Quick thruster division helps boost sales

Quick SpA, the Italian maker of nautical accessories, has announced that its thruster division has grown to become a major part of the business, with more than 10,000 units built per year for some of the world’s best-known boatbuilders.

Its latest results show a 26% increase in thruster sales in 2022 compared to the previous year, and a further 10% increase is forecast for 2023.

Next-gen technology

Central to the success of Quick’s thruster division, in operation for just over 15 years, has been its dedication to the best in design and engineering, coupled to the highest ’Made in Italy’ standards of fabrication and production. The fruits of that dedication are being borne through the latest thruster line to be added to Quick’s extensive range – the QSY line.

QSY thrusters employ a synchronous motor that uses permanent magnets, a construction that allows more thrust for less power draw than a classic DC motor. Furthermore, the system also offers variable thrust – something that DC motors are not capable of without additional system hardware – they are completely plug and play, thanks to the integrated driver and they are characterised by considerable endurance with 10 minutes or more continuous usage. The brushless motors mean reduced maintenance as well as increased efficiency and greatly reduced noise, and the units are also rated IP68 as standard, which means they can be mounted on the stern without any additional protection.

Quick’s QSY thruster range offers other advantages too, making it a true step-up solution for boatbuilders and yacht customers. “Whereas across the different classic DC thrusters on the market there are a lot of similarities between manufacturers, our range offers something genuinely different,” says Andreas Karlsen, head of sales North Europe at Quick. “For the 185mm size, which is used on mid-range boats of 9m-18m and is therefore the most in-demand thruster size, we are the only company to offer contra-rotating propellers, which deliver equal thrust on both sides – all our competitors only start to offer that at the larger 260mm size. It’s indicative of our wider mission, which is flexibility for our customer base in offering them as many options as possible.”

Quick now offers five different thruster ranges to suit differing needs, covering DC, AC, DC-AC, hydraulic and the all-new QSY range. The company also produces retractable thrusters which are the ideal solution for sailing yacht manufacturers. Its extensive offering means there is a Quick solution for any yacht from 5m to more than 50m in length.

The QSY range currently comprises four key models at 140mm, 185mm, 250mm and 300mm tunnel sizes, covering yachts sizes from approximately 7m-30m. More models are planned for launch over the coming months, Quick says.