Volvo Ocean Race is HD Ready

Volvo Ocean Race is HD Ready

PORTSMOUTH, England, June 7/PRNewswire/ -- The Volvo Ocean Race continues to push the technological boundaries with the ground-breaking decision to introduce high definition television (HDTV) feeds as part of its broadcast coverage for the 2008-09 event.

The result will mean enhanced picture quality and an opportunity to engage world-wide broadcasters looking to fill their schedules with HDTV material.

The Volvo Ocean Race 2005-06 attracted a cumulative global television audience of 1.8 billion. According to Harold Anderson, Executive Producer of the Volvo Ocean Race, the advent of HDTV will swell that number as HDTV broadcasters seek compelling content.

"As more and more broadcasters around the world push for more high definition product this decision will ensure that the weekly programmes covering the race will be much sought after," Anderson said.

"We are already getting plenty of interest as a result. The pictures from the race, always dramatic and compelling, will be greatly enhanced by high definition."

With the Olympic Games and Formula One recently announcing that HD is part of their broadcast plans, the Volvo Ocean Race will be in esteemed company. Andrew Ferguson, Head of Technology and New Media, says that a switch to HD elevates the race to the "early-adopter" league of global sports.

"What will set us apart from other sports events is that all of our footage will be HD quality even the material we collect and transmit from our on-board cameras from the depths of the Southern Ocean," Ferguson said.

"In a sports arena which spans 39,000 nautical miles and where not just the athletes but also the on-board equipment is at the mercy of the elements 24 hours a day, that is some achievement."

The 2008-09 event will be the 10th running of this ocean marathon. Starting from Alicante in Spain, it will for the first time, take in ports in Asia. Spanning some 39,000 nautical miles, stopping at around 11 ports and taking nine months to complete, the Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier yacht race for professional racing crews.

Full press information can be read and downloaded from: http://press.volvooceanrace.org

Source: Volvo Ocean Race

For further media information on the Volvo Ocean Race, please contact: Lizzie (Green) Ward, Tel: +44-1489-554-832, Mob: +44-7801-185-320, Email: lizzie.ward@volvooceanrace.org; Images: Image Archive http://media.vemuk.com, Sarah Marriott, Picture Desk Manager, Email: images@volvooceanrace.org, Tel: +44-1489-554-856, Mob: +44-7866-508-346

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Profile: International Entertainment