Time once again for the annual Volvo Ocean Race—and Cobham SATCOM has also, once again... for the sixth time... been named as the Satellite and Radio Equipment sponsor for this 2017 - 2018 edition of the event.
Photo is courtesy of Yann Riou/Dongfeng Race Team.
Cobham SATCOM will ensure that the latest SAILOR FleetBroadband products will continue to be a fixture of this professional sporting event when the boats line up in Alicante in October 2017. Cobham SATCOM’s relationship with the Volvo Ocean Race stretches back to 2001—and the race has become an increasingly important platform to deliver on multiple business and brand awareness objectives, whilst serving as the ultimate product testing ground. The deal means that Cobham SATCOM will continue to supply the satellite communications hardware for the Volvo Ocean 65s as well as a wide range of radio and safety equipment.
Cobham's SAILOR 250 FleetBroadband.
The 13th edition of the Volvo Ocean Race, starting in Alicante in Autumn 2017, will be raced with a fleet of one-design Volvo Ocean 65 boats and will visit 11 cities around the globe, including Lisbon; Cape Town; Hong Kong; Guangzhou; Auckland; Itajaí; Newport, Rhode Island; Cardiff; and Gothenburg, before crossing the finish line in The Hague in summer 2018.
Volvo Ocean Race’s Chief Digital Officer, Jordi Neves, commented that with the Volvo Ocean Race fleet set to sail three times more miles in the Southern Ocean in this next edition, the upcoming race will really put the on board equipment to the test—and we have faith that Cobham SATCOM’s products can withstand the most extreme conditions on the planet.
According to Casper Jensen, the Senior Vice President of Cobham and Head of Cobham SATCOM, the Volvo Ocean Race is the toughest arena there is and is the ultimate showcase for Cobham products. With the boats set to race the longest distance in the event’s history, the next edition represents a very tough challenge for the equipment and, with success, can only enhance the equipment's credentials as the most reliable communications offerings for all maritime applications.