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OSSA Powerlite for Corsair Marine

4 May 2007

Glacier Bay, Inc., manufacturer of DC power management technology, is teaming with Corsair Marine on their next sailing catamaran production line. The Corsair 50 will be announced at the Strictly Sail Pacific Show in Oakland, California.

Glacier Bay says that its OSSA Powerlite diesel-electric propulsion system will be the standard configuration on the Corsair 50. OSSA Powerlite is an integrated family of electric power components managed by computer controls. It features variable speed DC generators, brushless propulsion motors, and various components such as air conditioning units and water heaters.

The OSSA system is designed as a complete package, with all components fully integrated, but it also allows boat builders greater design flexibility, says the firm.

‘OSSA Powerlite allows us to separate the generator from the drive system and install electric drives more centrally in the vessel. In this way, we are able to not only optimise weight centering, but improve comfort and upwind performance, by reducing pitching,’ explained David Renouf, Sales Manager of Corsair Catamarans.

The OSSA Powerlite generators use computer controls to match generator output with power load. In this way, the generators run only as fast as necessary to produce the required power, making them more fuel-efficient.

The Corsair 50 is still in the design phase. Information on the catamaran will be available at the Corsair display. The first eco-friendly catamaran will be ready in 2008, and the boat builders anticipate producing 6-12 Corsair 50’s per year.

Posted by: Helen

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