RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship quarter finals

by Emma Slater on 11 Feb 2012 RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship is organised by the RYA and SailX in collaboration with the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show and the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club. This weekend (11-12 February) marks the last two days of the quarter finals phase of the virtual online racing challenge.

Check out a video of the racing here.

Since the start of the Championship 280 people have entered; nearly 4,000 boats have finished Championship races; and SailX has hosted some 960 hours of racing - and there are still two more days to go until the end of the quarter finals phase; then it starts to get serious!

With the semi-finals phase starting on Monday (13 February) there are plenty of points up for grabs to a stake claim on a place at the live grand final to be held on the Volvo Main Stage, at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, Alexandra Palace, London (3-4 March). So don’t worry if you haven’t entered yet, now is your chance.

So far the Laser, 18ft Skiff, J24 and 29er classes lead the points classification table, with the Laser, 18ft Skiff, 420 and 29er classes leading the rankings in terms of numbers of people representing the class in the Championship.

In addition to the 39 classes already entered we are now delighted to announce the inclusion a whole fleet of disability boats; the 2.4m, Access 203, Access 303, Artemis 20, Challenger trimaran, Skud and Sonar. So no matter your preference of boat there should be one to suit you.

'We are absolutely delighted to welcome the disability boats into the Championships. From the very beginning we designed SailX to break down the barriers that historically have prevented all but the lucky-few from experiencing what a wonderful, complex and competitive sport sailboat racing is.

'We are proud that SailX is a part of helping individuals overcome those barriers - whether financial, geographical or physical. We have seen it before and I’m sure we will see it again here - some of the most motivated, talented and ultimately successful individuals in our sport come from atypical backgrounds. Time and again these individuals turned apparent disadvantages into advantages and in the end our sport is made richer for recognising and celebrating this diversity. We love that SailX 'levels the playing field' and makes everything possible!' commented Amando Estela, creator of SailX.

So no matter what age, experience or ability you have, it’s really easy to get involved and the Championship is open to everyone.

To play SailX and compete in the Championship all you need to do is register. Registration and racing is completely free and remember there is still plenty of opportunities to gain those all important points.

For more information on the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship 2012 and to register to take part, visit the SailX website.

To find out more about the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show and buy your tickets visit the event website. All RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship finalists will be given free entry to the RYA website