WWW Whitbread Org/Book: 1997-1998 round the World Race Book

The Internet has proven to be most effective when it allows us to feel the power of connections, to reach halfway around the world in real time and be a part of activities that would otherwise be impossible to experience. When the medium uses telecommunication technologies to accomplish more than simple conversation, it breaks down the barriers between vicarious experience and actual participation.In 1997, Quokka Sports initiated Internet-based coverage of the Whitbread Round The World Race for the Volvo Trophy. This groundbreaking project was the first public application of Total Sports Immersion--Quokka's proprietary techniques and technologies for bringing people closer to athletes and athletic pursuits. TSI enhances the coverage of sporting events, combining their elements into compelling digitally based experiences.The Whitbread pitted the best sailors in the world, equipped with some of the best boats ever designed, against the worst nature had to offer. Ten boats. Ten teams. Over 100 men and women challenging each other at sea for 32,000 nautical miles. There has simply never been another race in the world like it.On the site, the Whitbread sailors' achievements were chronicled in their daily emails, transmitted from the far reaches of the globe. Their stories were supported by a wide range of 'digital assets,' including video, telemetry, charts and weather information--key components of the event's nine months of live coverage. For the first time, fans were offered a chance to enter the at-sea life of global competitors.Although just the first step in Quokka's quest to "change the way the world experiences sports," the Whitbread race coverage shows a clear path to a new dimension of immersive experiences. This book is a record of that step.Read More