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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