For fans of adventure sports and offshore sailing, following the drama of a race in real time from thousands of kilometres away has always demanded a degree of imagination. A new technology platform called OnboardLive© is changing that, making it possible to watch broadcast-quality, high-definition live footage from competing vessels even when they are in the most remote stretches of open ocean.
The system is currently undergoing a trial during the ongoing edition of The Ocean Race Europe, a high-stakes offshore race featuring seven foiling IMOCA class boats, widely regarded as the world's fastest monohull sailing vessels. The first live broadcast using OnboardLive© aired on Eurosport 1, Discovery+ and HBO Max, covering the start of Leg 1 of The Ocean Race Europe in Kiel, Germany.
The setup aboard each competing vessel is substantial. All seven boats carry four high-definition cameras along with separate microphones positioned to capture both footage and conversation from carbon fibre hulls travelling at speeds in excess of 30 knots. That audio and video feed connects directly to a powerful satellite communications system, relaying everything back to a dedicated technology control room at The Ocean Race headquarters in Alicante, Spain. Authorised personnel there manage all seven simultaneous streams and monitor the integrity of the feeds from every crew onboard.
Fixed cameras and audio equipment are permanently installed on each vessel, and the combination of advanced connectivity and satellite technology allows the control room in Alicante to maintain a live window into each boat at any hour, delivering broadcast-standard quality continuously around the clock regardless of how far the boats have sailed from land.
Richard Brisius, Race Chairman of The Ocean Race, spoke to the significance of the development: "Today is an important day for fans of adventure sports and offshore sailing. Through innovative use of the latest developments in multiple technologies we can now follow ocean racing from the most remote spots on the planet almost as if we were onboard ourselves, which opens up completely new ways to share the story of life on board during racing."
Brisius also acknowledged that the work is far from finished: "At The Ocean Race we are proud to continue to lead the way in technology and the audio/visual development in how ocean racing is experienced. OnboardLive© is still in a trial phase, right now the ocean is our technology lab as we continue to develop the storytelling potential of the new systems."
Streams from the OnboardLive© trial are scheduled to be shown on race days throughout the final offshore leg of The Ocean Race Europe, giving audiences a way to follow the fleet that simply was not possible before.
