race tracking

[co256]

Hello Jesters

Wondered how many of you used Ocean Race Track for the JC and or the JAC? Did you buy their tracking package or use other means?

Also considering the Motorola Iridium??

Your thoughts please???

 

[TonyMills]

Hi,

The question is not directed to me in my hemisphere, but!.

A number of cruising boats associated with Fremantle sailing club use a tracking site and can be located all over the world.

When I cross the Indian Ocean later this year I am not expecting to use a tracking service but will use an Iridium satelite phone. This should give me daily weather (grib) updates and enable me to contact a weather routing service. I also intend to send regular position and circumstance updates to a web site covering my trip (yet to be established).

The Iridium does not have very fast download speeds but using email servers (such as sailnet) who provide a compression service it enables Gribs and other text based emails to work. They also have the only (Ithink) worldwide coverage.

Regards
TonyM

 

[andlauer]

Bonjour

For the JC, I was the only one to use the Ocean Race Track devices. A few others had Iridium onboard and positions were hand entered in the Ocean Race Track system.

For the JAC, no one had the Ocean Race Track devices. All positions were hand entered. Some skippers used Spot systems, others, I think, were using Iridium. Most of the data were provided or collected by undirect ways (emails, web sites...)

Martin, from Ocean Race Track, was working on the automatic incorporation of the Spot data from an Email. I don't know if it works now days.

I was in contact with Martin, a few days ago. The now available Ocean Race Track devices are more expensive more sofisticated and dedicated to more intensive uses. There is only one "more afordable" device (the one that is on Sterenn) still available.
Eric

 

[co256]

Thank you et merci

It does look as though Iridium is the way to go considering it's flexibility of use and portability.