Smooth running with high performance

Since 1970, The Beaujolais Run® has evolved into a prestigious international motor race with technology at its heart. Find out how Nokia Lumia 800 and Nokia C5 smartphones helped keep the race up to speed with People Hub and TrackaPhone GPS software.

The Beaujolais Run is an annual staged motor run that takes the form of a navigational and cryptic clue challenge. Professional, celebrity and amateur drivers navigate from a location in the UK to the heart of Burgundy, competing at different venues along the way. Since the 1970s, it has become a high-profile annual event, launching new racing cars and showcasing classic marques.

With over 35 cars and 70 people taking part in 2011, operational challenges were considerable. That’s why the organisers, Rob J Bellinger and Elaine Hart, brought in mobile location specialists TrackaPhone to help them follow the progress of contestants throughout the competition, with Nokia as their select hardware partner.

Keep the communication flowing

To ensure total communication between the organisers and the contestants while everyone was on the move, Rob and Elaine were equipped with Nokia Lumia 800 smartphones, while the driver-navigator teams used Nokia C5 smartphones.

A unique feature of the Nokia Lumia 800 with Windows Phone is the People Hub, which allows people to create personal contact groups pinned to their Start screen, so that messages can be efficiently sent to groups of individuals. Rob and Elaine used this feature frequently on their Lumia 800 smartphones to send group messages to people involved in the race, a function that proved invaluable for communicating traffic news to drivers and navigators.

To track the competitors’ progress, Nokia C5 smartphones were used, running GPS tracking software by TrackaPhone. This feature ensured the organisers always knew every team’s location as they navigated individual routes through France. The Nokia C5 smartphones were also used to send and receive competition messages and share emergency safety updates, while drivers recorded their progress by uploading pictures and videos.

Quick starters and fast runners

In the full-throttle world of The Beaujolais Run, new technology doesn’t just need to be reliable, it has to be super-intuitive too, so that anyone can start using it with ease. The Nokia smartphones were, in Rob’s words, “remarkably quick in terms of learning to use them and navigate around the features.”

At the hub of the event, Rob and Elaine found they could run the entire competition using the Nokia Lumia 800 to exchange emails, open and edit Microsoft Office documents and upload and download key content to all the right people. “The Lumia made our laptops a secondary device, which isn’t a situation we have had before,” said Elaine.

“The speed of the Nokia Lumia was astonishing. No pausing, and the functionality was massively impressive.”

Throughout The Beaujolais Run the Nokia smartphones impressed organisers and drivers alike with their high quality cameras and simplicity of use – everyone said how they were quick and easy to use, with no compatibility issues.

Contestants found it so easy to document their journeys on the Nokia C5 that a record number of photos and videos were received during the 2011 event. Crucially, the Nokia C5 provided contestants with vital, reliable and timely information throughout the race –road hazards, ice warnings and weather reports.

Stylish look and feel

The Beaujolais Run is held in association with leading car companies who are celebrating their brands and showcasing new products. Design was also a key factor in such a prestigious brand environment, where the Nokia Lumia became a style leader. “People loved the design,” observed Rob. “It looks cutting edge and is very slim. These smartphones fit very nicely alongside our branding, and fully match the feel of quality marques. I used the Nokia Lumia to organise the event, but it’s difficult to put down once you have it in your hand.”