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Garmin launches innovative SmartDrive autopilot for sailboats and catamarans

News Provided by PR Newswire2026-09-01

Garmin launches innovative SmartDrive autopilot for sailboats and catamarans

[01-September-2026]

First sailboat autopilot to use brushless linear actuator with built-in ECU for superior performance, reliability and simplified installation

OLATHE, Kan., Sept. 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Garmin (NYSE: GRMN), the world's largest¹ and most innovative marine electronics manufacturer, today announced SmartDrive^™, a ground-breaking autopilot system that leverages a brushless linear actuator, built-in ECU and a rudder feedback sensor for improved durability and long-term reliability. Designed for sailboats and catamarans up to 45 feet (maximum displacement of 33,000 pounds), the Reactor 40 Corepack with SmartDrive provides top-tier autopilot performance with up to 1,050 pounds of maximum thrust, helping maintain steady rudder control to help captains stay on course.

First sailboat autopilot to use brushless linear actuator with built-in ECU for superior performance, reliability and simplified installation.

"Whether out for a day trip or a longer voyage, sailors need dependable technology. SmartDrive was designed from the ground up to deliver precise steering, long-term durability, a quiet ride and reliable performance in demanding offshore conditions, giving sailors confidence wherever their journey takes them."
—Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Global Consumer Sales & Marketing

Streamlined installation and seamless compatibility

The innovative SmartDrive operates with fewer cables and external components, allowing for a streamlined installation. With a form factor like other linear actuators, SmartDrive is designed to simplify retrofit installations and serve as an easy direct replacement. It also seamlessly integrates with compatible Garmin MFDs via the NMEA^® 2000 network.

Bundling options

Sailors have the option of purchasing the SmartDrive autopilot actuator on its own, or as part of an exciting bundle with a complete Corepack that can elevate the sailing experience, including improved wind hold performance, more accurate tack and gybe with adjustable speeds and auto response, and easy calibration using the dockside wizard. The Reactor 40 Sail Corepack with SmartDrive bundle includes a CCU with built-in solid-state 9-axis AHRS and a GHC^™ 50 autopilot display, which allows users to control the autopilot from a 5-inch touchscreen from different locations on board.

For more ways to control the autopilot system, the Reactor 40 Corepack with SmartDrive is compatible with several Garmin devices, including the Reactor 40 autopilot wireless remote, the APK^™ 10 autopilot keypad and select quatix^® marine smartwatches².

The SmartDrive actuator is available as a standalone purchase for a suggested retail price of $3,499.99 or as part of a Reactor 40 Sail Corepack bundle that starts at $4,499.99. To learn more, visit garmin.com/marine.

Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized life for anglers, sailors, mariners and boat enthusiasts everywhere. Committed to developing the most innovative, highest quality, and easiest to use marine electronics the industry has ever known, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday. For the 11th consecutive year, Garmin was named the Manufacturer of the Year by the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA). Visit the Garmin Newsroom, email our media team, connect with @garminmarine on social, or follow our blog. 

¹Based on 2025 sales.
²Requires a compatible Garmin chartplotter or GHC 50 autopilot instrument.

About Garmin: Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. Garmin and quatix are registered trademarks, and SmartDrive, Reactor, GHC and APK are trademarks of Garmin Ltd., or its subsidiaries.

Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management's current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2025, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). Copies of such Form 10-K are available at https://www.garmin.com/en-US/investors/sec/. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Mike Cummings and Carly Hysell
913-397-8200
media.relations@garmin.com