SSBs? Sextants? Slide Rules?

I've been asked what I'm using in the way of onboard
computer, software and communication technologies. This post is for the tech-heads out there. You know who you are.

Computers? We have five of'em.

Navigation Station: There are 2 Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 computers in my nav station. I interface both of them through a USB mouse and keyboard. On the left-side machine I run Expedition software (www.iexpedition.org) exclusively. Expedition is my software of choice for performance analysis, navigation, weather routing and competitor tracking. The right-side computer is configured for messaging, writing this blog, reviewing weather charts and satellite imagery, refining sail charts, logging sail hour usage, and interfacing the media desk. I also run Expedition in the background on the right-side computer. Left and right are tied together via our onboard network. In case of a failure, the computers are set up identically, making either capable of running the entire system.

Media desk: 2 Apple computers. This is an incredible system that is provided by Volvo. The desk is a complete IT system that controls our onboard cameras and enables our media man, Sander, to edit video and audio. It controls our satellite broadband connection and allows me to download our weather packages from Volvo. The physical size of the 'box' that contains this hardware is 2 x 1 x .2 meters. One of the Mac books is embedded in the media desk and controls the media system. The other sits on top of the media desk for Sander to edit video and to interface the Media Desk.

The 'data computer': This is a custom piece of Volvo-provided hardware that's about the size of a brick. This computer interfaces an output from our instrument system to send all of our boat's data to Race HQ, for monitoring and for competitor tracking on the event website volvooceanrace.org.

Instruments: We are running a new B&G H3000 processor in the boat's legacy H2000 infrastructure. We have 2 GPS sources that are immediately swappable as inputs into the B&G system. In case of a B&G system failure, a GPS NMEA feed is available to either computer via a simple software switch. Thus if we lose our instruments, my navigation capabilities are not affected. We have redundant boat speed, wind wands and heading sources that can be exchanged by a series of switches on our instrument panel.

Communication: Thrane & Thrane, a partner of the Volvo Ocean Race, supplied each boat with an extensive communication system that includes the following hardware::

2 Sat C's:
One is a messaging terminal. Through Easy Mail software on my right computer I can send or receive messages from other boats or race HQ. The other Sat C specifically sends data from our 'Volvo' data computer to Race HQ for tracing, safety management and use for online spectating on the event web site. Both are interfaced to our GPS system and capable of sending distress signals at the push of a button.

VHF and SSB
A you'd expect we monitor channel 16 on the VHF. If all goes well, I won't need our SSB and will probably never power it on.

I'm new school; I don't know how SSB's, sextants or slide rules work.

Fleet 500:
This is our broadband satellite communication system. We use it to download weather data and to send HD video, photos and audio clips back to Volvo. Daily, we push about 350 MB through its pipe. It also acts as our alternate sat phone option.

Fleet 33:
This is our primary satellite phone communication tool. It also serves as a data backup in case of a Fleet 500 failure.

Handhelds:
We carry hand held VHF, Iridium sat phone and GPS on board for use in emergency. Also every crew member has been issued a personal GPS-enabled EPIRB.

Gosh, I hope that covers it.

Matt out

Editor's note: Puma grabbed the lead today and has been running an indicated 20 miles or so ahead of Ericssons 4 and 3. According to the technology, Matt's hopes of yesterday, to leverage into fourth ahead of Green Dragons, has come up short, but only by 15-16 miles. The gain was big. Team Russia skipper Andreas Hanakamp writes, "No real passing lanes so far, except for Delta Lloyd. They played the Capes of Africa perfectly and gained with every move."

Volvo interviewed Matt about setting up for the doldrums. You can find the link if you CLICK HERE.