Velux 5 Oceans - Follow the Yellowbrick boat

by Tim Kelly on 15 Apr 2010 Clipper Ventures have engaged Yellowbrick to provide the worldwide tracking system for the competitors in the Velux 5 Oceans 2010-11. Every boat in the fleet will carry a Yellowbrick Adventure Tracker, a well-proven, self-contained, fully-automatic satellite tracking device. The Yellowbrick v2 unit will provide the race management team with a boat position report routinely every 15 minutes and additionally when requested by the Race Director.

Race Director David Adams concluded, “Yellowbrick is ideally positioned to provide the global tracking services for the Velux 5 Oceans. Their lightweight and waterproof unit is built to withstand the extreme environments encountered by the competitors of this, the ultimate solo challenge. The system will accurately report the boats positions from anywhere on Earth, allowing us to ensure the safety of all the skippers throughout the course of the race. Yellowbrick was chosen because of their track record in covering yachting events around the World, as well as the reliability and quality of their services.”

The boat position data will also be critical for both the public and media, to follow the race via the Internet 24/7. The official race website will feature a 2-D and 3-D race viewer, allowing race followers to track the course of the skippers and review the multimedia content coming back from the boats from the cutting edge onboard communications system provided by Clipper Ventures and Velux.

Nick Farrell, Managing Director of UK-based Yellowbrick commented, “We are really pleased to be associated with the Velux 5 Oceans – it is truly an amazing event. The Yellowbrick v2 will play a crucial role in both the safety of the skippers and for the public around the world to follow the drama at sea, improving media relations and generating public interest. Yellowbrick's alert feature complements existing safety procedures, allowing teams to rapidly notify organisers of a problem.”

The Yellowbrick tracker does not need to be connected to the competing yacht's power supply, making it simple and fast to deploy. Its own battery can outlast the longest offshore events.

The Velux 5 Oceans, run by Clipper Ventures PLC, starts from La Rochelle in France on October 17 and features five ocean sprints. After heading from La Rochelle to Cape Town, the race will then take in Wellington in New Zealand, Salvador in Brazil and Charleston in the US before returning back across the Atlantic to France.


www.velux5oceans.com