When she’s on the water – fair weather or foul - Hilary’s in control. Seated in a custom seating module that maintains her body position and comfort, Hilary controls everything on her thoroughbred Artemis 20 - with her breath – through an innovative Power Assist System. A "control stalk" positions three pneumatic "straws", ready for her breath commands as a "sip" or a "puff" semaphore. These straws are connected to sensitive pressure switches on a computer, programmed to do exactly what Hilary needs to do. The control computer and its graphic displays are housed in a watertight module mounted in front of Hilary, like the instrument panel on your automobile. A gentle "sip" or "puff" on one of these straws is interpreted by the control computer to update the status display and then activate electric servo motors that change the course of the boat, trim one of the sails or control the navigation computer.

Hilary’s Round Britain route requires long passages across open water, where keeping the boat on course is demanding for any sailor. Raymarine have provided a state-of-the-art ST4000+ "autopilot" and GPS navigation system that will maintain a compass course heading, or follow a GPS track under her control. Hilary’s Power Assist System provides access to the sophisticated ST4000+ pilot through sip and puff commands. A "puff on the MODE straw is like clicking a mouse on your computer, toggling the function of the system, so Hilary can reprogram the destination of the Raymarine navigation computer.