FaRo Advanced Systems

Establishing a new standard in marine electronics

We listen to the best sailors' needs.

We exchange ideas with the best engineers.

We deliver our experience to everyone.

Learning from the best

The America's Cup is our playground. Since 1990, we work side by side with the most talented sailors and with the most brilliant architects and engineers. Answering to high expectations with quick and reliable solutions is our daily routine.

Keeping up with the technology

We use every opportunity to test the latest technology. We explore every corner looking for the state of the art of electronic components and sensors. Our database of compatible devices grows constantly.

Meeting everybody's needs

Our biggest strength is flexibility. No matter if we need to collect data from more that 2000 sensors or if we have to deal with a basic boat: whatever the customer needs, we have a solution ready to fit

Expanding the horizons

We made our name in professional sailing, but now we are also involved in projects outside the racing world. We can offer solutions for sensors management, data logging, fibre optics installation, PLC development and foiling autopilots.

OUR PRODUCTS

Trusting your numbers

FaRo is the instrumentation system for racing sailboats that fits every needs. From 40 foot to 150 foot, more and more boats have FaRo installed, because of its unique features.

Is Reliable - The powerful, robust and reliable hardware is provided by Beckhoff, a company leader in the industrial automation technology. Every single component of FaRo is the ultimate evolution of years of research and it is provided after accurate control tests.

Is Scalable - The system can be expanded or shrunk, based on the needs. Different CPUs are available to fit the required computational power.

Is Distributed - A/D converters, serial interfaces and counter terminals can be assemblred in a single station or they can be distributed along the boat.

Is Fast - The bus EtherCAT provides 100 Mb/sec transfer rate between the terminals and the main CPU, ensuring a real-time information exchange between the processor and the sensors. Remote nodes are connected with a standard CAT5 ethernet cable.

Is Precise and accurate - FaRo brings to a new level the standard of electronic systems in sailing: sampling the analog channels at 1 KHz with16 bit resolution allows exploiting the performances of the last generation sensors.

Is Compatible - NMEA2000, EtherCat, CAN, CANOpen, Ethernet, RS232/422/485... name a bus and FaRo can handle it

Ask for a quote

The graphical remote interface

FaroManager is the FaRo’s remote interface. Connected via ethernet, FaroManager is a practical and intuitive graphic software covering all range of functions necessaries to monitor, control and configure Faro.

Configure the inputs (analogs, digitals and pulses) in few simple steps
Monitor constantly the hardware status
Create and modify variables, allowing full cotrol of the matematic relations, using a visual tool (Math Designer)
Monitor, plot and calculate the averages of all the FaRo variables in real time
Create and manage log files on the FaRo's compact flash, up to 100 Hz
Control and modify all the instruments' calibrations, included the wind correction tables
Edit the polar tables
Configure the on-board displays
Change filters settings on the displayed variables
Toggle between main and spare instruments
Displays and manage Warnings and Alarms
Configure the communication between FaRo and the navigation software (Expedition, Deckman and Adrena)

Download FaroManager

The power of FaRo in your hands

FaroDisplayX is the cross-platform Application that can be used to display numbers or control variables in FaRo.

Designed for sailors with little or no confidence in electronics, it is very easy to configure and even easier to use. Pages are added and modified in few seconds. The screen can be rotated and locked. Connection is automatically re-established, in case of signal's loss. Information can be shared on multiple devices at the same time.

FaroDisplayX is available for Android and iOs and is evolving very quickly. Every month we add new widgets and features

Download apk

OUR SERVICES

Flying over the water

Since the America's Cup boats started foiling, it was pretty clear that using an autopilot could have helped to accelerate the learning process of the boat's handling. Thanks to the collaboration started in 2014 with 4DC Tech, company specialized in the design of automatic flight control systems, we have developed the automatic controls of various America's Cup boats, including the Luna Rossa's AC45s and AC75 and the Groupama's AC50 .

FaRo FCA (Foiling Control Automation) integrates the functions of FaRo and the PLC in a single system, combining the high computing capabilities of FaRo with the control speed and accuracy of the PLC side. The result is an effective, stable and parameterizable control system for any type of foiling boats.

Just check how our FlyinNikka is foiling across waves!

Outside the Sailing world, we have produced autopilots for foiling motor boats, like the Bluegame's HSVs for American Magic and Orient Express Team France, the prototypes Kormaran (Austria), Seabubbles (France), MobyFly (Switzerland) and FururE (Italy).

Foiling is fun and we help to make it easy!

Exploiting FaRo's power

Since the 2010 edition, the America's Cup has introduced boats more and more complex, where electronic and hydraulic systems became an essential part of the overall design process. Exploiting the innate characteristics of the Beckhoff processors, we started developing the control software for the hydraulic driven parts of the boats (PLC).

We thus developed the automation of numerous America's Cup boats, such as Luna Rossa's AC72 (2013), two Luna Rossa's AC45 (2015), Groupama's and Emirates Team New Zealand's AC50 (2017), and the more recent Luna Rossa's AC75 (2021), as well as some smaller training boats.

Besides the projects related to the America's Cup, in 2014 we started the collaboration with Cariboni srl, company leader in marine hydraulic systems, developing the control systems for numerous sailboats, including (but not limited to)

• Kauris IV (Wally 144)

• Skorpio (Nautor CS 125)

• Capricorno

• Flying Nikka

• Magic Carpet 3 and Magic Carpet 4

• MySong (Nautor CS 80)

• Vismara Nacira 69

• Jolt, Bellamente, Momo, Proteus (Maxi 72)

• ICE 70

• Black Pearl (Botin 56)

• 5x Melges 40

Furthermore, we developed the automation for Hydrogen Support Vessels (Luna Rossa, American Magic, Team France) and for the foiling prootypes Kormaran (Austria), Seabubbles (France), MobyFly (Switzerland) and FuturE (Italy)

Checking loads and deformations

We couldn't claim we are able to manage any kind of instruments if weren't including Fibre Optics. Over the last 15 years, Fibre Optics have become more common in sailing environment for monitoring loads and measuring deformations. We started integrating the most popular FO interrogators in FaRo, but soon we learned how to design the specifications for a particular component, how to manage the fibres and how to install them.

Today we have full competence in managing a whole Fibre Optics project, from the preliminary design to the installation, from data collection to data analysis. Aks us for more information or for a quote

SOME OF OUR BOATS

OUR USERS

"i've never experienced a quality of the wind and a level of reliability like this before. I didn't even think it was possible."

Francesco Mongelli

MashIt
" I'm a big fan of FaRo. It is a proven reliable top level product for racing, with plenty of options to integrate custom solutions."

Bruno Zirilli

FabuFit
"FaRo is a positive forward step in marine electronics for offshore racing boats. I would recommend a FaRo system for any new race yacht."

Will Oxley

Will Oxley