Buoy to tweet yacht race details

WITH a 15-day countdown to the Volvo Ocean Race final, a “smart” buoy laid off Galway’s Mutton Island will “tweet” the round-world fleet’s progress to a potential audience of 140 million.

The eight-metre “Twitter mannequin” – or navigational buoy – was dropped on station by the Commissioners of Irish Lights (CIL) ship Granuaile yesterday.

Its “tweeting” skills involve environmental sensors and electronic transceivers, which will provide updates on weather, marine safety, festival events – and the positions of the six competing yachts.