Enjoy Sailing From The Comfort Of Home
The Volvo Ocean Race Delivers Extreme Sailing To Your Home
Sep 29, 2008
In the 2005-06, Volvo Ocean Race Team ABN AMRO One took home the honors of fastest team around the world. While covering approximately 30,000nm in 2339 hours with average speeds of 12.83 knots, their media team kept people at home on the edge of their seats. This year expect to be taken deeper into the adventure of ocean racing. The teams and event organizers are using every media outlet possible.
Extreme Sailing Conditions
The entire race is virtually unseen by anyone other than the participating sailors. Teams do their best to send emails, photos and videos as time and conditions permit. However, this is an adventure race with extreme conditions. Imagine typing and sending an email while riding a bucking bronco in the dark and someone banging pots and pans beside your head. This is the best way to describe the sailing conditions these sailors experience during this race.
Online Media Makes Sailing Easy To Follow
Team ABN AMRO did a fantastic job of connecting family, friends and sailing enthusiast with their own sailors and the event collectively. They additionally set a standard of virtual spectating that this year’s organizers hope to trump. The 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race plans to keep the world tuned into the race for over nine months of round the world action on a day-to-day basis.
This multimedia challenge will be made possible by the eleventh crew member of each team who has been assigned to the sole task of sending news, pictures and video to race headquarters for quick delivery to event’s home website. This individual, a sailor, is not allowed to participate in any of the typical onboard duties. He will be responsible for catching the remaining ten crew members at their best and worst.
The media crew will be on the front-line providing real time information people at home can use to follow the story of the race, who’s winning or losing, weather conditions each team is facing and when in port: the shore-side activities of a far off place. The pictures, video, audio and editorial coverage is easy to digest, not requiring any knowledge of sailing to enjoy. Sailing enthusiasts of all levels will be able to follow the race, however, the goal is to draw in everyone who loves a good story of adventure.
Sailing Action Delivered Live
After the last race, extensive research and time has been invested into understanding what the people watching from home would appreciate and the technology possible to see it through: The organizers have developed an event home page tapping into the most current means to follow offshore sailing.
In addition to the website there is Volvo Ocean Race TV, which takes more time to produce and not as immediate but when the individuals at home follow the race they have many options to stay in the know. It may be advisable to set a little extra time each day. Once the action starts on October 11th, it will be hard to pull oneself away.
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