YB Tracking equipment was once again used to track the Rebelle Rally standings in real time as the event progressed in October 2019.
From October 10th -19th, the Nevada and California desert played host to the Rebelle Rally – an all-woman event for “women who share your adventurous and competitive spirit”. The event sees teams navigating their way through various landscapes and challenging terrain to collect checkpoints across the American West using only traditional navigation techniques.
Teams have all electronic devices confiscated and are only equipped with two YB tracking devices and an Iridium satellite phone. One of the trackers is strapped to the outside of the vehicle and is used to send regular location updates back to Control so that they can be displayed on the website allowing people to follow the teams' progress.
The teams have the other tracker in their hand and use the manual position functionality to mark checkpoints with the aim of turning them into points. Points are awarded if the teams correctly identify the checkpoint’s location or, depending on the difficulty, are within a certain radius. The Iridium satellite phone is supplied as a safety net should any emergencies arise.
There were a variety of ways spectators could follow the Rebelle Rally through tracking technology. A dedicated section of the Rebelle Rally website - https://www.rebellerally.com/live-tracking/ - provided up-to-the-second positions of competitors on course.
These were provided by YB Tracking and could also be accessed via the YB Tracking apps on both Apple and Android systems. The tracking information was overlaid on a Mapbox framework that displayed points of interest and check point (CP) locations.
In recent years, YB Tracking has taken the technology that allowed it to be the world’s largest offshore yacht tracking provider and applied it to the off-grid motorsport market. The Rebelle Rally showcases this technology in this exact environment and is a brilliant example of how this innovative technology can be used.
“At the Rebelle Rally, our competition is absolutely dependent upon accurate data, as our whole scoring platform is built upon it and it is the backbone of safety. We knew we had to have the most reliable solution, and we chose YB Tracking for a number of reasons. The hardware is extremely durable, the app and interface is easy to use and the YB team are always looking for new ways to use their tech. Most importantly, the customer service is exceptional. The team at YB Tracking are the most proactive and have worked hand in hand with us to create the unique Rebelle platform of scoring that is enabled by using their service and product. When it comes to extreme challenges reliant on GPS tracking services, YB must be on your radar.” - Emily Miller, Rebelle Rally Event Director
Iridium Chief Operating Officer, Suzi McBride was in attendance on the last day. On Twitter she said: “So exciting to watch these amazing women challenge themselves and finish the 8 days Rebelle Rally using using maps, compass, and roadbook. Impressive!!! Iridium products and partners helping track competitors and communicate!”. Suzi commented that she was proud to see Iridium in use and she has been inspired to potentially do the course herself some day.
Find out more at https://www.rebellerally.com/.