and M130.


About Gurit
SP is the marine business of Gurit and currently supplies the superyacht market, high-performance custom, production and workboat sectors. The companies of Gurit Holding AG, Wattwil/Switzerland, are specialised on the development and manufacture of high-end composite materials featuring bespoke physical and chemical characteristics. The comprehensive product range comprises fibre reinforced prepregs, structural foam, gel coats, adhesives, resins and consumables as well as certain finished parts. Gurit supplies growth markets in Wind Energy, Transportation and Marine. The international Group has production sites and offices in Switzerland, Germany, the UK, Canada, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, India and China.


For more information
Contact Zoe Thompson, PR Account Director
E-mail: zoe@marketing-matters.co.uk
Tel: +44 (0) 1202 777111
Address:
Marketing Matters, Unit C, Acorn Business Park, Ling Road, Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 4NZ

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