Blue Ocean Wireless, an Irish company focused on providing GSM
communication capability to the merchant maritime sector, and Inmarsat
(LSE:ISAT), the leading provider of global mobile satellite
communications, today announced their sponsorship of British
yachtsman, Tony Bullimore's attempt to break the solo round the world
sailing record.
Domhnal Slattery, Chairman of Blue Ocean Wireless commented, "We
are delighted to announce our sponsorship of Tony Bullimore in his
attempt to break the solo round the world sailing record in the Blue
Ocean Wireless Round the World Challenge."
He added, "Our commitment, at Blue Ocean Wireless, is to provide
seafarers and crews of merchant maritime vessels with the capability
to use their existing GSM handset in deep ocean water. Tony will be
sailing across the world's deepest oceans in the most remote
locations. Our service will provide Tony with access to a
satellite-enabled GSM network in these locations, connecting to the
Inmarsat services with a standard handset, for voice calls and SMS
messaging."
Robert Johnson, Director of Maritime Services for Inmarsat said,
"Inmarsat has championed the benefits of crew communications for many
years and, as a Master Mariner and someone about to embark on this
challenging record attempt, it will be very close to Tony's heart too.
We are pleased to join with Blue Ocean Wireless, who are developing
some truly innovative uses for Inmarsat services, in this exciting
sponsorship. We hope it not only raises our profile and that of Tony's
record attempt, but also sends a message about the positive impact on
morale that crew communications can offer."
Tony Bullimore commented "I am delighted to have the support of
both Blue Ocean Wireless and Inmarsat in my attempt to break the round
the world record. It will be a challenge and it is important to have
the most robust communications systems on-board. Knowing that I have
both access to the Inmarsat system and the Blue Ocean Wireless network
means that I can maintain contact with my support team throughout the
journey in any conditions and from any location."
Press Conference
Blue Ocean Wireless and Inmarsat are hosting a press conference to
launch Blue Ocean Wireless and host a live interview with Tony
Bullimore today, March 28, at 10.30am at the offices of Inmarsat plc,
99 City Road, London EC1Y 1AX. A live dial in facility for those
unable to attend is also available on +44 20 7138 0813.
Blue Ocean Wireless Round the World Challenge: The Course
Tony Bullimore is on stand-by to begin the Blue Ocean Wireless
Round the World Challenge to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo
non-stop around the world. From Tasmania, the 27,000 mile course will
take Bullimore straight down into the Southern Ocean where the
westerly winds in the Roaring Forty latitudes will slingshot him
across the first 5,000 mile stage to Cape Horn. He will then follow
the South American coast northwards to the Equator, from where he must
pick his way through the calms of the Doldrums and those associated
with the Azores high pressure system, to round the island of Flores
before returning southwards to the Cape of Good Hope.
Once in the Indian Ocean, the British yachtsman will rely on his
weather router to help him to avoid the worst of the Roaring Forty
winds that will speed him towards Cape Leuwin marking the Western tip
of Australia and past the point where Bullimore famously spent 5 dark
days capsized during the 1997/8 Vendee Globe Race. Once across the
Australian Bight, he must navigate his way around Bass Strait and back
to Hobart.
The course has been sanctioned by the World Sailing Speed Record
Council (www.sailspeedrecords.com) which will time Bullimore's start
and finish from Tasmania and monitor his progress around the world.
The distance is exactly the same as if he started from Ushant on the
north west tip of France where Dame Ellen Macarthur, the current
record holder began her 71 day, 14 hour, 18 minute voyage last year.
About Blue Ocean Wireless
Blue Ocean Wireless is an Irish company focused on expanding
communication capability in the merchant maritime sector. Blue Ocean
Wireless is a joint venture between private investment firm, Claret
Capital, and Irish technology communications company, Altobridge. Blue
Ocean Wireless will provide, for the first time, GSM connectivity for
seafarers in deep ocean water, where no other network exists, which
allows users to make and receive voice calls, send and receive SMS
text and email messages and browse the internet using their existing
handset. Blue Ocean Wireless' offering is based on Altobridge's unique
patent pending Aeronautical & Maritime Gateway Platform technology.
This technology can also be applied to Superyachts, other merchant
vessels and used, in conjunction with RFID technology, to track and
monitor shipping containers while they are in transit.
About Claret Capital
Claret Capital is a private investment firm based in Dublin,
Ireland and was founded by Domhnal Slattery in 2005. Claret Capital
manages the assets of a small number of ultra high net worth
individuals and families and has a global investment mandate. The firm
has completed investments in the Private Equity, Real Estate, Media
and Technology sectors. Claret Capital has also founded a number of
new ventures including JetBird, Europe's first low cost on demand
private jet airline. JetBird has ordered 100 aircraft from Embraer and
is the launch customer in Europe for the Phenom 100 very light jet.
About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc (LSE:ISAT) is the leading provider of global mobile
satellite communications. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing
reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments,
enterprises and other organisations, with a range of services that can
be used on land, at sea or in the air. The company's services are
delivered through a global network of over 500 partners, including the
world's leading telecoms groups, operating in 180 countries. For the
year ended 31 December 2006, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of
US$500.1 million.
About Tony Bullimore
Born in Rochford Essex in 1939, Tony Bullimore is one of the
world's best known yachtsmen. Tony's sailing career spans more than 4
decades and 400,000 racing miles, 90,000 of them covering tough
transatlantic races. He has won the Round Britain Race, The Round
Europe Race, and has twice scored class honours in transatlantic
races. He won his class in the Fastnet Race in England and the Rolex
Middle Sea Race in the Mediterranean, and recently came second in the
Oryx Quest 2005 non stop round the world race from Doha, the Gulf
State of Qatar.
