Thrane & Thrane A/S is the proud sponsor of satellite and radio communications equipment.

As a result of the sponsorship all participating boats in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 will benefit from a complete range of advanced SAILOR® communications equipment on board, enabling reliable global communication and enhancing the daily safety at sea.

Every boat will be equipped with Thrane & Thrane's SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband, SAILOR 33 Fleet, two SAILOR Inmarsat-C GMDSSs, SAILOR VHFs and 150W SSB radios. In addition, all Volvo Ocean Race officials and race umpires will carry SAILOR waterproof portable VHF scrambler radios for secure and confident communication during in-port races and race starts.

The Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 is set to be one of the most watched sporting events in history and with millions of avid fans eager to tune into the action as it unfolds, the sophisticated new SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband will play a vital role. It will deliver HDTV, live audio and video footage to the Volvo Ocean Race headquarters from every boat, which will become the main window to the race for the watching world, be it on TV or through internet broadcasts.

This will be the first time that broadband communication has been available for a major ocean race and with data rates up to 432 kbps, SAILOR 500 FleetBroadband can handle large video files and live link-ups with ease, so expect the on water coverage to be better than anything you’ve seen before.

Other essential applications such as crew e-mail, voice calling and safety communication are taken care of by SAILOR Fleet 33, two SAILOR Inmarsat-C GMDSSs, SAILOR VHFs and 150W SSB radios. Thrane & Thrane designs and builds SAILOR products for extreme environments so crews and organisers alike can be confident of the reliability of these critical systems even when the going gets tough

Thrane & Thrane is the world’s leading manufacturer of equipment and systems for global mobile communication based on sophisticated satellite and radio technology. Since its incorporation in 1981, the company has established a strong position within global mobile communication solutions based on the Inmarsat system, and today Thrane & Thrane provides equipment for maritime, land-based and aeronautical use. The company’s products are sold throughout the world under the brands Thrane & Thrane, EXPLORER and SAILOR through distributors and partners and as OEM products. Thrane & Thrane has approximately 650 employees and is listed on OMX the Nordic Exchange in Copenhagen.

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