eSailing Showcase takes to the stage at Southampton International Boat Show

eSailing at Southampton International Boat Show © Emily Whiting

Visitors to Southampton International Boat Show, powered by Borrow A Boat, this Saturday (21 September) can take part in a thrilling eSailing Showcase against top players from the GBR eSailing World Championship.

The live eSailing extravaganza, organised by the RYA in conjunction with World Sailing and Virtual Regatta, will take place at 14:00 on Saturday 21 September on the Foredeck Stage at Southampton International Boat Show.

Boat Show visitors will be invited on stage to battle it out against each and to pit their eSailing skills against the newly crowned 2019 GBR eSailing National Champion, as well as British Sailing Team sailors Chris Grube and James Peters, and other top-ranking GBR eSailors.

Celia Edgington, RYA show and promotions manager said: "The RYA is thrilled to be bringing the first ever live eSailing Showcase event to the Southampton International Boat Show. This is a free event included with general admission entry, so all visitors are welcome to come along and have a go. Who knows, perhaps the next 2020 Champion is amongst the boat show visitors. It should be lots of fun."

Visitor that can't attend the Showcase event will still be able to experience the thrill of playing the eSailing Virtual Regatta, as it is available to play throughout all ten days of the Boatshow's duration, until it closes on Sunday 22 Sunday. The eSailing consoles are located at the Foredeck stage. So come along and try your hand at the eSailing game, and hone you skills on the console in preparation of the 2020 season.

The RYA partnered up with World Sailing and Virtual Regatta, the leading digital sailing platform, to launch the GBR eSailing National Championship at the RYA Dinghy Show in association with Yachts & Yachting, in March earlier this year.

The free-to-play online game provides players with an opportunity to race against friends, fellow sailors and real-world Olympic champions. All players from the United Kingdom are automatically entered into the exclusive GBR eSailing National Championship, racing the same challenges, seasons and playoffs as the eSailing World Championship and ranking both nationally and globally.

The 2019 eSailing season has now ended. The top ten British eSailors automatically qualified for the eSailing World Championship Finals Playoff, which concluded on Monday 16 September, with the top eight international eSailors advancing to the 2019 eSailing World Championship Final in Bermuda.

If you fancy becoming the next GBR eSailing Champion, and for further details on when the 2020 season opens visit virtualregatta.com or download the 'Virtual Regatta Inshore' App from the App Store or Google Play.

Aimed at everyone from expert sailors to sports gamers, the eSailing World Championship is helping World Sailing to inform, engage and inspire the next generation of sailors and sailing fans. The goal is to bring the excitement that comes with harnessing the power of nature to the phones and tablets of fans around the world.

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