When Sweden's Zipwake introduced its Dynamic Trim Control System in 2014, the boating world sat up and took notice. The company had swapped out slow, cumbersome trim tabs for high-speed interceptors that responded almost instantaneously, keeping hulls flatter, quicker, and far more comfortable across a range of conditions. For skippers serious about performance and fuel economy, it was a genuine step change.
Now, more than a decade later, Zipwake has gone back to the drawing board and emerged with something even more capable.
Zipwake PRO represents a thorough re-engineering of the original concept rather than a simple refinement. The system is faster, considerably smarter, and purpose-built for demanding conditions. Sam from Woodbine Marine, Zipwake's New Zealand dealer, ran the new system through its paces aboard a Stabicraft 2350 and came away convinced. "It reacts faster, feels more balanced through tight corners, and gives the boat noticeably more control than the standard Zipwake setup," he said.
The key to that improvement sits in a single number: 0.3 seconds. That is all the time the Zipwake PRO interceptor blades need to travel from zero to full stroke, making them five times faster than the previous generation. Depending on the model, each blade covers either 30 mm or 60 mm of travel in that time. The effect is dramatic, enabling real-time trim correction and unlocking a suite of new smart-control functions that were not possible at the old actuation speeds.
Those functions, Active Pitch Control, Active Roll Control, and Balanced Turn Control, form the core of what Zipwake PRO brings to the helm. Active Pitch Control works continuously in the background, adjusting the boat's running angle to find the optimal balance of speed, forward visibility, and fuel efficiency. It compensates automatically for shifting crew weight and changing sea states, so the skipper is not constantly chasing a trim setting. Active Roll Control monitors side-to-side movement caused by wind, wave action, or an uneven load distribution, then corrects it to keep the boat level and stable. Balanced Turn Control handles the heel angle through corners, producing a smoother, more predictable feel when changing direction at speed.
A further addition is a dedicated wake-shaping mode, giving skippers the ability to dial in their wake for tow sports such as wakesurfing. That kind of fine-tuned wake management has traditionally belonged to specialist wakeboats, so seeing it appear in a bolt-on trim system is a notable development.
The hardware behind all of this has been rebuilt from the ground up. New brushless 36 V servos incorporate double shaft seals and precision-ground stainless-steel shafts, aimed squarely at longevity in offshore environments where saltwater ingress is a constant adversary. The Distribution Unit PRO delivers greater power output to support faster actuation, and it is capable of driving up to six Series S PRO interceptors or three Series E PRO units.
The control panel has also had a thorough redesign, introducing adaptive display modes, speed-based responsiveness, and an automatic cleaning cycle to reduce the risk of fouling. Connectivity has expanded significantly, with Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and NMEA 2000 all supported, allowing the system to integrate cleanly with multifunction displays and mobile devices.
The PRO range is structured around two modular systems, both plug-and-play in their installation and fully backward-compatible with earlier Zipwake hardware. The Series S PRO is aimed at boats between 6 and 15 metres (20 to 50 ft), while the Series E PRO is designed for vessels up to 30 metres (100 ft).
Owners of existing Zipwake systems are not required to start from scratch. The Upgrade Kit PRO allows them to retain their current interceptors, control panel, and cabling, replacing only the distribution unit and servos. Once PRO Software v4.3 is installed, those boats gain the full speed advantage of the new servos, access to the additional control modes, and a more intuitive interface, with minimal downtime during the changeover.
Sea trials conducted in New Zealand added real-world substance to the specification sheet. Sam described what the faster response time actually feels like from behind the wheel. "Because the interceptors react so quickly, the boat settles instantly after acceleration and feels more planted in turns," he said. "The new Active Pitch feature keeps the bow right where you want it, even in following seas. It's not just more comfortable, it feels safer."
He also offered a measured perspective on which boats benefit most. Not every hull needs the PRO system, he noted, but deep-V hulls and offshore rigs stand to gain the most, particularly in conditions that change quickly and leave little margin for slow correction.
Zipwake PRO combines high-speed actuation, intelligent automatic control, and a straightforward upgrade path into a package that advances what trim management can do for a powerboat. Whether the goal is a smoother ride in a chop, better fuel numbers on a long run, or simply more confidence at the helm in open water, the PRO series builds on a proven foundation and takes it somewhere meaningfully better.
