Information can already be uploaded to the Internet during the competition. Photo: Volvo Ocean Race

The regatists of the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) are going to be able to send updates of the social networks directly from the oceans for the first time in 2017- 18, after a change in the regulation of the race and a technical development that opens up to the outside a race that has always avoided access to the Internet on board the barcos.It may seem very normal today - but historically the Volvo Ocean Race has expressly prohibited access to the Internet on board to ensure competitive equality and thus discard any potential aid from the ground. However, by using a new tailor-made platform, which is still developing internally, the race will provide the regatists with a 'crew communicator ' (crew communicator) that will allow you to transmit updates in a unique sense both through your own social networks and through those of the teams.

"These are very exciting news for the race fans, who can access more content than ever live and raw from the ships""said the general director of the race, Mark Turner."The Volvo Ocean Race is unique in ocean races, where there is an Internet lock - ships only have access to controlled emails and weather data provided by the Central Bureau of the Regata". Mark Turner added: "The rules on the access to the Internet on board are to ensure that there is no way that a crew can receive external help, and while the bar has risen in terms of sports credibility, the disadvantage is that in the past it blocked some regatists in sharing their history.".

And, because of the unique magnitude of the race, which visits some of the most remote areas of the planet, designing a device capable of supporting its conditions has proved to be a real challenge."We have to develop the devices and implement the entry routes that allow our regatists to avoid the existing safety firewalls on board, but only for this purpose, to share directly from a portable device", Turner explained.

Communication is made in one sense, which means that the regatists who use the 'crew communicator ' they will not be able to receive answers while at sea, although an email will be sent to them at the end of each day with statistics on the impact of their communications."The stories that arise in this race are impressive, and so far we have not been able to make much of those that happen on the ships.", explained the director of operations of the Volvo Ocean Race, Richard Mason, who competed four times in the race between 2001 and 2012.

"The 'crew communicator' is going to be a fantastic method for fans to follow it more individually, and learn more about the characters of the race - not only the pattern, but the bow, the trimer and each of the crew". And Mason, who was also the head of Team SCA's ground team in the 2014-15 edition, believes that the public will be captivated by day-to-day on board the Volvo Ocean 65."You just have to see programs like 'The Deadliest Catch' - people get hypnotized watching a group of fishermen work in the sea of Barents taking out crabs"He went on. "Everyone sees it, including myself, and I know that the stories that arise in the Volvo Ocean Race are at least as irresistible".

The race director, Phil Lawrence, spoke about the need to innovate and tell the history of the teams, while ensuring that the competition is not compromised."We are excited to have raw content from ships that pass to public domain as quickly as possible, and this technology allows us to manage this process in the right way", he explained."It is not only important to launch it in open - the crews are competing with their ships around the planet, and the last thing we would want is to make it possible for a group of meteorologists sitting in an office anywhere in Europe to make decisions that should be made on board.". Lawrence added: "It is a fine balance between protecting sports integrity, while making sure that everyone can join what promises to be an exciting adventure in 2017- 18. I think the concept of 'crew communicator' is a great step towards finding that balance."