We started operations in 1996 with the Benetton Formula One team at Silverstone, UK providing 'to the minute' accuracy on weather information to Race Team Manager Pat Symonds. From there, we were invited to join the McLaren F1 team in their championship winning years (97/98) and since then operating on behalf of another major F1 team at all the European Grands Prix. Other major events include Wimbledon, 24h du Le Mans, selected tarmac stages of the World Rally Championship, and, from 2001, the Arena di Verona (lasting 78 days, it is the biggest open air opera event in the world). Other areas of operation planned to include events such as major open air concerts, horse races, cricket matches and selected golf tournaments.
RaceMet also diversified into 'risk management' for farmers providing full weather monitoring systems to a farming conglomerate on the High Velt in South Africa. The area is traditionally plagued by intense hail storms between September and November and high value crops were previously devastated by the adverse weather with hailstones up to 20mm. Now the Farmers can take preventative measures with acetylene compressors (creating massive shockwaves which breaks up the ice before it damages the crops). To quote one of the farmers, his was 'the only farm in the whole of the area in South Africa not damaged; and for that period he controlled all the lettuce supplies for the country.'(Martin Koppenol - El Dorado Farms, Tarlton R.S.A.). Amusingly, the first time they used the compressors the South African Army believed they had come under some sort of attack and were on the brink of launching a counter offensive (the compressors are anything but quiet!)
RaceMet continues to operate independantly of any national or international meteorological organisations, and is the only operation of its kind to actually locate the equipment alongside the customer at each of the events. Fully equipped with UHF radios, UHF modems, Satellite telephone, e-mail and GSM telephones, communications are well catered for. RaceMet's main radar equipment is modified to meet the exacting standards of B.B.C. Outside Broadcast, providing an output via a fibre optic link with full scan conversion to PAL or NTSC format (either for display repeaters or broadcast purposes).
In addition to the mobile units, from 2002 RaceMet Radar Systems will operate a continuously updated weather monitoring base from its offices in Marlow in England. Not all events need the full radar system and contracting customers will be permitted to access the information pertinent to their particular event.
At RaceMet, we believe that a demonstration of our capabilities to a potential customer is probably the best and only way forward, and as little as ten minutes of demonstration actually sitting in front of the equipment and the various display screens is invariably enough to convince anybody. We do not control the weather, so we cannot guarantee any rain during a demonstration, but to quote the Daily Telegraph at Wimbledon 99 "It will only rain when I say so!". This was really printed but what the operator had actually said was "There's no rain for the moment and I'll call you when it's going to rain" Close?
RaceMet Radar Systems
