Volvo Ocean Race
The Volvo Ocean Race is a nine month race around the world through treacherous oceans covering over 39,000 nautical miles. This race is an “exceptional test of sailing prowess and human endeavour”. The Volvo Ocean Race starts in Alicante, Spain on October 29, 2011 and continues around the world finishing in Galway, Ireland in July 2012. Other race ports include Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Itajai, Miami, Lisbon and Lorient.
Each team has 11 professional crew members including two sailors that have had medical training, as well as a sailmaker, an engineer and a media specialist.
At each port the crews will take part in special in-port races as another means to gain points along the way. These in-port races will be broadcast live at volvooceanrace.com. The team that arrives in Galway with the most points will be declared the overall winner.
Stratos is pleased to be the official supplier of onboard email for the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race. AmosConnect 8 will provide crew members with access to email while they participate in this gruelling race around the world. AmosConnect 8 will allow them to keep in touch with friends and family as they face dangerous oceans, hazardous weather conditions, the possibility of sleep deprivation, lack of food and other stressful circumstances.
Together with Inmarsat and Thrane & Thrane, Stratos will be providing critical mobile satellite services to all Volvo Open 70 boats throughout the entire race. Stratos connects these boats on the ocean to the crews on land through AmosConnect 8, FleetBroadband connectivity, IsatPhone Pro connectivity and leased terrestrial lines from Stratos PoP to race HQ.
Each boat will have a dedicated media crew member who will document the journey by capturing action from the heart of the race. They will be using FleetBroadband services to transmit HDTV footage, radio interviews and photos to VOR HQ, then on to the public as the race unfolds.
With Stratos as an official race supplier, crews will be able to connect with family, keep in contact with race HQ and maintain smooth operations onboard.
The Volvo Ocean Race is an exciting but difficult test of endurance that will push crews to their limits.