For seasoned Virtual Regatta players, Sunday marks a fresh start as well. Like the nine skippers racing in the Vendée Arctique, players will cast off from Les Sables d’Olonne and head north. Just like the real fleet, they will sail past Great Britain, round Iceland and continue their journey towards the Arctic Circle. Most importantly, players will face exactly the same dilemma as the skippers: choosing their route on a completely open course. The race’s only requirement is to cross the Arctic Circle and return to Les Sables d’Olonne. Beyond that, competitors are free to choose where they cross the line in order to optimise both their outbound and return routes.
AN EXCEPTIONALLY OPEN RACE SCENARIO
In short, there will be no prescribed course and no mandatory waypoints. A format designed to shake up strategies, habits and conventional thinking. Like the sailors themselves, Virtual Regatta players will need to anticipate weather systems, sharpen their tactical instincts and fine-tune their strategy. For many, the race will begin long before they leave the dock. At which longitude should they cross the Arctic Circle? Should they route via Iceland, along the Norwegian coast or through the heart of the North Atlantic? The race scenario looks exceptionally open, both for the skippers and for their virtual counterparts.
As in the real Vendée Arctique, the virtual race course will include ice exclusion zones as well as biodiversity protection areas established by Race Management to safeguard marine mammals. Right to the finish, success will depend on tactical awareness, smart decision-making and keeping a cool head.
Over the course of around ten days, the Vendée Arctique – Les Sables d’Olonne promises a breathtaking adventure, both on the water and online.
