Thanks to Inmarsat’s Fleet One service Lisa Gabrielson, Associate Editor of Sailing World magazine and one of 46 contestants competing in the biennial 2015 Marion to Bermuda Cruising Yacht Race, will have 24/7 access to voice and broadband connectivity.
Lisa will be using a Fleet One antenna and terminal for her 52 Stellar Sloop called Etoile for the duration of the 645-nautical miles offshore sailing event, which started on 19 June.
Throughout the race she will rely on the Fleet One solution for the latest weather updates and race logistics, and she will be able to keep her followers updated on her race progress through social media channels and blog posts from the boat.
Since its inception in 1977, the event has provided an opportunity for cruising yachts and amateur crews to participate in an ocean race and develop blue water sailing skills.
The race began with two old sailing friends racing with their friends from Marion, Massachusetts to the island of Bermuda using celestial navigation only.
Today the route remains the same but each boat is now tracked by satellite navigation for all the world to follow and uses GPS navigation techniques – however there is still a class for those skippers who want the challenge of navigating by the stars.
Inmarsat’s Fleet One service is designed with yachts and near-shore fishing boats in mind. With a lightweight, compact and easy-to-install antenna and below-deck unit, it delivers cost-effective and dependable voice and broadband data to smaller vessels.
