From Onwater to Online: Get ready for the Canadian eSailing Championships

Canadian eSailing Championships © Sail Canada

Canadian sailing fans will be able to transpose their skills from their boat to their computer with the launch of the inaugural Canadian eSailing Championships.

Starting this year on June 1st, the Canadian eSailing Championships will see participants compete until August 31, through the Virtual Regatta Inshore platform (www.virtualregatta.com/en/inshore-game). The top 10 competitors in the overall ranking, will qualify for the World Championships that are held annually during the fall and sanctioned by World Sailing.

"Sail Canada is glad to include a new, young and dynamic element to its Program offering with the addition of the electronic sport of sailing through its Canadian Championships," said Sail Canada Chief Executive Officer, Don Adams. "Accessible to everyone who has an Internet connection, this electronic sport allows participants to challenge the skills, tactics and knowledge of the rules of the sailors through race simulation that is extremely realistic. This electronic sport also allows our community to stay connected from coast to coast, especially through lockdowns and public health restrictions. We also hope to attract new fans to our sport with this platform of the modern era. To all the participants of the first Canadian eSailing Championships, I wish you the best of luck and a lot of fun!"

Informational sessions to better understand sailing... and the game

In order to foster fierce competition and to initiate new fans to the sport, Sail Canada will hold two virtual informational sessions, in which 2016 Olympian and eSailing participant Lee Parkhill will take part.

"The electronic sport of eSailing is a great opportunity to understand and put to work one's knowledge of sailing," said Parkhill. "Especially during this time of lockdown, it allows us to break down barriers, as it notably makes learning the basics of sailing accessible."

During these sessions, which will include the same content, participants will not only learn more about how the game works but also about the different elements that influence the sport of sailing, so they can replicate it in the electronic game.

To take part in the informational sessions, participants will have to register in advance at www.sailing.ca/eSailing.

Sessions will be held:

• Monday, May 10, at 7 pm (Toronto time) - registration deadline: Thursday, May 6th
• Tuesday, May 25, at 8 pm (Toronto time) - registration deadline: Thursday, May 20th

Compete in the Canadian eSailing Championships

To be able to take part in the event series of the Canadian eSailing Championships, sailors must:

1. Create an account on the Virtual Regatta platform at www.virtualregatta.com/en/inshore-game.

2. During registration, make sure to select the country CANADA to be able to take part in the Canadian eSailing Championships and include your Sail Canada number in the Sailor ID field. If you need a Sail Canada number or need to find yours, please log in or create your profile at members.sailing.ca/index.php?action=_login.show_member_login.

3. Those interested in improving their skills can take part in training modules available in the Virtual Regatta game (tutorials are available by clicking on the "Sailing School" button at the left). YouTube videos are also available:

Additional information regarding scoring and the final of the Canadian eSailing Championships will be shared later through a Notice of Race.

Adopted by the International Olympic Committee, eSport is in full swing

Launched in 2006, eSailing is quickly growing as demonstrated by the fact that 1,500,000 offshore participants and 700,000 inshore participants from around 200 countries were registered on the Virtual Regatta platform in 2020.

The sport of eSailing is gaining so much popularity that, last week, it was integrated to the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Virtual Series, the first-ever Olympic-licensed event for physical and non-physical virtual sports, which include baseball, cycling, rowing and motor sport.

The Olympic Virtual Series will take place ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo as competitions will begin on May 13, continuing through June 23, 2021. The different competitions will be broadcast on the Olympic Channel. More information will be announced soon.

Full details regarding the Canadian eSailing Championships is available at www.sailing.ca/eSailing.