Volvo Ocean Race teams with Inmarsat

The Volvo Ocean Race’s official global satellite communications partner will again be Inmarsat.

The Inmarsat fleet of satellites, located some 36,000 km out in space, will deliver the race communications technology. Its FleetBroadband provides an ‘always on’ connection for teams and allows applications such as internet access, emails, calls, weather reporting and telemedicine. It also features streaming IP available on demand. For the first time, sailors will also now be able to post on social media during every leg.

Since 1973, the Volvo Ocean Race has set the standard for modern ocean racing, with the world’s best sailors facing extreme conditions over a 45,000 nautical mile racetrack.

“Inmarsat is absolutely thrilled to provide onboard connectivity to the Volvo Ocean Race for the fifth consecutive time. Once again, we will provide support for the sailors in terms of safety, communications and advanced broadcasting,” said Rupert Pearce, CEO of Inmarsat. 

In addition to Inmarsat C safety services and tracking devices, each of the Volvo Ocean 65 boats will also carry an IsatPhone 2 satellite phone in their liferaft packs. 

“The 2017–18 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race will take the fleet through some of the most remote regions of the planet, so maintaining constant communication is critical,” said Mark Turner, CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race.

“During the last edition, our partnership with Inmarsat helped to deliver some of the Volvo Ocean Race’s most memorable moments, such as broadcasting live from Cape Horn as the fleet rounded and enabling satellite connection to the Team Vestas Wind crew grounded on an atoll in the middle of the Indian Ocean.”

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