FURUNO'S MAXSEA NAVIGATION SOFTWARE HELPS WIN 2006 NEWPORT BERMUDA RACE

Congratulations go out to Skipper Timothy C. McAdams, Navigator Mike Koster and the entire crew of Four Stars for their first place finish at the 2006 Newport Bermuda Race in the US IRC rating rule section. With their first place finish, they earned the coveted Gibbs Hill Lighthouse trophy.

The Beneteau 44.7-foot Farr Design yacht, Four Stars, is equipped with Furuno's MaxSea Navigation software to aid in navigating the 635 nautical miles of the race. Koster utilized MaxSea with weather routing and performance modules, along with a third party weather acquisition package and satellite phone to download up-to-date weather data. Nothing affects a sailboat like weather, so being able to understand, predict and properly navigate weather is essential to winning the race.

Koster attended MaxSea training over the past two years with Gary Senft of Maritime Navigation & Communications, Inc., one of Furuno's authorized MaxSea dealers. The training taught Koster how to make necessary and effective strategic navigation decisions utilizing MaxSea, that he states played an important role in the crew's ability to win the race for their professional class and division. Senft also went on board Four Stars for last minute consulting the day of the race to ensure that McAdams and Koster had MaxSea's weather routing and performance modules up and running.

Along with the Newport Bermuda race, MaxSea has been an important factor to winning races all around the world. Since 1986, every winner of the Volvo Around The World/Whitbread, BOC and Vendee Globe Races has used this powerful tool. Whether you use MaxSea for a leisurely voyage or on your next race, this navigational tool is a must have in your electronics suite.

To learn more about Furuno marine electronics and MaxSea Navigation Software, contact: Furuno U.S.A., Inc., 4400 N.W. Pacific Rim Blvd., Camas, WA 98607. Phone: (360) 834-9300. Fax: (360) 834-9400. Or visit Furuno's informative Web site (www.Furuno.com).