Things have advanced quite a bit lately, but I'm not sure about ALL the bells and whistles. I've got an old Garmin 76 (not the mapping one), and with its big display, I can tape it to the mast so that both skipper and crew can see it (in a bag, of course). I've got Dist to next, Speed (straight line races) or VMG (distance races) and heading to next waypoint (compas rose) on the display in 1 1/2" characters - I can see them from the back beam! Not bad for under $100. Oh, and I can download my track afterward, too. I think all Garmin products do all of the above...

I don't think I need the map, since the chart would only cause me to stare at it too long. I can usually tell that the water is getting shallow before the GPS can, and that's about all I need. The 76 DOES, however, plot some nav aids on their "map" screen, so if I'm REALLY lost in the fog I can use that to get home.