Fleetbroadband and M-Link used for live streaming during the Fastnet
The FB 50 and FB 250 be competing in the 608 nautical mile race for the first time. The technology was recently proven on the 37,000 mile Volvo Ocean Race around the world, where the leading mobile satellite services operator was selected as technology partner.
The latest yacht to adopt Inmarsat FB 250 is Fastnet race favourite, Niklas Zennström's 72-foot Judel/Vrolijk designed, RÁN. Other FB 250 aficionados include Varuna (Rogers IRC 46), Beau Geste (Blue Water 80) and Noonmark VI.
The impressive 100ft Liara is using an FB 500, as is media friendly Alex Thomson, helming the Open 60 'HUGO BOSS', who will be running live feeds from the boat during the race. Hugo Boss is also fitted with an M-Link Integrated Media Station (MIMS) from Livewire Digital. The system, which incorporates “crash record” technology, will allow Alex to stream video from whichever onboard camera is selected to his website via the FB500. Inmarsat, celebrating 30 years of maritime safety history, is currently enjoying unprecedented success with its new FleetBroadband service.
Onboard RÁN British navigator, Steve Hayles will doubtless exploit the value of this innovative satellite communications with some smart weather routing as well as maximizing the broadcasting value of broadband with media interviews and dramatic footage of the awe inspiring Rock rounding.
The Fastnet race started in 1925 and is a 'classic' amongst offshore races. This year the race starts on Sunday 9th August from Cowes on the south coast, goes around the Fastnet Rock off the coast of Ireland and finishes in Plymouth after covering about 608 miles. Until 1979 the race had an excellent safety record, only one crewman being lost overboard in 1931. On 11th August 1979 a record 303 entries got underway in fine weather, but only 85 yachts finished the race and 15 people were killed.
The Fastnet fleet is a broad cross-section of the international offshore racing scene, with the smallest yacht (Fore Winds from Poland) at 30ft (9.5m) up to the largest at 100 feet (30.5m). Crews range from the well paid professionals through to the Corinthian racers to those just taking part for the adventure and challenge.
In the thirty years since the Fastnet tragedy the innovation of satellite communications by Inmarsat has been phenomenal. Inmarsat is celebrating 30 years of keeping the maritime world in touch as the satellite cornerstone of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. The GMDSS emphasizes the ability to alert shore-based search and rescue authorities, as well as shipping in the immediate vicinity, in order to achieve co-ordinate assistance and rescue operations.
According to Peter Blackhurst, Head of Safety at Inmarsat, if the race organisers had been able to contact all the boats directly in '79, the outcome could have been very different. Says Blackhurst: "Today's satellite service delivers a quantum leap in data speed with an equally impressive reduction in size and weight of the hardware onboard. The equipment is comparatively inexpensive and the air time rates are similar to 3G roaming. " Inmarsat has pioneered broadband for the ocean. The flawless performance of FleetBroadband service during the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race was widely acknowledged, with over 40 hours of high definition TV programming broadcast from the race boats. FleetBroadband has changed the face of international sailing event sponsorship and marketing for ever, as demonstrated by the Volvo Ocean Race, which using the innovative technology was able to put embedded media crew members on each boat to bring the race to broadcasters around the globe watched by two billion race followers. This year all Fastnet starters have an OCTracker beacon onboard, which will transmit the position the boat at regular intervals using GPS. In addition each boat will have an electronic position indicating radio beacon which reports the boats identity and location to the Search and Rescue Authorities if activated in case of emergency.
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