Communications and safety specialist sponsors 16-man team with rescueME MOB1s for famous Boxing Day event
Each crew member of the yacht will be equipped with one of Ocean Signal’s compact Man Overboard locating units when Australia’s most famous ocean race starts from Sydney Harbour at 1pm on Boxing Day.
As the world’s most advanced Man Overboard locating device incorporating both AIS and DSC technologies, the rescueME MOB1 will provide the elite sailors with two methods of communicating back to the vessel if they fall into the water plus visual indication due to the integrated strobe light. The crew will also be able to integrate the device, which is 30% smaller than similar devices, into their life jackets so that it will not impede their movement during the race.
Triton, owned by David Gotze with Michael Cranitch, is the former Vanguard, a Lyons 60, which was built in 2004 and has been successfully campaigned in Sydney Harbour regattas and has competed successfully in Ocean races since.
Triton’s Jack Goluzd said: “Safety is paramount when competing in a race such as the Sydney Hobart so we are very pleased that all our crew will be equipped with the Ocean Signal rescueME MOB1s. We feel that these devices provide the best chance of rescue in the event of a crew member falling overboard.
Goluzd, having spent more than 40 minutes overboard in a yacht race off Sydney prior to the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race, welcomed any devices and initiatives designed to improve crew safety. He added: “This is a significant improvement on what was available back then and will be reassuring for crew and their families. Since the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart race there have been many changes around crew safety and continuous improvement in safety devices and this device sounds exciting!”
Organised by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with the co-operation of Royal Yacht club of Tasmania, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has led the way in race communications and sea safety, maintaining the highest standards of yacht construction, rigging and stability for ocean racing yachts.
The rescueME MOB1s for Triton are being supplied by Ocean Signal’s Australian distributor All Sat Communications.
“We are very pleased to be providing the MOB1s for Triton,” commented All Sat Communications manager Ian Veitch. “Several crew members on other boats competing in the race have also chosen to use the rescueME PLBs and MOBs, so it is great to be contributing towards the safety of the competitors.”
Measuring just 134mm (height) by 38mm (width) by 27mm (depth) and weighing 90g, the rescueMOB1 can be pre-armed quickly and the activation tape then connected and placed around the deflated bladder of the life jacket. It is automatically triggered in the event of a man overboard situation, sending the first alert within 15 seconds. Once the MOB1 is activated, it transmits an alert to all AIS receivers and AIS-enabled plotters in the vicinity as well as activating the DSC alarm on the vessel’s VHF radio to alert fellow crew members.
James Hewitt, Ocean Signal Sales and Marketing Manager, added: “We are honoured to sponsor the Triton crew and to be involved with this year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race which has such as great history and impressive reputation for its high safety standards.
“We are confident that our rescueME MOB1, which combines multiple technologies in both AIS and DSC, will provide the crew with the best chance of rapid rescue should the worst happen and a crew member falls overboard. In any man overboard situation, the immediate priority is to ensure that fellow crew members on the vessel are aware of the emergency. The unobtrusive and compact design will allow the crew to attach the MOB1 to their lifejackets so that can have it to hand at all times.”
The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht race covers 628nm and first started in 1945. It has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, attracting huge media coverage. With teams from 28 nations competing, the ultimate goal is to win the Tattersall’s Cup trophy and take home the engraved Rolex timepiece that will be awarded to the race’s overall winner. Wild Oats XI currently holds the race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds. For more information, visit www.rolexsydneyhobart.com.
For more information on Ocean Signal’s range of products, visit the website at www.oceansignal.com or www.allsat.com.au.