Reknown for it’s luxury cruising yachts, both sailing and motor yachts, Contest recognises the advanced quality of WhisperPower generators and integrates them into the technical infrastructure on board ever since 2007. Senior Technical Engineer Robert Vijselaar is glad to trust the reliable power supply.
“Air conditioning and electric cooking are the biggest consumers of electrical power on board of our yachts,” the engineer confirms. “On all of our models up to 67 feet, we install WhisperPower generators. We advise our clients to activate these when using the electric cooking device or when the boat is at anchor and the air conditioning is engaged. We choose the Piccolo 15 and Piccolo 12 generator sets combined with Power Cubes, so we when the direct current of the battery system is converted to alternating current, a pure sinus will be created to ensure flawless functioning of the electrical equipment.”
Innovative
Smooth current alternation, showing an uncluttered sinus wave, is crucial to allow optimal functioning of electric appliances that run on high voltage alternating current. An onboard electricity network supplies 12, 24 or 48 volt direct current. This has to be converted into higher voltage alternating current for the big power consumers in the hotel functions of a yacht. “We have been working with WhisperPower ever since Mastervolt ended their supply of generators and WhisperPower continued that part of the business independently. They are quite innovative in generating trustworthy power supply. This manifested at the start of the company and has been so ever since.
Composite
Contest Yachts builds sailing boats since 1959, when founder Ed Conijn introduced a 25 foot glass fiber cruising sailing yacht. Nowadays, the yard has grown into a respected builder of motor- and sailing yachts in the luxury segment: remarkably seaworthy, strong and well performing cruising yachts. They build robust hulls, using vacuum injection of resing with a core material of foam. The range of sailing yachts goes from 42 foot up to 85 foot, while the motor yachts come in varieties of styling and cabin arrangements in a 52 foot overall length.
Integration
Vijselaar calculates the technical installations aboard all yachts. This ranges from engines, battery packs, television sets, toilets, air conditioning and heating and galley arrangements. All of the equipment is connected in power networks. “When designing and assembling such onboard networks, we follow the latest developments and innovations that suppliers present. We are yacht builders, we do not develop engines, generators or electronics ourselves, but choose to install the most advanced components available on the market. That is why WhisperPower is our preferred supplier of generators for all of our yachts up to 67 foot. We do build about ten yachts every year. The largest yachts from our range are ordered a bit less often, so we can safely say that since 2007 we have delivered seven yachts every year with WhisperPower generators on board.”
Control
“Thanks to advanced electronics, it would be possible to prepare a good meal on the electric stove without starting the generator. We do advise the crews aboard our yachts to engage the generator when using the cooking device, air conditioning or other big power consumers. It would be possible to arrange the networks in such a way that the generators automatically start with big power demand or a lower battery level, but we choose to have the crew start the generator manually. This way, the captain has control over the equipment engaged and remains in control. At an increasing number of yachts, we also use solar panels to generate electricity. WhisperPower generators are perfectly laid out to integrate with solar power into a flawless network.”