Maltese Falcon Successfully Completes First-Ever Sailing Yacht Trials with Kymeta and e3 Systems
Months-long sea trials on iconic sailing yacht demonstrate continuous connectivity using Kymeta KyWay™ flat panel terminals and connectivity solutions in Caribbean, across the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean
Redmond, Washington and Palma de Mallorca—September 12, 2017: Redmond, Washington-based Kymeta, Intelsat S.A. (NYSE: I)—operator of the world’s first Globalized Network, and exclusive superyacht distribution partner e3 Systems today revealed that the Maltese Falcon, the iconic 89-meter sailing vessel, has been performing the first-ever sailing yacht sea trials with Kymeta communications solutions over the past four months with successful results. The Maltese Falcon, with its trial installation of Kymeta KyWay terminals, will be at the Monaco Yacht Show.
Kymeta and e3 worked with the executive management, the Captain, and the IT manager of the Maltese Falcon to perform the months-long sea trials, which commenced in the Caribbean and are ongoing. During the trials the yacht was equipped with both single and multiple-terminal configurations. Upon commercial release of yacht solutions, the terminals will be bundled with Kymeta’s KĀLO™ internet access services, powered by the IntelsatOne® Flex for Maritime service. The trial utilized capacity on three Intelsat assets, IS-29e (Caribbean), IS-32e Wide Beam (Bermuda/Atlantic), and IS-905 (Europe).
The trial experience has proven valuable for the captain and crew of the Maltese Falcon. Captain Nikolaos Leontitsis of the Maltese Falcon said, “We were thrilled to partner with Kymeta on this sea trial because connectivity is critical on the water. Kymeta’s consistent connection allows us to maximize the use of the Falcon’s sophisticated onboard network, and to offer our guests and crew cutting edge communications and internet service together with the latest in on-demand entertainment options.”
The crew of the Maltese Falcon worked with Kymeta and e3 to adapt the installed KyWay panel throughout the trial period.
“We recently installed additional Kymeta KyWay terminals on the Maltese Falcon to enable truly global connectivity,” said Roger Horner, Managing Director at e3. “The yacht adapted very successfully from using a single KyWay terminal during the initial sea trials by moving it to avoid mast shadow. It now has four terminals for the full-scale temporary installation which addresses the mast shadow challenges while awaiting embedded installation.”
The experience, and the weather, provided the engineering teams at Kymeta and e3 with valuable insights for maritime installations before the product becomes commercially available. “We observed that the panel remained connected regardless of sea motion, pitch and roll, and exceeded our initial expectations of the performance of the electronically-steered beam,” said Håkan Olsson, Vice President of Maritime at Kymeta. “The yacht industry can now look forward to not only the possibility, but the reality, of domeless vessels and communication capabilities we never would have thought possible even a decade ago.”
Captain Leontitsis recognized additional benefits for the future and is looking forward to further technology solutions as a result of installing Kymeta’s panels on the Maltese Falcon. “The sea trials with Kymeta aboard the Maltese Falcon offered an altogether different communications experience,” said Captain Leontitsis. “It is very exciting to work with our innovative executive management team, which selects and is able to apply the most appropriate and advanced technology on the Maltese Falcon.”
About SY Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon is not a classic yacht, she’s a new class of yacht. Her revolutionary sailing system—the Falcon Rig—sets a new milestone in yachting history: 3 self-standing and rotating masts hosting 15 sails for a total sail area of 2,400 square meters (25,791 ft square), handled by the ultimate in Perini Navi Sail Control for unrivaled performance with unmatched safety and maneuverability characteristics.
The iconic Maltese Falcon was built for the late Tom Perkins from whom it was purchased by Pleon Ltd, for the purpose of creating a unique chartering experience. For more information, visit symaltesefalcon.com.
About Kymeta
What’s the missing link to connecting billions of people to high-speed mobile access? Antennas. And Kymeta offers the world’s only commercially-viable electronically-scanning satellite antennas and terminals. Kymeta antennas and terminals deliver high-throughput communications for land, sea, and air, making mobile connectivity as available as a view of the sky. Plus, the world’s largest satellite operator, Intelsat, has joined forces with Kymeta to deliver KĀLO global access services that combine with Kymeta antennas and terminals to provide revolutionary mobile connectivity. Without Kymeta mTenna™ technology, connecting and staying connected to all those new satellites while on the move will be difficult, if not impossible.
If it moves, Kymeta will keep it connected. Anywhere.
For more information, visit kymetacorp.com and KALO.net.
About e3 Systems
e3 Systems® is a leading communications integrator and solutions provider for the marine industry. The company connects yachts globally through a diverse portfolio of communication systems including its HYBRID solution which synchronises VSAT, Inmarsat, Iridium, 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi. In addition, e3 provides an extensive suite of services covering cyber security and training, IT support, data management and content provision. e3 operates from the Mediterranean and the USA with partners worldwide. It is part of the marine electronics group grupoarbulu.
Discover more at e3s.com.
Business Inquiries for Kymeta:
Lisa Dreher
Director of Marketing
Kymeta Corporation
+1 425.658.8724
ldreher@kymetacorp.com
Media Inquiries for Kymeta:
Amy Oliver
PR/Content Manager
The Summit Group
+1 801.990.1185
aoliver@summitslc.com
