Insight | Case Study: Ganesha S/Y
Maritime
Named after the Hindu deity representing the Lord of Good Fortune, the Lord of Beginnings and the Remover of Obstacles, Superyacht Ganesha first set sail in 2013. Delivered by world-renowned Dutch shipyard Vitters, the 46m vessel was commissioned to be a high-performance. Sleek race-ready yacht for the America's Cup in Valencia, as well as being a luxury home away from home for its owners during their frequent trips to the Caribbean.
During construction the team decided to install Ku-band VSAT connectivity to enable communication onboard and support the bandwidth needs of up to eight crew and 10 guests. After experiencing service outages during their frequent voyages to the south-eastern Pacific Ocean and on Atlantic crossings, its owner and captain quickly recognised the solution was not fit for their needs. Changing sea conditions caused line-of-sight blockages for the large 1m Ku-band domes. With a combined weight of over 300kg, the hardware was heavy and obtrusive, causing excessive windage. Dependable global coverage was critical, and they needed to find an alternative solution striking a balance between speed and functionality, without impacting on the yacht’s performance.
Working with Inmarsat and its Value Added Reseller and integrated communications, network and IT solution specialist e3 Systems, Ganesha became the first superyacht to install a dual Cobham SAILOR 60cm antenna to power the world-leading Fleet Xpress satellite communication service.
The Cobham SAILOR 60cm antenna was an easy choice for the vessel. At almost half the size and weight of the previous equipment, the new hardware helped to enhance the yacht’s overall performance and speed by dramatically reducing both weight and windage with its lightweight composition and compact design. The domes were seamlessly mounted onto the yacht’s existing rig and their condensed size helped create a sleek, discreet look fit for the renowned superyacht.
Being able to enjoy all the benefits of the Fleet Xpress Ka-band service via the inconspicuous dual antennas has greatly enhanced the onboard experience. I was super impressed with the system staying connected in heavy rolling seas, and particularly happy that it allowed us to stream the Six Nations rugby over VSAT in the Atlantic off the Canaries – that really is a great result!
Delivering the strength of Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band network with the proven resilience of L-band for unlimited backup, Fleet Xpress guarantees over 99.9% network availability anytime, anywhere in the world. Combine this with the reduced size of the SAILOR 60cm antenna to minimise potential line of sight blockages, and the captain and owner will be assured they won’t suffer from connectivity drop-out.
Since its inception, the owner of Superyacht Ganesha has not been shy of investing in the latest technology to maintain a first-class guest experience while maximising vessel performance and safety. Fleet Xpress enables the yacht to handle the data-heavy needs of both mission-critical applications and guests alike with an ultra-high-speed internet connection. From accessing digital applications to predict sailing conditions to streaming the latest sports game on TV; from conducting business meetings via video conferencing to sending large volumes of mission critical data back to shore, Fleet Xpress is capable of handling big data quickly with ease from any ocean in the world.
Offering complete subscription flexibility and visibility of costs, Fleet Xpress allows Ganesha’s captain to easily upgrade or downgrade plans according to seasonal changes in demand and daily operational requirements.
