PredictWind runs new technology aboard TVS

by Zoe Hawkins and Sail-World on 20 Apr 2011
Thanks to a light weather forecast there is no talk of blitzing records in the 130 nautical mile Auckland to Tauranga yacht race starting, Thursday 21 April. But the crew and their supporters will have plenty of time to play with their new toy – a live tracker complete with camera and weather instruments.

The tracker, which records boat speed and wind speed in real time, shows where the boat is on a map, and shoots and displays a photograph every 60 seconds, is a new development from www.predictwind.com!PredictWind.com, a brain child of top America’s Cup weather expert, Jon Bilger.

Bilger points to some interesting PredictWind Technology on the Team Vodafone Sailing website (http://play.vodafone.co.nz/teamvodafone-sailing ) …. A plugin from PredictWind using data from a 3G communicator (http://www.predictwind.com/3g-communicator/ ) and webcam… showing updates, and photos every minute. If out of Vodafone's coverage area, the Satellite Communicator (http://www.predictwind.com/satellite-communicator/ ) is used.

TeamVodafoneSailing is line honours favourite in the 41-strong fleet, which also features the new Cookson 50, Akatea, and Mike Sanderson’s Orbit.

An ambitious pace would need to be set by any entrant to beat the 30m supermaxi Zana’s 2004 race record of 9 hours, 35 minutes, and 1 second – but in the forecast 10 knots of breeze from the SouthWest that will probably die out during the day, it’s almost definite that it won’t happen.

Progress can be viewed on the Vodafone Play website http://play.vodafone.co.nz/teamvodafone-sailing!by_clicking_here or at www.teamvodafonesailing.co.nz!here

The race is organised by Tauranga Yachting & Powerboat Club, whose website is www.yacht.org.nz.

TeamVodafoneSailing is also supported by Line 7, Seatrade, Fusion, Harken, Fineline, B&G, Steinlager and Wilde Media.