Gossip

Sony Clie stars on Ellen MacArthur's boat

The bad news is that the Doldrums - no wind - has slowed Kingfisher2 in its race to be fastest around the world. The good news, MacArthur reports from just South of the Equator, is that the Sony Clie handheld computers are working just fine ...

Sony is providing IT and digital imaging equipment for the Kingfisher2 racing catamaran, which is accepting the Jules Verne challenge.

The Sony equipment isn't just creating a wireless network on board for the first time, but is also there to display all the digital information the crew needs to attempt to break the current 64 day non-stop round the world Jules Verne record and enable it to remain in contact with its UK base, families, supporters and the media at all times, it says here.

The mail, from today's bulletin, is rather more fullsome!

* SONY PRODUCTS go down a storm on board KINGFISHER2 - "Several times I have made the journey from one hull to the other and seen 5 or 6 Sony Clie's in action in one go - they are absolutely perfect for what we are doing here, private and functional," Ellen MacArthur ... .

and

* SONY provided each crew with the new SONY CLIE handheld before they departed on KINGFISHER2's non-stop round the world Jules Verne record attempt so the crew could send emails, listen to music or even watch videos in the comfort of their own bunks!

and even a grocer-apostrophe!

* The SONY CLIE's operate using Wireless LAN technology - the first time this system has been utilised on board a racing boat ...

* SONY have also provided IT and digital imaging equipment including VAIO notebooks and DV cameras with custom-made waterproof housing.

"Going down a storm." Hmmm. Well, perhaps not the phrase we'd have used, but we're just hunky-mice, not water-rats. But we did ask The Boss - a keen sailor - what he thought. He said:

"What? Those idle bastards at Sony never mentioned they were sponsoring Ellen! I bet they organised a corporate hospitality day with her, too. Kill! Kill!"

What can he mean?

Perhaps, it would be best not to mention the sales promotion Comet is doing with MacArthur? We wouldn't want to infuriate him ...