Showcase
Rolex Fastnet Race 2023
Client
Royal Ocean Racing Club
Viewers
350,000+
Equipment
Two OB Vans + 15 Cameras
Team
22 Crew On-Site
The Project
“We cannot express how impressed we are with the entire production. From start to finish, it was an unforgettable experience.”
We have worked with the premier organiser of offshore racing, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, as their live streaming provider for the past two years. Their brief was to take their fairly sedate sport and modernise the coverage with a fresh look and feel and after working on previous races with them, were commissioned to cover the start of the special 50th edition of their iconic Rolex Fastnet Race.
First raced in 1925, the Rolex Fastnet Race is steeped in history, and this needed to be reflected in the broadcast, while meeting the challenge of covering an ocean race with over 400 competitors and multiple starts.
Viewer numbers and feedback were overwhelmingly positive, with coverage of the Rolex Fastnet Race reaching a worldwide audience, over 350,000 viewers and 2.5 million impressions.
Highlights of the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Broadcast
We produced a 30-minute pre show build up programme, providing professional presenters & pundits to set the scene of the race, from a specially built studio overlooking the start line.
Our team wrote, produced and directed a cinematic video that documented the 98 year history of the race, created bespoke animations to explain the course and weather conditions, and produced multiple interviews with key figures that could be played throughout coverage. Two commentators were dispatched to the water, providing ‘on the water’ updated from a boat in the middle of the start area.
15 cameras covered the start, including two cameras on the water, a helicopter, drone and at the key landmark of Hurst Castle - 10 nautical miles away from the production base. A specially built graphics package illustrated key moments in race to viewers, with over 400 individual boat statistic graphics, countdowns graphics, weather information and live replays built.
The Solution
Beginning of live broadcast coverage
Client Feedback
“We cannot express how impressed we are with the entire production. From start to finish, it was an unforgettable experience. Working side-by-side along the whole process, from concept to live output, your ability to convey the excitement and significance of the event through a screen was remarkable.
You listened to our requests and suggestions and guided us around the minutiae of the technicalities of creating, branding and producing a stand-out 2 hour 35 minute-long live show that held and captivated the audience.
Your attention to detail in creating a digital experience that closely mirrored the in-person event was evident in every aspect of the live stream. Your team threw themselves into finding out about the intricacies of what’s involved in yacht racing and how best to produce a well-balanced and informative live show that pleased both the race sponsor, The Royal Ocean Racing Club, and of course, the race fans who would be tuning in from far and wide around the globe.
A difficult task, highly accomplished by Optical Media due to their dedication and determination to create the very best coverage they could”
Trish Jenkins
Chief Press Officer, Royal Ocean Racing Club
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