METS News: DAME nominees and key-note speaker announced

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Dear Sir/Madam,

METS incorporating the SuperYacht Pavilion 2009 has started and we hope you were there this morning to see the announcement of this year's DAME Winner.

Bill Dixon, Chairman of the Jury of the DAME, presented the Award to this year's winner of the prestigious prize, FLIR Systems. Read all about the Overall Winner and Category Winners in this email.

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See you at METS!
Kind regards,

Irene Dros
Senior Product Manager

And the Overall Winner of the DAME Award 2009 is...
FLIR Systems for the M-626L Series Thermal Night Vision System

The Overall Winner of the DAME Award 2009 is FLIR Systems from the Netherlands for the M-626L Series Thermal Night Vision System. This system incorporates a micro-lux, low-light camera for improved visibility during twilight hours and a 26-degree field of view - an improvement of 25% over previous cameras. The judges were impressed by the unit's sleek design, Ethernet capability, and ease of installation by any OEM. The unit is operated with a remote joystick from anywhere on the vessel. While the cost is relatively high, the Jury felt that the unit provides user satisfaction beyond anything currently on the market. Even in total darkness the captain of a vessel can see channel markers, other boats, people in the water, and the shore line from greater distances than ever before.

CATEGORY WINNERS
The judges selected seven winners for eight categories and granted two certificates for ''Most ECO-Friendly Product'' and ''Most Innovative Product''. These winners are:

Marine electronics:
M-626L by FLIR Systems

In the Marine electronics category the winner was the M-626L infrared and night vision camera. This sleek system can be mounted almost anywhere on a boat to improve vision when making a journey under low-light conditions. This product was also selected as Overall Winner.

Interior equipment, furnishings, materials and electrical fittings used in cabins:
HALLEY by Foresti & Suardi S.p.a.

The HALLEY removable LED lamp is inserted into a pre-mounted base, allows a LED lamp to be installed in locations that might become vulnerable at sea because the lamp can be easily removed with a simple twisting motion. The Jury felt that this product could easily become a feature on any new boat and allow changes to the interior décor with just a quick twist of the wrist.

Deck equipment, sails, and rigging:
SCR by Hall Spars & Rigging

The largest category is almost always Deck equipment, sail and rigging, and this year was no exception. The winner was the Hall Spars & Rigging, SCR. It is solid carbon rigging with a variety of superbly designed end fittings that can be made in lengths up to 54 meters. This rigging is smaller than rod rigging of the same strength and can be retrofitted to existing yachts. The Jury liked the sleekness and simplicity of the design and the ease of installation and even though the SCR is designed for superyachts, it can be scaled down for smaller vessels.

Clothing and crew accessories:
Blue Eco Jacket by Henri Lloyd

The Henri Lloyd Blue Eco Jacket is made with recycled fibres and can be completely recycled when it is worn out. In fact, a fiber-to-fiber recycling process allows the jacket to be recycled an infinite number of times, making it an environmentally friendly garment that significantly reduces CO² emissions. The Jury felt that this product showed where difficult-to-dispose-of sailing gear was going and wanted to encourage the concept of infinite recycling.

Lifesaving and safety equipment:
RIB Ladder by Armstrong Nautical Products

The RIB Ladder from Armstrong Nautical Products is designed to allow a person in the water to board a RIB over the side rather than having to climb in over the transom. It folds up out of the water and can easily be removed and folded for stowage. In the past, a person climbing aboard a RIB would typically climb over the transom using the engine as a footrest or ladder. The Jury recognised that this product eliminates potential damage to the engine and removes the swimmer from a potentially dangerous area.

Machinery, propulsion, mechanical and electrical systems and fittings:
GPX-5, the Ultimate Hybrid Power Solution by Mastervolt

The GPX-5 offers the first true marine hybrid electrical power system where diesel generator and inverter technology are combined. The GPX-5's goal is to optimize efficiency of the onboard energy system as it eliminates the disadvantages of ''standard'' generators: startup power, frequency stability etc. The jury thought this a well designed and elegant solution for efficient on-board power generation. With all this functionality and multiple features in one space saving container, it should be easy to install and maintain.

Marine related software:
iSiMON by Palladium
Technologies, Inc.

iSiMON from Palladium Technologies, Inc. allows a yacht captain or owner to monitor every onboard system from an iPhone or iPod Touch. This is the only software of its kind approved by Apple Computers for use on the iPhone and is available through the Apple Store or directly from Palladium Technologies. The Jury appreciates that with iSiMON, remote control of pumps, lights, electronics, and other equipment can also be done from an iPhone to give a yacht captain an effortless way to monitor the complex systems without having to physically walk through the yacht.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATES

'Most ECO-Friendly Product' certificate::
Blue Eco Jacket by Henri Lloyd

A number of products could have received the environmental certificate, but in the end the Jury selected the Henri Lloyd Blue Eco Jacket. With its 100% recycling capability, this jacket makes a definite contribution to reducing CO² emissions and cutting down on products that end up in landfills. Essentially the Blue Eco Jacket never wears out because when it does its fabric is recycled and turned into a brand new garment.

'Most Innovative Product' certificate:
SilKEN by Kenyon

Once again there were several candidates for the Innovation Certificate, but after due consideration the Jury chose the Kenyon SilKEN stovetop with its entirely new silicone mat. This induction stovetop can be tilted to 30 degrees and still hold a pan on the unit. Small ridges around the edges of the mat's underside hold the mat in place on the stovetop, while ridges around the mat's upper side help to contain spills. When the mat is removed, the burners are cool to the touch even after heating a pot to the boiling point.