Virtual Reality Event Tracker for the Volvo Ocean Race

by Lizzie Green on 20 Jul 2001 A partnership agreement has been reached between Virtual Spectator Inc,
and Volvo Event Management UK, the organizers of the Volvo Ocean Race,
to provide Internet coverage and television animations for the upcoming
event, which starts from Southampton, UK, on September 23rd.

Virtual Spectator and the Volvo Ocean Race are collaborating on a 3D
Internet viewer that will be able to be downloaded from the Volvo Ocean
Race website at http://www.volvooceanrace.org and the Virtual Spectator
website at http://www.virtualspectator.com. This subscription based
viewer will feature regular position data, weather, editorial content,
photos and audio to allow fans to follow this ocean going event at any
time, anywhere.

The viewer will be available in early September. Users will take control
of what they watch, zooming and selecting a variety of aerial and
waterlevel perspectives. Simple tape recorder style controls, including
fast forward, reverse and stop, will allow users to analyze key tactical
moves. The weather overlay will show real-time interactive weather
charts, including forecast changes extending out 60 hours.

'We are delighted to welcome Virtual Spectator to the 2001 Volvo Ocean
Race team,' said Helge Alten, Chief Executive of the Volvo Ocean Race.
'Virtual Spectator's coverage of the last America's Cup brought PC users
around the world new awareness and insights into sailing competition.
Now Volvo Ocean Race fans can enjoy better levels of coverage, even
while the boats are on remote ocean passages.'

Craig Meek, Executive Vice President, Technology, of Virtual Spectator
said, 'The Volvo application will be the first VS product to have audio
based commentary, we believe this will be the killer application while
the world waits for broadband. We will be receiving audio commentary
from the fleet every 12 hours, combining these clips with 3D simulations
of the same time period will provide a unique narration of the race.'


According to Meek: 'The last Whitbread website attracted 1.8 million
unique viewers. We see huge potential for the VS application providing
the premier interactive broadcast for the Volvo Ocean Race.'

Virtual Spectator will also provide the Volvo Ocean Race with software
to create 3D animations for the television coverage of the event. Jim
Raven, Managing Director of Granada Sport, the broadcast & television
distribution partners for the race, commented 'television coverage of
the race is in demand all over the world and is set to easily outstrip
the coverage of the previous race four years ago. The ability to work
with Virtual Spectator will enable us to use the best technology
available to bring the sport of sailing to the arm chair sailor.'


Virtual Spectator is a world leader in 3D animation products for both
television and the Internet. The company has developed applications for
use in sailing, golf, cricket, football, motor sport and music events.
The Virtual Spectator Group of companies is privately owned with its
headquarters in New York, and affiliate offices in Auckland and Dunedin,
New Zealand. Virtual Spectator received significant backing in an
initial round of funding from NZSE listed IT Capital (NZSE:ITC), and
US-based sports media specialist Snider Capital.

In 1999, Virtual Spectator chose the America's Cup as the first event to
demonstrate the way that sports coverage could be delivered to fans via
the Internet using 3D animation graphics previously only seen on
television.