Swiss Sailing launches an eSailing National Championship 2020 at short notice

Due to the worldwide corona crisis, sailing in Switzerland is also at a standstill. Numerous regattas have been postponed or cancelled altogether. Swiss Sailing makes it possible to sail despite the corona crisis - at least virtually: On April 4, 2020, the starting signal is given for the second edition of the Swiss eSailing National Championship!

Due to the current situation, not only have numerous regattas been canceled, but in many places the harbor facilities and sailing clubs are also closed. "This means that there is practically nowhere to sail at the moment," explains Martin Vogler, President of Swiss Sailing. For this reason, he says, Swiss Sailing has pulled out all the stops to organize an eSailing Swiss Championship. "We are very pleased that thanks to the support of Allianz Suisse, it will at least be possible to sail virtually from April onwards," says Martin Vogler. The championship will be held in partnership with World Sailing and Virtual Regatta.

eSailing is booming - worldwide and in Switzerland
In 2018, World Sailing held a virtual sailing world championship for the first time - with great success: almost 170,000 eSailors from 74 nations participated! In 2019, virtual sailing for the Swiss championship title was held for the first time in Switzerland - also with great success: over 400 participants registered for the 1st Swiss eSailing National Championship, including numerous top sailors. The first title as Swiss eSailing Champion was won by Arnaud Simonet aka "Stripes" from Münchenstein (BL) in a thrilling live final on the occasion of Windweek Brunnen.

Represent Switzerland with "SUI" at the Worlds
Participation is possible via the platform "Virtual Regatta" on the computer, smartphone or tablet. Those who already play the eSailing World Championship and have entered "SUI" as their nationality will automatically be listed in the Swiss Ranking from April 4. The Swiss champion in eSailing is expected to be crowned in September 2020 in a live final of the top 10.

eSailing is an attractive regatta format
What does the professional sailing association expect from holding a virtual championship in addition to the existing Swiss championships in various boat classes? "For one thing, it is currently the only way for many sailors to stay in touch with sailing," explains Martin Vogler. In addition, he says, the community of e-sportsmen and women in a wide variety of sports is growing rapidly around the world. "With the Swiss eSailing National Championship, we are responding to this development," says Martin Vogler. In addition, eSailing is an extremely popular regatta format, both among sailors, but also among people who otherwise have no contact with sailing. "Thanks to eSailing, we can bring the sport of sailing closer to non-sailors in a fun way," explains Martin Vogler.