Virtual Transat

www.virtualtransat.com

For all you budding Ellens out there - test your skills at navigating / weather routing without any of the hardship of being there (or the necessary cash).

Basically all you need to do is log on, choose the colour of your boat and start sailing - the current race is to the Azores from St Malo, and the website has the polars of your trimaran, and the current weather data.  Pick your course around the pressure systems, select which sails you want to use, and see if your boat arrives first.

Position data and weather data are updated on the hour / every hour, and classifications appear on the front page.

Lets start a class for Y & Y people doing this race!  Post your boat name here when you start. (I'm "SA_Hero")

Oh, and one other thing - you wont have the hardship that Ellen had, you wont have the bruises from going up the rig, or the cold and wet stuff (unless your heatings packed up, and your roof leaks) you wont have the hardship of living on a big multihull - but you might end up with serious sleep loss once you start, this game hooks you deep!!!!!!

You have been warned!