Leif Ottosson News

Navico, parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP brands, announced on Thursday that its board of directors has appointed Knut Frostad as President and Chief Executive Officer.“Knut Frostad has been on Navico’s board for 14 years and brings solid experience in the industry and understanding of our business as former CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, as well as director and advisor to several international companies,” said Hugo Maurstad, chairman of the board of NavicoFrostad’s day-to-day leadership of Navico will begin immediately…

Navico, parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and C-MAP brands, announced today the passing of Darrell J. Lowrance, founder of its Lowrance brand.Darrell served as President and CEO of Lowrance Electronics from 1964 to 2006, and was responsible for many breakthroughs in marine electronics. In addition to the first recreational sonar product for anglers – the Fish-Lo-K-Tor (also known as the “Little Green Box”) – he led the development of the first graph recorder, the first integrated sonar/GPS unit, and many others.

Marine electronics manufacturer Navico has appointed Steve Rae to the position of Country Manager for Canada.Based in Vancouver Island, B.C., Rae will be responsible for sales, service and support for the company’s three marine electronics brands, Lowrance, Simrad and B&G. In addition, he will oversee a new Edmonton-based Navico service center that will open on May 30.Rae has been involved with Navico brands since 1988, managing Canadian sales and service for Lowrance. In 2008…

Marine electronics manufacturer Navico, parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad and B&G brands, announced it has finalized an agreement to acquire marine monitoring and control systems provider Naviop. Providing the integration framework to capture data from all boating systems, Naviop creates a digital ecosystem on boats outfitted with Simrad, Lowrance and B&G marine electronics, with the multifunction display serving as the hub for complete system control and information. “For years, auto manufacturers have provided consumers with a complete integration solution at their fingertips, and we, as a marine industry have fallen behind the curve to provide the same level of convenience and control,” said Leif Ottosson, Navico CEO.

Simrad Yachting announced today an agreement with Yamaha to integrate the Command Link plus interface into Simrad systems. The Yamaha Command Link Plus system allows boaters to monitor the performance of up to four  amaha outboard engines and critical boat systems on the same screen. The integration gives boaters the capability to monitor that data directly from select Simrad displays. “Our agreement with Yamaha creates another valuable integration option for Simrad customers,” said Leif Ottosson, CEO, Navico. “Adding Command Link Plus functionality to our displays gives users    a powerful tool to maximize the performance of their vessel. Command Link Plus integration is expected to be completed in Q3 2017.

Vodafone announced today that it is working with Navico, an international marine electronics company, to bring global connectivity to Navico’s GoFree product suite. Using the Vodafone Global Internet of Things (IoT) SIM, GoFree can provide boaters, fleet managers, and service technicians with the ability to monitor, log, transmit and report important vessel information in real-time. With the connectivity, GoFree Track, an affordable hardware system,can track critical vessel information like engine hours, battery status, oil pressure, coolant temperature, fuel consumption, and more. By tracking these on-board assets, boaters can instantly access details of potential mechanical problems and share them with technicians to service the specific area in need.

Lowrance announced today the release of a high-performance addition to the HDS series of fishfinders/chartplotters – Lowrance HDS Carbon. The new Lowrance HDS Carbon adds a high-performance dual core processor, multi-touch SolarMAX HD screen, dual channel CHIRP and Network Dual Sounder to the proven features that have made HDS multifunction displays the choice of anglers at all levels. The HDS Carbon series includes 12-, 9- and 7-inch models. Anglers in the market for a want-it-all integrated system need a processor that can smoothly drive the high-tech capabilities of HDS Carbon like StructureScan 3D with SideScan and DownScan Imaging, dual channel CHIRP sonar, StructureMap, Broadband Radar and SiriusXM Weather Chart Overlay.

B&G, the world’s leading sailing navigation and instrument specialist has upgraded its latest software for the full range of Zeus2 and Vulcan chartplotters. The new software upgrade enhances B&G chartplotters, allowing users to wirelessly download high-resolution weather information using PredictWind* GRIB files to store meteorological forecasts. This new functionality helps in trip planning or developing strategy for top-level competition. PredictWind is recognized as the leading global supplier of weather data for inshore and offshore sailing, with forecasts ranging from low-bandwidth offshore route planning to specialized, highly detailed local area forecasts of 1km resolution.

Navico – a provider of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and GoFree brands – announced that Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division and Altor Fund IV have partnered and signed an agreement to acquire Navico from the Altor 2003 Fund. Navico is an innovative force within the recreational and commercial marine electronics market and has a rich history of investment in research and development. In the last two years, the company developed such technologies as the HALOTM Pulse Compression Radar technology…

Digital Marine Solutions (DMS) has completed acquisition of the assets of the Marine Division of Jeppesen, a Boeing company. Digital Marine Solutions is owned by the Altor 2003 Fund. Under the terms of the agreement the Jeppesen Marine and C-MAP portfolio will continue to operate as a separate entity under the C-MAP brand name. Operating with its own dedicated resources and management team lead by CEO Egil Aarstad, the new organization’s immediate focus will be on maintaining sales and service to customers that already purchase from C-MAP/Jeppesen Marine across its Recreational…

Digital Marine Solutions announced today it has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the marine division of Jeppesen, subject to regulatory approval. Under the terms of the agreement, the former Jeppesen Marine will operate as a separate entity with its own dedicated resources and will trade under the C-MAP brand name. Jeppesen will remain as part of The Boeing Company. Digital Marine Solutions is owned by the Altor 2003 Fund, which is part of the Nordic based Altor family of private equity funds. This strategic acquisition leverages Altor’s experience in the Marine industry, where it also is the majority owner of the Navico house of marine brands.

Simrad StructureScan 3D sonar imaging has won the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the Consumer Electronics category at the 2016 Miami International Boat Show. Following the success of the Simrad NSO evo2 multifunction display in 2014, and Simrad ForwardScan sonar in 2015, this is the third consecutive NMMA innovation win at the Miami show for the brand. Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar also won the NMMA Innovation Award in September at the 2015 International Boat Builders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX). The Innovation Awards program, organized by the NMMA and judged by Boating Writers International (BWI)…

Lowrance, a world-leading brand in fishing electronics since 1957, announced today the release of a new, premium Elite Ti standalone series of fishfinder/chartplotters. The Lowrance Elite-5 and Elite-7 Ti touchscreen fishfinder/chartplotters offer anglers high-performance at an incredible value. With an easy-to-use touchscreen interface, Bluetooth and wireless connectivity, proven Lowrance navigation technology and high-performance sonar – including CHIRP sonar, StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging – the Elite Ti Series is a robust, feature-rich, yet compact solution – all at an affordable price. The Lowrance Elite Ti is designed for anglers who want a complete view of the area beneath their boat.

Lowrance announced today the evolution of convenience and superior performance in fishfinding technologies – the new Lowrance TotalScan all-in-one transducer – combining proven CHIRP sonar capabilities with exclusive high-resolution StructureScan HD and DownScan Imaging technology. With all three sonar technologies in one transducer, anglers receive the benefits of greater fish-target separation and less interference for a more clutter-free display with CHIRP Sonar, plus photo-like images of fish-holding structure on both sides of your boat with StructureScan HD – along with the same photo-like images directly beneath your boat with DownScan Imaging.

Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar has been awarded the Technology Award at the 2015 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) Conference and Expo in Baltimore, Md. The NMEA 2015 Technology Award is judged by an independent panel of experts recognizing exceptionally innovative consumer marine products. Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar is the world’s first high-performance, solid-state, open-array radar system with pulse-compression technology, suitable for recreational and light marine markets. Combining the advantages of Broadband Radar and traditional pulse radar systems, HALO Pulse Compression Radar provides navigational visibility and awareness…

Simrad Yachting announced today that Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar has been awarded the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award in the OEM Electronics category at the 2015 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition & Conference (IBEX). Simrad HALO Pulse Compression Radar range is the world’s first high-performance solid-state, open-array radar system with pulse compression technology, suitable for recreational and light marine markets. Combining the advantages of Broadband Radar™ and traditional pulse radar systems, HALO provides navigational visibility and awareness, as close as 20-feet, within the pulse radar’s short-range “blind spot,” where once only Broadband Radar could operate — all while offering exceptional long-range performance.

Lowrance, a world-leading brand in fishing electronics since 1957, announced today its renewed OEM partnership with Phoenix Bass Boats. Under the terms of the renewed three-year agreement, Lowrance is the standard electronic equipment on all Phoenix high-performance bass boats. Featuring Lowrance HDS Gen3 displays and optional Lowrance boating and fishing marine-electronics gear, Phoenix boats are the ideal fish-finding machines. Cutting-edge Lowrance options for Phoenix customers include StructureScan 3D – this revolutionary imagingtechnology quickly scans underwater terrain and fish-holding structure to createhigh-resolution, 180-degree super-wide, three-dimensional views – in depths to 300 feet and as far as 600 feet, port and starboard.

Lowrance, a world-leading brand in fishing electronics since 1957, announced today the release of a game-changing,sonar-imaging system – Lowrance StructureScan 3D. Lowrance StructureScan 3D allows anglers to easily see fish, underwater structure and bottom contours in a stunning three-dimensional display on their HDS Gen3fishfinder/chartplotter. StructureScan 3D imaging quickly scans underwater terrain and fish-holding structure to createhigh-resolution, 180-degree super-wide, three-dimensional views – in depths to 300 feet and as far as 600 feet port and starboard. Yielding captivating images withunprecedenteddetail, StructureScan 3D…

Navico, the world’s largest manufacturer of marine electronics and parent company to the Lowrance, Simrad, B&G and GoFree brands — has been named Cabela’s® 2014 Vendor of the Year for the General Outdoors Division. For the second year in a row, Navico was selected from more than 4,000 vendors in this category – including marine and fishing product manufacturers – for a variety of specific measures including directly influencing sales, customer-service goals and other contributing factors. For the first time in the history of this prestigious award, Cabela’s has selected a partner in consecutive years and recognized Navico for its collaboration, communication and dedication to the organization.

B&G, a leader in the manufacture of instruments and marine electronics for sailing, announced today the release of the compact Wireless Pilot Controller. Providing complete control to sailors, no matter where they are on the boat, the new Wireless Pilot Controller is comprised of a small and lightweight waterproof Bluetooth base station with micro-C connections, has pairings for up to four remotes, and is compatible with B&G Triton and H5000 Pilot systems. The Pilot Controller Wireless Remote is perfectly sized to fit into the user’s palm. The unit has a series of clearly marked keys and an LED status light to allow for fast and accurate autopilot access. A mode button allows sailors to toggle through the available pilot modes such as Auto or Wind.

GoFree – the provider of digital content and services, and part of the Navico family of marine electronics brands including Lowrance, Simrad Yachting and B&G – announced today the release of six updated mapping products for use in both inland and coastal U.S. waters. Greatly improved for 2015, Lake Insight® and Nautic Insight® cartography packages are each available in three versions: PRO, HD East and HD West. Delivering high-quality maps for the lower 48 United States including the Great Lakes, GoFree’s Lake Insight v15 now features an updated database of 9,000 lakes with depth contours, including 2,300 detailed charts with contours at 1- to 3-foot intervals.

Lowrance announced the upcoming software update for the HDS Gen3 fishfinder/chartplotter series — enabling wireless compatibility with the complete line of C-Monster compatible Power-Pole products. These efficient hydraulic anchors and all-electric Micro Anchor products quickly and quietly anchor fishing boats and kayaks in shallow-water situations. A simple touchscreen control on the Lowrance High Definition System (HDS) Gen3 display allows anglers to wirelessly engage the anchor — saving anglers additional steps and minutes, so they can focus on fishing. First announced in December 2014, the HDS Gen3 7-, 9- and 12-inch models offer a unique combination of professional-level features and easy-to-use operation.

Simrad Yachting, a leader in the design and manufacture of world-class marine navigation, autopilot, radar, communications and fishfinding systems, announced today its partnership with Maverick Boat Company. Maverick’s Cobia brand of center console, dual console and bay boats have long had a reputation for stunning performance and value. The latest release from the industry-leading brand, the 334 high-performance center console, will include the Simrad NSO evo2 glass bridge as its standard navigation system. The Cobia 334 with triple Yamaha 300-horsepower outboard engines offers the latest advances in power boating — all tailored to ensure owners the best experience on the water.