“Those who headed for the south and west took advantage of a stronger wind, but that began to ease and would push them away from the race course – unless they could back up and come towards the coast. They were getting about 3-4 knots of wind from the south which would have helped them. “Morning on day two of the race saw most of the fleet taking chance with the shallower and lighter winds, going in towards the coast.
But as they made their way to the finish of the course it was forecast to change and work against them. Adversely they could head further south easing off to the west and they would retain the wind. If the fleet headed north and in land, holding true to the favoured Rhumb Line, they would face lighter winds. “This race was a short one and it presented a tactical choice for the participants. “Race Two was from Cadiz back towards Ponta de Sagres, finishing just south – around 180 degrees – off The Lighthouse of Ponta de Sagres. It was a tactical challenge for the fleet as they took part in the Race Two of Virtual Tall Ships Races 2020 from Cadiz to Sagres. Sail Training International Race Director, Ben Stuart
Virtual sailor ships simulator#
“It really shows that knowing the simulator is just as important in these environments as well as knowing real world sailing scenarios.”
“It looked like they had a fantastic race, and virtual race experience proved important as first over the line was Sailonline regular ‘knockando60’ who has proved a skilled virtual sailor over the last five years or so. A large number of the fleet followed them overnight and now there is around a third still out on the water. “Frontrunners began to come in thick and fast as they started crossing the finish line from around 2100 UTC on Monday. “It was interesting at this point to see how our traditional Tall Ship captains, with their working knowledge of the seas and wind will able to out manoeuvre their experienced virtual race competitors.” Morning saw the majority of the ships grouped in a 30NM span of each other with Sailonline regulars leading the way. “As the fleet rounded the Ponta de Sagres, they entered a more technical part of the race with headwinds all the way to the finish line in Cadiz. It was clear that it was going to be a race where the big decision will be between staying close to the coast and taking a shorter route, or heading further out to sea to take advantage of the stronger winds. “The weather for the race start was fantastic with the wind blowing straight down from the North at around 16 knots. It was an exciting two days of virtual sailing for the fleet as they continue to make their way across the finish line of the Virtual Tall Ships Races 2020: Race One off the coast of Cadiz, Spain. Over 200 participants would take part in each of the virtual race legs with tactical choices presenting themselves across the races.
Virtual sailor ships how to#
Participants also benefited from realistic weather conditions for the race, giving them the chance to learn how to take advantage of wind speeds and directions to take them to the front of the fleet. Races played out in real time, following the same race routes and waypoints of the original postponed races. This would enable real life Tall Ships Races captains and crew to compete against regular competitors from the online sailing community. One of the best things about Sailonline is that it allows more flexibility for beginners, with a hugely increased margin for error and experimentation.
We teamed up with racing simulator, Sailonline to bring you the Virtual Tall Ships Races 2020.