Autopilots by boat type
Shorthanded racing autopilot systems
Compare shorthanded racing autopilot systems for Australian yachts. Review drive choice, sailing data, wind steering, power budgets and race-rule checks.
- Steering
- Tiller or wheel; twin rudders common
- Displacement
- 3,000–9,000 kg
- Recommended
- 4 systems
- Examples
- Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200, 3300 and 3600, J/99 and J/111, Beneteau First 36 and Figaro 3
The two-handed division of the Sydney Hobart and the growth of shorthanded racing in every Australian state have made the autopilot a performance system rather than a convenience. A two-handed crew sleeps in turns, so the pilot steers half the race, under spinnaker, at night, in whatever Bass Strait offers. It has to be fast, powerful and steer to well enough that the off-watch trusts it.
The mainstream answer is a B&G NAC-3 with a Jefa or B&G direct drive, an H5000 processor and a good wind sensor. The specialist answer is NKE. Either way, the electrical system, the drive engineering and the crew's ability to tune the pilot decide the result.
What the rules allow
Australian Sailing's govern safety equipment by race category; autopilot use is generally permitted unless the class rules, notice of race or sailing instructions say otherwise, and the two-handed divisions rely on it. Always check the current edition and the notice of race for the specific event, because the details change.
True wind, gust response and polars
Downwind under spinnaker, steering to is a recipe for a broach when the boat accelerates. Race pilots steer to angle, with that bears away in the puff and comes back up as it eases. With an H5000 the pilot can steer to a polar target, and with well-calibrated wind data it will sail a better course than a tired human for hours.
- B&G NAC-3 with Precision-9 or H5000 3D motion sensor
- Jefa direct drive on a tiller arm; fast hard-over time
- Masthead wind sensor calibrated for heel and upwash
- H5000 for polar steering and heel-corrected wind
- Wireless remote on the crew, not the boat
Power and redundancy
A race pilot working hard can average 3–5 A. Over a three-day race that is a serious energy budget: lithium, a good alternator, and a hydrogenerator or solar on the longer events. Redundancy matters too: a spare drive, a spare control head and a tiller pilot in a locker have finished races that a single system would have lost.
Practise pilot-driven manoeuvres
Recommended
Systems that suit shorthanded racing yachts
The Australian shorthanded standard: true-wind steering, gust response and an H5000 upgrade path.
For fully committed campaigns willing to work with a thin local support network.
- Steering to apparent wind under spinnaker
- A single autopilot with no backup on an overnight race
- Skipping the wind sensor calibration
Questions
Frequently asked
Is B&G really better than Raymarine for racing?
For pilot-driven racing, yes. The wind steering, gust response and H5000 integration are the reason. Raymarine's Evolution is a fine cruising pilot and adequate for club racing.
Can I race two-handed with a tiller pilot?
On a light boat in a coastal race, some do. For an overnight offshore race it is a backup, not a primary; it lacks the thrust and the wind logic.
Recommended systems at a glance
- Below-deck systemB&G
B&G NAC-3 Autopilot (Triton2 Pilot Controller)
- Indicative
- $4,300–$5,300
- Editor score
- 77
- Racing pilotNKE
NKE Gyropilot 2
- Indicative
- $12,000–$25,000
- Editor score
- 57
- Below-deck systemB&G
B&G NAC-2 Autopilot (Triton2 Pilot Controller)
- Indicative
- $3,400–$4,200
- Editor score
- 70
- Tiller pilotPelagic
Pelagic Autopilot
- Indicative
- $2,800–$4,800
- Editor score
- 60
Where these boats sail
Other boat types
Autopilot commissioning and boat-specific training
Every boat type above ends with the same advice: a handover on the water, a settings card, alarms set and a failure drill. The training section explains what good instruction looks like and where to find it.