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Welcome to 'messages to Race Organisers' |
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| Message Since having done a solo circumnavigation and a few other races i.e Cape to Rio, Sydney-Hobart and Whitbread, it is great to see we can follow the race over the Net. Good luck to everyone involved and hope to see more races on the Net. Am busy crossing the dateline at 18 degrees 26' 54'' S at 0400 GMT. See ya all later. Hein Mulder, New Zealand. |
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| Message I was on MCI when she was in NY during the US promotion tour and had a grand time. My wife and I spent a most enjoyable day sailing the Hudson River with your marvellous crew. They are great ambassadors for the UK, BT (MCI) and sailing. Isaac Hassoun, NY, USA |
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| Message To Greg & Jules...Thank you for the hospitality extended to us on the Odessey Sunday...Gratefully, it was a clean start...Got back to the CYC shortly after Pegasus arrived home...Hope your return home went well also...Look forward to see you before the year 2000...regards, John & Nancy, CYCRC (tbkcos@shore.net) |
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| Message Congratulations to you, Sir Chay Blyth. We are all very proud of you and your many achievements. All the best, Colin & Myrtle Hughes, Australia. |
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| Message I was glued to the TV watching the recent documentary update and I would like to ask how the race is funded and what percentage comes from the yachts' named sponsors? Do the crews pay for their own passages and how are they selected?
Andrew Leyland |
Response The funding comes from four different sources, BT who take the name of the Race, each Yacht Sponsor, Business Club Members (fourteen per yacht) and Crew Volunteers themselves. I regret that the percentages that each of the above contribute towards the overall cost of the Race are not for public information. The Crew Volunteers who are undertaking the Race do have to pay for their berths. Those completing the whole trip pay £18,750. Legs from port to port come in at different prices. Each Crew Volunteer is individually interviewed by Chay Blyth prior to acceptance for the Race and they then have to undergo a training programme with us. The whole process takes about four years. This allows people time to pay for their berths as well as develop the skills to sail around the World against the prevailing winds and currents. Many of those currently competing had not set foot on board a yacht prior to signing on for the Race. The core Crew who are competing now signed on in 1993 and, for example, we are currently recruiting Crew Volunteers for our next Race, scheduled for 2000 - 2001.
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If you have any further enquiries, please contact us directly on:
101372.150@CompuServe.com
If you would like a brochure about joining as a Crew Volunteer for the next Race call: The schedule of BBC Documentaries is with 'pictures and press', 'television and radio' on the BT Global Challenge website.
Helen Wybrow |
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| Message What system do you use for timing the races? |
Response The race legs are timed using bespoke software written for the BT Global Challenge by the Research Team at BT Labs Martlesham. The software runs on networked Pentium Pcs under Windows 95 and communicates with the racing yachts through an X25 pad, Ground Earth Stations in the UK, Scandinavia and Singapore (depending on where the yachts are), Inmarsat C satellites and Thrane & Thrane Satcom C terminals running Capsat software on the yachts. The BT Global Challenge Race Results System software is programmed for
the start of a race leg and by polling the yachts, their latitude, longitude,
speed and course steered can be ascertained, thus an elapsed time and a
projected time to the finish of the leg can be determined. All leg times
and thus combined times are subject to ratification by the Race Committee
and are also subject to redress or penalties imposed on the yachts by the
International Race Jury. |
| Message Following the race with great interest from Eagle Harbour, Michigan, a remote hamlet of 20 some souls on the tip of Lake Superior's Keweenaw Peninsula. Fourty plus knot gales, 40 degree F water temperature, over 30 feet of snow and lots of lake ice are the winter norm here so the reports from the Horn will be of special interest. Thanks for this page. I pray for the safety of the crews. George Hite |
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| Message What are the rules governing the repair of equipment at sea and at stopovers (scheduled or otherwise)? Thanks. Michael Bush |
Response Each yacht is issued with specific spares prior to the start of the race. It is the responsibility of the skipper and crew to continually maintain and repair the yacht during the race. Should anything unexpected break on the yachts during the race, the skipper and crew of that yacht will repair the equipment as best they can with what equipment/spares are on board. The skipper will notify the Race Office of the damage immediately, who in turn will notify the Challenge Business. Once the yacht reaches the port of call, The Challenge Business will repair/replace the broken equipment. If the yacht needs to change her course for another destination, The Challenge Business will arrange for the spares (if not available locally) to be sent to the new destination as soon as possible. The Challenge Business |
| Message I am 17 and have just returned from Australia where I sailed from Darwin-Fremantle (2500nm) on the Ocean Youth Clubs World Voyage, the British Steel challenge inspired me to go on my trip and I was wondering if the challenge business is going to run another round the world race and if so how could I find more information about getting involved in it? Chris Knights |
Response The Challenge Business are running another race of this kind in the Year 2000. For more information call: Trepen House, Menheniot, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 3PN, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1579 348387 Fax. +44 (0) 1579347255 |
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