Volvo race teams put Inmarsat and partners at the heart of communications for world's greatest yachting contest

Crews competing in this year's round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) - dubbed the 'Olympics of sailing' - will rely on Inmarsat for communication.

Inmarsat has been named as an official supplier of satellite communications to the race, in partnership with leading distribution partner France Telecom Mobile Satellite Communications (FTMSC), and equipment manufacturer Thrane and Thrane.

The VOR begins this year on November 12 at Vigo in Spain and will last seven months as competitors sail 31,000 miles through some of the world's roughest seas.

Each of the seven competing yachts will be fitted with Inmarsat Fleet F77 to provide telephone and high-speed 128kbps data communications, plus a smaller Fleet F33 and two Inmarsat C satellite terminals.

Inmarsat will help maintain crucial voice and e-mail communications with each yacht's land-based team, as well as enable the crew to:

•access online navigational and weather updates
•use telemedicine applications
•provide GPS tracking information, and
• beam back video footage.

The collaboration also includes another Inmarsat service provider, Livewire Digital - a leading provider of video, audio and data solutions for broadcasters - which will equip each vessel with its Media Desk 70 communications hub.

Awesome pictures of the yachts racing to their 30-knots capacity, often in extreme weather conditions, can be beamed directly from the vessels using the Inmarsat Fleet F77 128kps solution.

Michael Butler, Inmarsat's chief operating officer, said: "Our heritage is in maritime communications so we know some of the challenges these intrepid sailors are about to face.

"This gives us an opportunity to support an exciting event, with a global profile, and showcase our range of services for both the yachting and broader maritime communities."

The race organizers are stressing the importance of having Inmarsat on board each yacht.

Glenn Bourke, chief executive of VOR, said: "To get the level of connectivity we need, delivered to relative specks in the oceans travelling at near record-breaking speeds, only Inmarsat can deliver.

"I believe that the range of voice and high-speed data services from Inmarsat will make the VOR the world's most connected sporting event."

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