{"id":9173,"date":"2013-12-26T12:09:05","date_gmt":"2013-12-26T19:09:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/windpilot.com\/blog\/?page_id=9173"},"modified":"2018-04-25T10:02:26","modified_gmt":"2018-04-25T17:02:26","slug":"deutsch-windpilot-produktinformation-press-release","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/windpilot.com\/blog\/en\/tec-news\/pacific-plus\/deutsch-windpilot-produktinformation-press-release\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

PACIFIC PLUS \u2013 DEVELOPMENT<\/strong>
\nThe 45-year history of Windpilot is peppered with trailblazing innovations. Founded in 1968<\/strong>, the company hand-built its <\/p>\n

NORDSEE, ATLANTIK and PACIFIC<\/strong> systems in stainless steel until 1985<\/strong>, when the launch of the <\/p>\n

PACIFIC<\/strong> and PACIFIC PLU<\/strong>S sister models brought a move to sand-cast aluminium. <\/p>\n

The next major step forward came in 1998<\/strong> with the launch of the modular PACIFIC LIGHT, PACIFIC and PACIFIC PLUS <\/strong>sister systems, which Windpilot manufactures using an industrial standard fully-CNC gravity die\/permanent mold casting process. <\/p>\n

The range then expanded again in 2007<\/strong> with the addition of the SOS Rudder<\/strong> system, which is available in SOS PACIFIC<\/strong> and SOS SOLO <\/strong>models.<\/p>\n

\"Hanseat<\/a><\/p>\n

RUDDER PROFILE EVOLUTION<\/strong>
\nThe chronology of the company’s rudder system development follows a different pattern. The auxiliary rudders for the earlier ATLANTIK<\/strong> series and the PACIFIC PLUS<\/strong> series between 1985 and 1998 were always manufactured in GRP with an integral stainless steel shaft. Windpilot also manufactured the rudders for the PACIFIC<\/strong> and PACIFIC LIGHT<\/strong> servo-pendulum systems in GRP at first, before switching to wood\/epoxy in 1986 and then extruded aluminium in 1998. A servo-pendulum system has to achieve maximum efficiency with a minimal angle of attack, a role for which a slim extruded aluminium section is much better suited than an inherently much less stable wood\/epoxy rudder blade.<\/p>\n

\"Windpilot<\/a><\/p>\n

SHIPPING AND THE SIZE PROBLEM<\/strong>
\nAuxiliary and double rudder systems can be as much as three metres long once packaged for shipping, but for a long time this was no problem either shipping by road within Europe or by air to more exotic destinations. At the beginning of this century, however, everything changed and with virtually all of the main overseas destinations for the cruising sailor lying far from the key international airfreight hubs, it became impossible more or less overnight to ensure delivery for over-size packages. Windpilot sells worldwide from its base in Hamburg, so the implications of this for the company can hardly be overstated. The only real answer seemed to be to develop a solution that allowed shaft and rudder to be separated for shipping \u2013 which would involve redesigning the whole auxiliary rudder system.<\/p>\n