Quick Group brings Intelligent Anchoring System to Metstrade

Quick Group will officially present the Intelligent Anchoring System at Metstrade, at the RAI Amsterdam, on 17 November. The patent-pending system brings the company’s QCentric architecture, a digital platform built on the CAN bus protocol, to the windlass. It is operated through the new Pacific W1XL and W2XL controllers, the latest additions to the Pacific range of windlass controls.

The starting point is the drive itself. According to CEO Stefano Lenarduzzi, Quick Group delivers around 30,000 windlasses a year to OEM builders. “While much of the market still offers windlasses operated by a simple on/off relay, we have developed proportionally controlled motors and a management system that uses data from the QCentric ecosystem and NMEA2000 networks to give greater control over anchoring operations,” he said.

The system covers every stage of the manoeuvre. Before the anchor is dropped, it checks the status of the windlass, the chain counter and the retaining devices. As the anchor goes down, it monitors chain length, the boat’s position, speed and heading, and water depth, and automatically adjusts the payout speed through progressive acceleration and deceleration profiles. It calculates the optimum scope ratio from the depth and the parameters set by the user. Safety logic flags anomalies, unavailable sensors or incorrect operating conditions, and the operator can step in at any time. During retrieval, speed is gradually reduced as the anchor approaches the bow to limit impacts, mechanical stress and wear on the equipment.

Chief Technical Officer Lorenzo Mongiardo said the aim was to make one of the most critical operations on board more predictable, combining control algorithms with real-time vessel and anchoring data to support the crew throughout the process.

Installation changes too. The CAN bus architecture needs a single cable per control station, connections are plug-and-play and handheld remotes can be integrated easily. System data is shown on the multifunction displays at the helm. The set-up works with single or twin windlasses, and the NMEA 2000 standard allows third-party equipment to be connected.

The launch rounds off a year in which Quick Group updated several product lines. In early 2026 the warranty on Quick Gyro stabilisers was extended from two to four years. At the Cannes Yachting Festival the company introduced its QSY range of brushless proportional thrusters, with new models and a 215 mm tunnel, together with the Pacific controls. During the year the group also launched QCentric, an open, scalable ecosystem designed to connect its own products with those of other manufacturers.

At Metstrade, from 17 to 19 November, Quick Group will have three stands. Stands 01.153 and 01.251 in Hall 1 show QSY thrusters, Pacific controls, new lighting products and Nemo doors, hatches and portlights. Stand 07.120, in the superyacht area, features Sanguineti and Nemo products, including the XR8 windlass, which is also fitted on the Azimut 44M.

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