Please select your home edition
Edition
Musto 2023 HPX LEADERBOARD
Product Feature
Upffront.com - PROtect Tapes 49er kit
Upffront.com - PROtect Tapes 49er kit

Nord Stream Race eSeries exceeds expectations

by Nord Stream Race 12 May 2021 12:28 BST
The five participating countries - Nord Stream Race eSeries © NSR / Anya Semeniouk

The premiere of the "Nord Stream Race eSeries" (NSR eSeries) exceeded the expectations of the organising St Petersburg Yacht Club in every way.

In the first e-sailing series in the Baltic Sea, 240,000 international players started in three races on the gaming platform Virtual Regatta from March to May sailing for 2,200 virtual nautical miles.

While many regattas in Europe remain on postponement, the NSR eSeries offered many sailors a new, challenging opportunity to prepare for the season with three five-day races, each from Kiel, Copenhagen and Stockholm, finishing in St Petersburg. Playing on social media and in e-gaming groups, competitors from 103 nations were in constant communicated during the racing and enjoyed numerous friendly battles across national borders.

The biggest challenges for the participants included the demands of accurate route planning through the Baltic Sea with numerous small islands. Constant adjustments of the boat and the sails to the ever-changing wind conditions with more manoeuvres than in most virtual transatlantic or round-the-world races influenced maintaining the necessary sleep pattern at night. The same factors that sailors know from real offshore sailing came into play in the virtual contest. "I learned a lot about the navigator's tasks and take my experiences with me into the planning for the real Nord Stream Race," explains Christian Harding, skipper of the Swedish NSR participant 2021 Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet.

All three races in the NSR eSeries were won by participants from France: Jean-Claude Goudon, Jean-Jacques Neven and Philippe Metayer. Philippe Metayer is also the overall winner of the "NSR eSeries" securing 2,000 euros in prize money and a place on board during the Nord Stream Race, scheduled to take place in September 2021. He explained: "I started this race because I appreciate technical courses and I was sure to find it with all the islands and chaning winds. Everything was there! Each new weather forecast is like dealing with a new chessboard for six hours and waiting for the next to come. It's a very exciting game!"

The organisers from St Petersburg Yacht Club and the partners of the NSR eSeries, Gazprom and Nord Stream AG, were very happy with the outcome of this new venture. "Nord Stream Race is the longest and most challenging offshore race in Europe. Experiencing this unique race virtually and mastering the challenges of the Baltic Sea - navigating the islands and changing weather conditions - has been a great pleasure for the sailing community and us as organisers. We are happy to have connected players from over 100 nations, following our motto 'Connecting Baltics Through Sport'," says Elena Solovyeva, Head of Project of St Petersburg Yacht Club.

Nord Stream Race takes the sailors traditionally from Kiel to St Petersburg with stopovers in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki. At the same time this year, the "NSR eTrophy" will be held as a virtual non-stop race and fourth part of the NSR eSeries from Kiel to St Petersburg. The start is being planned to take place during Kiel Week this September. The final dates are yet to be announced.

Related Articles

Nord Stream Race to Return in 2021
2020 restrictions would not help to connect the Baltics through sport The partners and organisers of the Nord Stream Race decided to postpone the annual competition to 2021. Considering the current COVID 19 limitations, especially for cross-border events, absolute priority was given to ensuring the health of athletes. Posted on 6 Aug 2020
The Nord Stream Race connects the Baltic Sea
Five cities, five racing yachts from five countries Five cities, five racing yachts from five countries, 50 sailors, over 100 guests from politics, sports and business who sailed on board, thousands of spectators and over 100,000 online viewers experienced a competitive and eventful race Posted on 7 Jul 2019
Girl Power inspires Swedes to victory
Nord Stream Race skipper wanted a younger mixed crew The Swedish Team was first to cross the finish line on the second leg of the Nord Stream Race. There were two powerful women behind the victory: Sandra Sandqvist and Cecilia Jansson. Posted on 28 Jun 2019
The Nord Stream Race in Danish colours
First leg from Kiel to Copenhagen has been decided The first leg of the Nord Stream Race from Kiel to Copenhagen has been decided: after a head-to-head race over 150 miles (around 280 kilometers) Team Denmark was the first to reach the Danish capital. Posted on 25 Jun 2019
Nord Stream Race 2019 underway
Gerhard Schröder fires the starting gun The Nord Stream Race 2019 has begun. The regatta started in Kiel, during Europe's biggest sailing festival, the "Kieler Woche". Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder joined the Nord Stream Race Regatta Posted on 23 Jun 2019
Connecting Baltic Rim countries through sailing
The Nord Stream Race rauns from 23rd June to 5th July The Nord Stream Race will take place from June 23rd to July 5th. Five sailing clubs representing five countries will participate in the 1,000-mile race from Kiel to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki until they reach their destination in St. Petersburg. Posted on 25 May 2019
Dates and teams are announced for Nord Stream Race
Connecting Baltics through Sport An idea becomes a tradition: The 8th edition of the Nord Stream Race will take place from 23 June to 5 July 2019. Under the motto "Connecting Baltics through Sport", the race starts in Kiel and travels more than 1,000 nautical miles. Posted on 16 Dec 2018
Nord Stream Race 2018
Dates and Teams set The seventh edition of Nord Stream Race takes place in 2018 from June 24th to July 7th in the Baltic Sea. The five competing teams are set for the long-distance race of more than 1,000 nautical miles from Kiel to St. Petersburg. Posted on 9 Dec 2017
Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) win
Victory in the Nord Stream Race 2017 Cape Crow Yacht Club (Team Sweden) has won the Nord Stream Race 2017, after finishing third in the fourth and final leg from Helsinki, Finland, to St Petersburg, Russia. Posted on 6 Sep 2017
Germany wins Inshore Trophy
Of the Nord Stream Race Deutscher Touring Yacht-Club (Team Germany) has won the Inshore Trophy of the Nord Stream Race after winning two of the three short-course heats this afternoon in Helsinki. Posted on 6 Sep 2017