FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - JULY 30, 2008 - Sea kayak adventurer Freya Hoffmeister is set to begin an expedition circumnavigating Australia. She will carry a lifesaving 406 GPS Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) along for her epic journey. ACR Electronics, Inc., the world leader in safety and survival technologies, has announced it will join The Race Around Australia Expedition as a sponsor and safety equipment supplier.
In the sport of kayaking, gear weight is a critical issue. It was no question that this record-breaking athlete would want to be equipped with a PLB, a small, portable, waterproof 406 MHz beacon that can reduce risk by providing a reliable, satellite-based emergency signal detectable anywhere in the world.

PLBs transmit signals on internationally recognized distress frequencies. The 406 MHz signal is monitored by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and the Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System (SARSAT) detects and locates distress signals. GPS coordinates greatly assist search and rescue crews and in the event GPS isn't acquired, position can be calculated through Doppler Shift as a reliable backup.
Hoffmeister (www.qajaqunderground.com), a legend among kayakers, is about to embark this December on the biggest trip ever attempted by a woman in sea kayaking - The Race Around Australia Expedition. Braving salt water crocodiles, sharks, venomous sea snakes and jellyfish, she will paddle alone in tropical heat through massive surf, along stretches of sheer cliffs with no landing sites and through exposed ocean crossings in her year-long voyage totaling 9,300 miles (15,000 km).

The 43-year-old master paddler from Germany is no stranger to risky challenges. In 2007, Hoffmeister circumnavigated Iceland 1,000 miles (1,620 km) in a record 33 days and then became the first woman to round New Zealand 1,481 miles (2,386 km) solo and unsupported.

Always mindful of safety, Hoffmeister said carrying an ACR ResQFix^TM 406 GPS PLB and a Firefly^TM3 rescue strobe light on her life vest will give her a safe feeling during the arduous adventure. "I know that in some remote areas of Australia, it may take a while to be rescued but at least with the PLB it will be a possibility. Setting off the beacon will give me my best chance of survival if I run into danger."
A PLB is a satellite-signaling device of last resort, for use when all other means of self-rescue have been exhausted and where the situation is deemed to be grave and imminent, and the loss of life, limb, eyesight or valuable property will occur without assistance. All beacons must be registered following purchase. Simply go online to www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov. There are no monthly service fees.

ACR Electronics, Inc., a Cobham plc company, designs and manufactures a complete line of safety and survival products including EPIRBs, PLBs, SSAS, AIS, SARTs and safety accessories. The quality systems of this facility have been registered by UL to the ISO 9001:2000 Series Standards. To focus on this innovative technology, ACR has introduced a dynamic, new "The Science of Survival" theme for its line of marine, outdoor, aviation and military products. Recognized as the world leader in safety and survival technologies, ACR has provided safety equipment to the aviation and marine industries as well as to the military since 1956 and the outdoor industries since 2003.