What after the VolvoOceanRace2017-2018 event.

An announcement has been made already that the next VolvoOceanRace will be starting in 2021. That is very good news. 

The VOR committee had come to an agreement with the IMOCA organisation to make the IMOCA 60 boat available for next VOR

The IMOCA60 is an open boat, with canting keel and foils. So we may expect some close and fast sailing again in next VOR. 


What if you can not wait 3 years?
Well, what I do and can recommend is to hone your sailing skills in the Virtual Sailing community. For me the best Virtual Sailing Player is LiveSkipper Virtual Sailing Game  

Sorry to say that LiveSkipper has ended their fantastic Virtual Sailing Game and is not longer available. 

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I have switched to a rather small, but simple and beautiful new Virtual Sailing Game called Virtualgame.
Virtualgame has a simple , but comprehensive game screen. It allows to choose from a number of sail per boat type and shows a clearn Polar diagram for each of the chosen sail, specific for the actual wind conditions. 
You can also use the auto pilot and a scheduler with 5 Marks for free and 9 Marks with a subscription. It refreshes the NOAA wind-data , twice at day at 0800 and 2000 CET (central European time)  
The community is friendly and quiet active and regular short and longer duration sailing race are organized.
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LiveSkipper is modern, does not use so much computer power as the ram hungry Virtual Sailing that was used in previous VOR's .
In LiveSkipper, you have a lot of free navigation and sailing optimization tools that makes live for a virtual sailor comfortable. All the features, like multiple sails, autopilot, scheduler, marks, wind forecasts for 7 days etc are free, such that all Boats have same opportunity of sailing same speed and win race.  

LiveSkipper Game screen

 The game screen offers:

• view of your Boat
• view of your set route
• wind information 
• wind data at the mouse
• Polar diagram and 3hrs polar projections, upto 24 hrs.
• winds forecast upto 7 days
• extensive date on the ruler, 
• clear maps and shorelines to prevent grounding
• Marks, 4 for free and optional 10 for minimal contribution
• regular short and long duration sailing races
• an easy to use Forum
• an easy to used chat box,  also for closed groups
• and an easy to understand LiveSkipper wiki, to learn all about virtual sailing and optimal sailing in LiveSkipper. 

Hope to meet you either in LiveSkipper or in next VolvoOceanRace.              


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Brunel takes Victory in the Last In-Port Race in The Hague

It was beautiful sailing weather, stable strong winds and only small waves.

Brunel made a blistering Start and got was soon in the Lead, only to take it to the Finish. Rounding the 1st buoy, was a close battle with SunHungKai/Scallywag, and though they were somewhat faster around the buoy, it is Brunel that squeezed themselves back in the lead. 

Brunel already in the Lead, In-Port The Hague

For Brunel it was important to win from AkzoNoble with at least one Boat in between, in order to get the 3rd prize overall in the In-Port race series. With Dongfeng sailing a strong race and taking the Runner-Up place, it was exactly what brought the 3rd prize to Brunel.


Another very important battle was between TurntheTideon Plastic and SunHungKai/Scallywag. Both had same scoring on the Overall VOR scorecard, and thus the standing in the In-Port serie would decide who would take the 6th and who the 7th place. 
SunHungKai, was nicely in the lead and had nothing to fear,till............. their ruder got hooked on the rope of a mark. This allows TurntheTideonPlastic to pass them and once SunHungKai got released their disadvantage was that big that TurntheTideon Plastic was long gone. 

Dee Caffari smiling already before the race, or did she know the good result to come?

Dee Caffari sailed a strong race, and was able to pass Vestas in the last leg, while Mapfre made an easy sailing and was no threat at all. 
So TurntheTide on Plastic, got a 4th place and with this won a 6th place in the Overall standings.

This was the last event of the VolvoOceanRace 2017-2018 and hopefully in 3 years time we will have a new VolvoOceanRace.