There is, however, one M9 in circulation - it's undergoing fairly lengthy sea trials in the hands (on the wrist) of Grant Dalton on its way round the world in the Volvo Race right now.

Described by Suunto as a personal sailing instrument, the simplest description of the M9 is a watch with fancy functions.

Based on a true wind direction and starting line location, the M9 will calculate the line bias. It will give the distance to the line and say whether the boat should speed up or slow down for the perfect start.

It will detect wind shifts. It learns the course as you sail, providing layline information.

The 12 channel GPS gives the boat's position - it supports ARCS electronic charts - and the course to the next waypoint. The barometer helps with weather forecasting. It has a 3D compass and MOB function.

On top of all this, the information the unit gathers during the race (or cruise) can be downloaded to a PC for analysis. This, of course, includes Speed Polar Data so you can build a picture of performance over time.

And you can then discuss your boat's performance with other people using the Suuntosports.com website.

Owners can plot tracks on shared maps and compare tactics and speed throughout the race. And the site offers worldwide coverage of ARCS charts, with panning and zooming to allow planning of passages.

The unit comes with a long life, rechargeable battery.

www.suunto.com