RACING
Racing
Satellite
Communication
Equipment
China Sea Race
2014
CHINA CTTIC (HK) CO LTD explain how satellite phones, aside
from potentially saving your life at sea, can also help you stay
connected by using WIFI data sharing functionality.
In previous years, Satellite phones were rightly considered
expensive and almost exclusively reserved for use by armies,
governments, large corporations and shipping companies.
More recently, however, in Hong Kong and worldwide the fees
for satellite phone usage has decreased significantly and they
have consequently enjoyed much wider adoption among the
general public. Satellite phones have diverse applications: from
social calls, to business calls and they have been used to help
save lives in emergencies.
Many people, historically, simply rely on GSM mobile devices
for communication when at sea, however, as every sailor
knows, there are many possibilities after they leave the shore
that may render such devices useless. These include bad
weather, atmospheric conditions, deviation from intended route
and distances from stations. These may result in GSM mobile
devices signal loss. Moreover, those embarking on long-distance
trips lasting several days or weeks—such as competitors
Preparing your boat and the crew for offshore racing these days
can be a daunting task. However, it is important to be ready for
the potentially hostile and challenging conditions that can occur
in the northern part of the South China Sea at Easter time.
How often have we heard ‘never again’ during the first black
night, in 30 knots and sizeable seas? Well, the 27th Rolex China
Sea Race didn’t live up to reputation in this regard, instead the
crews were treated to pretty much shorts and T-shirts, indeed
‘champagne sailing’ all the way.
It was a strong fleet of 34 boats that set off from the start
line in Victoria Harbour in a gentle less-than-10-knot breeze.
International entries included Syd Fisher’s Ragamuffin 90 (with
Ju