
Chapter IV: R-evolution of equipment.
The decade of 1980 It was a very active decade in the design of navigation instruments. Sensors were constantly improving; B&G introduced his Sonic Speed in 1984 to eliminate moving parts from a slide that could become clogged with weeds.
Antonio Lopera, Dahlberg SA technician, installing the Sonic Speed
Custom vertical mast units appeared in the 1987 Copa America and soon became standard items. User control of the systems was increased, allowing changes in damping and calibration, a first step in what would become a long quest for precision.
Linear channels were created that measured voltage output using load sensors or potentiometers. This meant that functions such as rudder angle, forestay and girth loading could be measured.
And as systems became more open with communication networks (BUS) that fed data to external computers, people began writing their own tactical and performance programs. Keep in mind that until 1981 The first IBM PC had not yet been released, microprocessor-based instrumentation at the time was very limited. The most basic concepts that we now take for granted, such as sub-level menus, had to be developed from scratch.
Until 1988 There was no tactical waterproof deck carry system on the market. Deckman by Sailmath.
In the early 1990s, 1990, the world of navigation already had what can be recognized as a modern system. The launch of Hercules 690 B&G's is a good example.

It had all the essential functions we would now expect from an instrument system for racing yachts.
Two independent processing units integrated raw sensor data into performance data and then distributed it to a set of displays, each of which could be programmed for specific data channels. A modular design allowed for expansion of both sensors and displays, while a new proprietary BUS handled all communications between the processors and displays.
In 1992 It was relaunched with new hardware based on the “brick” shaped TouchPC. Deckman by Sailmath
Brice Pryzo developed the first isochronous solution for route design based on weather conditions, and his software MaxSea has led the way in this area since the mid-1980s.
Sailmath joined the game with the release of Deckman for Windows in the mid-'90s 90s ; basically, the software Deckman It was adapted to the Windows platform.
This allowed for the development of much greater functionality and added weather route design with third party forecasts for the Whitbread's 1997-98.
SOURCE: NAVICO
If you missed the third chapter, The God Teams, you can consult it here.
On Friday the 10th, Chapter 5: R-evolution of sensors .