Tracking the Transpac

[Guest]

This was in my inbox, mostly an ad for yellowbrick, but it does raise an interesting point, that the way we race longer events will definitley be changed as a result

 

What do you think, good, bad or indifferent,?

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

Transpac 2011 retains tactical integrity thanks to Yellowbrick tracking devices

July 2011 – The world’s largest truly-global tracking rental provider, Yellowbrick, is supplying tracking devices to this year’s Transpacific Yacht Race, Los Angeles to Honolulu, enabling followers and organisers to monitor each boat’s progress online. Yellowbrick have also been closely working with the organisers of this year’s Transpac Race to ensure that information given by their Yellowbrick tracking devices doesn’t give the fleet front runners an unfair advantage.

Advances in real-time tracking technology mean that boats can now ‘see’ their competitors’ precise position beyond the visible horizon. In trans-ocean races like the Transpac, navigators face major tactical decisions; being able to track the exact actions of their competitors can influence their strategy and alter the outcome of the race in a way that was not previously possible.

All 53 yachts competing in the 2011 Transpac, which began on 4th July from San Pedro, California, will carry Yellowbrick tracking devices onboard. Using the Iridium Satellite network, which gives complete global coverage, the Yellowbricks are sending precise location data to Yellowbrick HQ, where the location of each boat will be updated on a special race viewer page embedded within the Transpac event website. Whilst race officials will be able monitor this real-time data for safety and administrative purposes, competitors and spectators will experience a six-hour delay in the display of this information. Only when the fleet leader arrives within 100 miles of the finish in Honolulu, Hawaii, will the web viewer switch to display real-time positions. The leading yachts are expected to arrive in this zone on approximately the 14th July. From that time forward, racers and viewers alike will share the excitement of having pinpoint data on the speed and location of each boat as the fleet closes on the finish.

This timing decision by Transpac will add a dynamic dimension to the race for online followers, as well as providing a useful logistical aid for support teams awaiting the arrival of the fleet.

Yellowbrick have worked closely with Transpac to evolve the time delay concept. Ric Searle, Technical Director of Yellowbrick, says; “Over the last few years, there has been an enormous precedent set for real-time tracking of offshore and ocean yacht races. It is up to each race authority to decide whether the real-time availability of this information affects the 'fairness', or even the 'challenge' of a particular race. Yellowbrick are happy to work with and support race organisers and we will adapt our tracking system to deliver whatever online experience they choose.”

Although tracking devices have been used in previous editions of the Transpac, this is the first year that the organisers have chosen to use Yellowbrick. Speaking on behalf of the organisers of the 2011 Transpac Race and Commodore Bill Lee, Regatta Chairman Dave Cort, says; “We have chosen Yellowbrick because it has an excellent reputation for providing great service to major ocean races like ours. We’re expecting good reliable hardware, and a first class web experience for our racers and the friends and family. Their people are great to work with, and the price has been competitive.”

Further information regarding Yellowbrick can be found at www.yellowbrick-tracking.com