Please select your home edition
Edition
Musto 2023 HPX LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Sailingfast Vakaros ILCA/STAR/RS AERO DECK BRACKET
Sailingfast Vakaros ILCA/STAR/RS AERO DECK BRACKET

eSailGP Championship returns with new innovations for 2021

by SailGP 1 Apr 2021 10:47 BST
eSailGP Championship © SailGP

With less than three weeks before the eight international teams meet on the water in Bermuda for the league's return to racing, SailGP today launched the 2021 eSailGP Championship.

Building on the success of the inaugural season, which saw more than 146,000 unique players take part across 55,783 individual races, fans will have a chance to test their skills piloting one of the most innovative race boats in the world in a virtual environment on new courses and with new look boats. The Championship winner will be rewarded with an all-inclusive package to a SailGP event in 2022 and a place in the 2021 eSailing World Championship Final.

In partnership with Virtual Regatta and World Sailing, the championship will feature six qualification events over the course of the first half of the season, with a spot in the eSailGP Grand Final on October 15 up for grabs for the winners. The eSailGP Grand Final will see the two gamers with the highest points after three fleet races face-off in a single winner-takes-all match race.

Two wildcard berths will also be available at the final for a female player and a youth player, who will be selected by a panel of judges. This initiative is in line with SailGP's immediate focus on the advancement of gender equity and its program to fast-track the training and development of female athletes for participation in SailGP.

eSailGP Season 1 amassed 753,000 views on SailGP's social platforms and the league has been working to further bring the live shows to life for players and followers, including enhanced graphics, explainer videos and a reinforced expert commentary team. Shay Thompson will return for her first full season as host and she is no stranger to the world of gaming. She has hosted McClaren's Shadowcast, streams for Xbox Interactive, presents panels and podcasts for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and is the founder of Level Up Link Up, an event aimed to make the games industry a more diverse place.

She'll be joined by Olympic champion and Japan SailGP Team helm Nathan Outteridge, who will transfer his expertise from the racecourse to the eSailGP commentary team for the first time, alongside his teammate and flight controller Leo Takahashi.

SailGP Head of Content Jose Garnes said: "As an organization, we strive to be at the forefront of innovation and we aim to make our sport as accessible and inclusive as possible. Our revamped eSailGP championship is an opportunity for fans to engage with SailGP in a new way, while introducing a new audience of gamers to the sport and diversifying our fan base. We've seen there is a big appetite for this type of gaming, particularly over the last year with many live sports fans and athletes turning to esports in lieu of real-life action and we're excited to use this platform to introduce more people to our sport."

British eSailor Mike O'Donovan won the inaugural season after seven months of hard-fought virtual battles. To launch the 2021 eSailGP Championship, he joined some of the games top players including French player Pepito from the MCES esport team and Andrea Emone who was a participant in the Spain SailGP Team women's invitational camp earlier this year, for the ultimate invitational event.

eSailGP races are 5-6 minutes long and feature up to 10 players per game. The championship is integrated into the Virtual Regatta Inshore platform, the largest sailing community in the world with more than 1.6 million players.

Training opens for each eSailGP qualification event a few days before the real-life racing kicks off, and the courses mimic the iconic venues where the global championship is hosting races at the respective time. The first event of the season kicks off with the Bermuda eSailGP, April 17-18.

eSailGP can be played on Desktop, iOS and Android.

2021 eSailGP Championship Schedule:

eSailGP Bermuda

Qualifier | April 17-18
Qualifier Semi Final | April 19
Qualifier Final | April 21

eSailGP Taranto

Qualifier | May 29-30
Qualifier Semi Final | May 31
Qualifier Final | June 2

eSailGP Plymouth

Qualifier | July 10-11
Qualifier Semi Final | July 12
Qualifier Final | July 14

eSailGP Aarhus:

Qualifier | Aug 14-15
Qualifier Semi Final | Aug 16
Qualifier Final | Aug 18

eSailGP Saint-Tropez

Qualifier | Sep 4-5
Qualifier Semi Final | Sep 6
Qualifier Final | Sep 8

eSailGP Cádiz - Andalusia

Qualifier | Oct 2-3
Qualifier Semi Final | Oct 4
Qualifier Final | Oct 6

eSailGP Grand Final | Oct 15

Related Articles

SailGP: Roger Federer inspires Swiss SailGP team.
Roger Federer joins forces with Switzerland SailGP Team to inspire success One of Switzerland's greatest sporting icons, Roger Federer, features in the newest episode of Racing on the Edge, SailGP's official behind-the-scenes docuseries, produced in partnership with Rolex. Posted on 27 Jun
Rolex SailGP Championship 2026 dates confirmed
Including a return to fan-favorite destination, Auckland SailGP has released further details of forthcoming 2026 Season, including the return of fan-favorite locations, multi-year hosting agreements secured across all regions, and an evolved regional structure to raise the stakes for athletes and fans alike. Posted on 26 Jun
SailGP opens tender process for two new teams
SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment. SailGP has confirmed 2026 expansion plans, unveiling details of a tender process to seek investment for ownership of two new teams entering the global racing championship next season, alongside available stakes across existing national teams. Posted on 23 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix overall
Spain SailGP Team claims second consecutive U.S. win Diego Botin and the Spain SailGP team have punched their way to the top of the Rolex SailGP Championship, taking the win on Sunday in New York. Posted on 9 Jun
SailGP: Spain lead in New York - Day 1
Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix Spain top the leaderboard after the first day of racing in the Mubadala New York Grand Prix, after a consistent day's sailing on the murky and rainswept Hudson River. Full replay and leaderboard in this story. Posted on 7 Jun
Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix day 1
Spain overcomes storm clouds, topping the standings Diego Botin's Spain SailGP Team leads the fleet after a stormy and tactical opening day of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix. France, ROCKWOOL Denmark and New Zealand are all hot on his heels for all-important leaderboard points. Posted on 7 Jun
SailGP to Kick Off Summer in New York
With this Weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix An unforgettable weekend of high-speed, close-to-shore racing and world-class entertainment will take place this weekend when the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix takes place in front of the most famous skyline in the world. Posted on 5 Jun
SailGP: Media Conference concludes in New York
Skippers speak ahead of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix The media conference ahead of the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix has concluded, without any special points being revealed, save for Brazil lending a crew member to Germany. Posted on 5 Jun
Should SailGP ditch the wings?
As SailGP resumes in New York this weekend, we ask the question As SailGP resumes in New York this weekend, we ask the question of whether the F50's solid wingsails should be ditched and replaced instead with twin-skin mainsails, in a similar way to what is used on the AC75 and AC40 of the America's Cup. Posted on 5 Jun
SailGP Racing on the Edge Season 5 Episode 5
Los Gallos revisit their SailGP Season 4 triumph Get a behind the scenes look at the inner workings of the SailGP Season 4 Champions as they return to winning territory – facing personal and professional challenges head on. Posted on 3 Jun