Raymarine EV-400 Sail Autopilot (Large Sailing Yachts)

The Raymarine EV-400 Sail is the flagship autopilot pack for large sailing yachts, delivering trustworthy automatic steering on long passages and under demanding offshore conditions. Designed for sailboats with mechanical steering (wheel helm systems) or hydraulic rudders, this pack is optimized for the unique needs of sailing vessels. The EV-400 Sail includes the ACU-400 control unit, EV-1 heading sensor, p70s control head (button-operated, favored by sailing navigators), and a rudder reference sensor. It’s meant to be paired with an appropriate Type 2 or Type 3 drive unit (linear, rotary, or hydraulic) depending on your yacht’s size and steering system.

With the EV-400 Sail, there are no compromises in handling large yachts. The system supports all sail-specific modes – you can have the autopilot hold a constant wind angle (wind vane mode) or follow a GPS route. Thanks to the powerful ACU-400, the pilot can even steer twin rudders or heavy-duty steering systems (via the proper drive units), providing up to 30 A of drive output to command a big rudder or hydraulic ram.

Here, too, the Evolution AI intelligence plays a key role – the autopilot automatically adapts to your yacht’s dynamics. The 9-axis EV-1 sensor detects the vessel’s heel, pitch, and yaw, and the ACU immediately compensates with precise rudder adjustments to keep you on course even as wind and wave conditions evolve. The included rudder reference sensor provides feedback that is especially valuable on large sailboats – big rudders respond more slowly, and this sensor helps the autopilot avoid “over-steering,” maintaining a steady heading with minimal corrections.

Use Cases & Recommendations: The EV-400 Sail is intended for bluewater cruising yachts, maxi sailing yachts, and generally sailboats above ~40 ft, where the reliability and accuracy of the autopilot can be critical to safety. Often, such vessels already have powerful linear drives installed (e.g. Type 2 Long or Type 3) – the EV-400 Sail interfaces with these, upgrading your old autopilot system with Raymarine’s latest Evolution electronics. Recommendation: On sailing yachts, properly calibrating any wind sensors in your system (if available) will allow the EV-400 to excel at holding wind angle, which is invaluable on long passages. The EV-400 Sail will guide you to your destination by the most direct and efficient route, minimizing course deviations and enabling the crew to rest or focus on sail trim.