Retractable thrusters are easily installed far forward in the bow whilst still achieving the required immersion depths, even in today’s modern performance sailing yachts.
This results in a thruster that has a good turning effect on the yacht, often even allowing a unit with a lower thrust rating than its tunnel equivalent to be used with excellent results.
When retracted these units have no affect on the yacht’s drag and therefore do not reduce sailing performance in light winds.
Furthermore, retractable units minimise loss of buoyancy. The weight of water in a tunnel thruster’s tube is an often neglected factor that can affect a yacht’s performance. Retractable thrusters minimise this problem as the retractable thruster’s box only partially fills with water.
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