Tony Bullimore
Blue Ocean Wireless Solo Round the World Challenge

Dublin & London, 28 March 2007: Blue Ocean Wireless, an Irish company focused on providing GSM communication capability to the merchant maritime sector, and Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications, today announced their sponsorship of British yachtsman, Tony Bullimore’s attempt to break the solo round the world sailing record.

Domhnal Slattery, Chairman of Blue Ocean Wireless commented “We are delighted to announce our sponsorship of Tony Bullimore in his attempt to break the solo round the world sailing record in the Blue Ocean Wireless Round the World Challenge.

He added “Our commitment, at Blue Ocean Wireless, is to provide seafarers and crews of merchant maritime vessels with the capability to use their existing GSM handset in deep ocean water. Tony will be sailing across the world’s deepest oceans in the most remote locations. Our service will provide Tony with access to a satellite-enabled GSM network in these locations, connecting to the Inmarsat services with a standard handset, for voice calls and SMS messaging.”

Robert Johnson, Director of Maritime Services for Inmarsat, said “Inmarsat has championed the benefits of crew communications for many years and, as a Master Mariner and someone about to embark on this challenging record attempt, it will be very close to Tony’s heart too. We are pleased to join with Blue Ocean Wireless, who are developing some truly innovative uses for Inmarsat services, in this exciting sponsorship. We hope it not only raises our profile and that of Tony’s record attempt, but also sends a message about the positive impact on morale that crew communications can offer”.

Tony Bullimore commented “I am delighted to have the support of both Blue Ocean Wireless and Inmarsat in my attempt to break the round the world record. It will be a challenge and it is important to have the most robust communications systems on-board. Knowing that I have both access to the Inmarsat system and the Blue Ocean Wireless network means that I can maintain contact with my support team throughout the journey in any conditions and from any location.”

Press Conference
Blue Ocean Wireless and Inmarsat are hosting a press conference to launch Blue Ocean Wireless and host a live interview with Tony Bullimore today, March 28, at 10.30am at the offices of Inmarsat plc, 99 City Road, London EC1Y 1AX. A live dial in facility for those unable to attend is also available on +44 20 7138 0813.


Blue Ocean Wireless Round the World Challenge | The Course
Tony Bullimore is on stand-by to begin the Blue Ocean Wireless Round the World Challenge to break the 70 day barrier for sailing solo non-stop around the world.  From Tasmania, the 27,000 mile course will take Bullimore straight down into the Southern Ocean where the westerly winds in the Roaring Forty latitudes will slingshot him across the first 5,000 mile stage to Cape Horn. He will then follow the South American coast northwards to the Equator, from where he must pick his way through the calms of the Doldrums and those associated with the Azores high pressure system, to round the island of Flores before returning southwards to the Cape of Good Hope.

Once in the Indian Ocean, the British yachtsman will rely on his weather router to help him to avoid the worst of the Roaring Forty winds that will speed him  towards Cape Leuwin marking the Western tip of Australia and past the point where Bullimore famously spent 5 dark days capsized during the 1997/8 Vendee Globe Race. Once across the Australian Bight, he must navigate his way around Bass Strait and back to Hobart.

The course has been sanctioned by the World Sailing Speed Record Council (www.sailspeedrecords.com) which will time Bullimore's start and finish from Tasmania and monitor his progress around the world. The distance is exactly the same as if he started from Ushant on the north west tip of France where Dame Ellen Macarthur, the current record holder began her 71day 14hour 18 minute voyage last year.

Contacts

Blue Ocean Wireless	Inmarsat	Team Bullimore
Jonathan Neilan/Mark Kenny K Capital Source Tel:        +353 1  631 5500 Email:    This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it	John Warehand Inmarsat plc Tel:    +44 207 728 1579 Email:    This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it	Barry Pickthall PPL Tel:    +44 7768 395 719 Email:    This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

About Blue Ocean Wireless
Blue Ocean Wireless is an Irish company focused on expanding communication capability in the merchant maritime sector. Blue Ocean Wireless is a joint venture between private investment firm, Claret Capital, and Irish technology communications company, Altobridge. Blue Ocean Wireless will provide, for the first time, GSM connectivity for seafarers in deep ocean water, where no other network exists, which allows users to make and receive voice calls, send and receive SMS text and email messages and browse the internet using their existing handset. Blue Ocean Wireless’ offering is based on Altobridge’s unique patent pending Aeronautical & Maritime Gateway Platform technology. This technology can also be applied to Superyachts, other merchant vessels and used, in conjunction with RFID technology, to track and monitor shipping containers while they are in transit.

About Claret Capital
Claret Capital is a private investment firm based in Dublin, Ireland and was founded by Domhnal Slattery in 2005.  Claret Capital manages the assets of a small number of ultra high net worth individuals and families and has a global investment mandate.  The firm has completed investments in the Private Equity, Real Estate, Media and Technology sectors.  Claret Capital has also founded a number of new ventures including Jetbird, Europe's first low cost on demand private jet airline. JetBird has ordered 100 aircraft from Embraer and is the launch customer in Europe for the Phenom 100 very light jet.

About Inmarsat
Inmarsat plc (LSE:ISAT) is the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications. Since 1979, Inmarsat has been providing reliable voice and high-speed data communications to governments, enterprises and other organisations, with a range of services that can be used on land, at sea or in the air. The company's services are delivered through a global network of over 500 partners, including the world's leading telecoms groups, operating in 180 countries. For the year ended 31 December 2006, Inmarsat plc had total revenue of US$500.1 million.

About Tony Bullimore
Born in Rochford Essex in 1939, Tony Bullimore is one of the world’s best known yachtsmen. Tony’s sailing career spans more than 4 decades and 400,000 racing miles, 90,000 of them covering tough transatlantic races. He has won the Round Britain Race, The Round Europe Race, and has twice scored class honours in transatlantic races.  He won his class in the Fastnet Race in England and the Rolex Middle Sea Race in the Mediterranean, and recently came second in the Oryx Quest 2005 non stop round the world race from Doha, the Gulf State of Qatar.