Cybit Maritime Division to provide Race Management tracking for yachts in the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race 2008-09

Cybit, the UK's leading online Telematics Service Provider (TSP), has announced a major order through its Maritime Telematics Division, BlueFinger, to provide the Race Management System (RMS) for the high performance yachts in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008. The race organisers will use the BlueFinger Saffire system to track the position, direction and speed of each yacht in the race. The race is expected to produce a cumulative audience of 2 billion viewers and followers will be able to watch the progress of the race as a 3-Dimensional image, updated by the BlueFinger system.

The BlueFinger Saffire system will monitor the progress of every boat throughout the 10 stages, over nine months and cover the complete 39,000 nautical miles of the 2008-09 global race. It will use the International Maritime Satellite (INMARSAT) network to give accurate race updates that are refreshed every 15 minutes to monitor the safety of each yacht and allow accurate race scoring and leadership tables to be maintained. The Volvo Ocean Race selected the proven Saffire solution from BlueFinger on the basis of the company's experience in tracking large numbers of vessels in a range of maritime industries and unrivalled expertise in using the INMARSAT network to power tracking applications.

"The primary reason for the system is to ensure the safety of every competitor - if one of the boats stops unexpectedly, we need to know about it immediately," commented Andy Hindley, Racing Director for the Volvo Ocean Race. "The weather conditions that they have to face can make this a hazardous race, so we need to have visibility of every yacht and all the conditions they encounter so we can quickly identify if there are any problems. We also have millions of fans of the race that we need to keep updated. Being able to relay the race, even when it’s in more inaccessible areas like the Southern Ocean, is a big bonus for followers of the event. BlueFinger understands these needs and the solution we have satisfies all the demands that we have from a Race Management System."

The Saffire solution from BlueFinger has traditionally been used in the areas of fisheries management, Economic Exclusion Zone monitoring and offshore oil and gas exploration. Its work with leading government and private sector organisations around the world has given it the expertise to adapt its maritime technology for a wide range of maritime tracking applications and industries.

"The solution we have for maritime tracking is highly sophisticated, and is essential to the operation of many companies and organisations that monitor, manage and protect vital fishing resources and maritime environments around the world," commented Cybit's Chief Executive Officer, Richard Horsman. "We are delighted to be able to use the same solution to provide accurate information on the unpredictable progress of these widely scattered, high speed and competitive racing boats."

The BlueFinger Saffire VMS solution provides the tools to manage, control and protect maritime fleets and coordinate the activities of many different vessels, with a range of responsibilities. Saffire VMS can monitor any vessel that is equipped with an Automatic Location Communicator (ALC) using any form of maritime mobile communication. Fisheries is a prime resource for many countries, and the BlueFinger solution enables them to manage and control their stocks.