Tocaro Blue is supporting Captain Red Flowers on the 2026 Great Loop Challenge, an expanded 7,300+ nautical mile journey raising funds and awareness for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation.
Flowers, a cancer survivor, first undertook the challenge in 2024, completing the original 6,000-mile route in a record-setting 19 days and 19 hours. Returning to the water in 2026, he is aiming to build on that achievement and help reach the original $1 million fundraising goal, with Honda Marine powering the vessel.
ApolloCore detects, classifies, and tracks Red’s vessel as he passes behind a barge.
Tocaro Blue provided the vessel’s perception layer through its ProteusCore™ and ApolloCore™ software. Designed to work with commercially available marine sensors, the technology integrates data from systems including Raymarine’s Cyclone Radar and Teledyne FLIR Marine’s M364C PTZ camera to provide real-time detection, classification and tracking of objects on the water.
By turning sensor data into actionable information, the software is designed to help identify and track vessels, obstacles and other hazards, enhancing situational awareness throughout the journey. The same perception technology can support both manned and unmanned maritime operations, making the Great Loop Challenge a valuable real-world environment for testing and refining Tocaro Blue’s capabilities across changing weather, traffic and operating conditions.
The challenge is supported by a wider group of OEM partners, including Hefring Marine, Raymarine, Teledyne FLIR Marine, Portā Products and Sharrow Marine, working alongside Tocaro Blue to equip the vessel for the demanding journey.
Read Perception at Sea: Tocaro Blue’s Technology on the Great Loop Challenge.
