The Volvo Ocean Race this week launched an app making the world’s premier round the world yacht race easier to follow than ever before. as it heads for Ireland.
The free app, for iOS and Android, makes it simpler than ever for fans to keep tabs on their favourite teams as they race 39,000 nautical miles around the planet via a customised race tracker, powered with the same data that comes into the state-of-the-art Race Control room in Alicante, Spain, from where the fleet is tracked 24 hours a day.
The race tracker provides the latest data including exact positions, boat speed, direction and weather conditions – so you can stay informed on the race no matter where in the world you are or what you are doing. You can also replay legs and find all you need to know about the race’s 10 Host Ports.
Developed by BeTomorrow, a leading company in innovative online services, the app transports fans to the heart of the Volvo Ocean Race action through multimedia geo-content including video, audio and text updates from the boats. Users can also stay up-to-date with the latest scores from the In-Port Races as well as the nine offshore legs.
Jordi Neves, the Volvo Ocean Race’s Director of Technology, said: “We now consume content on the move more than ever and our objective is to allow fans to follow the race no matter where they are.
“Mobile platforms are key to engage new audience into this exciting race. We have put a considerable effort to provide a free app with all the data you can get out of the boat.
“The app is one of the many ways you can follow the Volvo Ocean Race and we hope through using it fans will feel closer to the action than ever before.”
More than 16,000 people downloaded the race’s iPhone app during the 2008-09 edition – over three installs for every hour of the nine-month race. Through the app, which also has an iPad version, fans can stay tuned in to all the action from the start of Leg 1 of the 2011-12 edition, which kicks off in Alicante on Saturday, November 5.
