Inmarsat in Volvo Ocean Race

An interesting article on how Inmarsat is helping out at the Volvo Ocean Race:

01-06-2009 - Rick Deppe is leading the charge to win the first overall Inmarsat Media Prize after filming dramatic footage in the Atlantic leg of the Volvo Ocean Race.
The videographer captured the tense moments when a rudder broke on the Puma's il mostro yacht and a crew member had to be lowered over the side on ropes to install a replacement.

The footage, relayed via Inmarsat's FleetBroadband service, together with other pictures of dolphins swimming alongside the yacht, led to Rick scooping the Inmarsat media prize for the seventh leg of the race.

Favourite for prize
He was presented with a trophy and 1,000 Euro prize (US$1,423) to the cheers of the rest il mostro's crew at a ceremony in Galway, Eire.
Rick has now won the media prize for three legs of the race - ahead of other media crew members Gustav Moran of Ericsson 3, who has won two, and Guy Salter on Ericsson 4 and Gabriel Olivo on Telefonica Blue, who have each won one.
With four legs to go he's now looks a favourite to scoop the final 10,000 Euro prize (US$14,229) purse for the onboard crew member who produces the best video, photos and written reports.

Global audience
Inmarsat - the official sponsor of satellite communications for the Volvo Ocean Race - is funding a total prize purse of 20,000 Euro (US$28,450).
It comprises of a series of 1,000 Euro awards for the various legs of the race, plus the final 10,000 Euro prize for the overall winner, which will be awarded in the Russian city of St Petersburg.

Rick was presented with his trophy and the1,000 Euro prize by Inmarsat's external communications manager John Warehand who said: "Jarring slams, resounding crunches, lost rudders, wipe-outs, torn sails and tactical frustration - the Atlantic was almost too small for the human experience on the leg to Galway.

"Each change and challenge has been mirrored by the media crew members, who have helped to build a global audience of almost 2 billion."

The next phase of the 37,000-mile nine-month race will be a short 1,250-nautical-mile sprint from Galway to Marstrand, Sweden, starting on 14 June.

Source: Volvo Ocean Race, Inmarsat