Virtual Eye Sailing

 For those times when you can't go sailboat racing or wish you could crew on some of the most well known big budget boats, there's Virtual Eye.  VE is a 3D program used at sporting events around the world and with it, you can 'sail' through their race archives including the America's Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, the Audi MedCup, Louis Vuitton trophy, etc.  VE allows you to zoom up to a boat and watch its sail and course changes, zoom out and see how that boat is doing against the rest of the fleet, track how fast they're moving, among other things.  You can look at the race course from a bird's eye view or right on the surface of the water and the boats are imaged in their true hull and sail colors.  There is a small player you have to download but it only takes a few seconds.  

VE is like 'Google Earth' for sailing.  It will show you the shoreline and buildings around the race course and the marks on the race course.  I've not yet fully explored it but it makes for interesting watching when you can't be there so check it out at this link and go sailing at 'virtually' any time!

Wade Rogers

SEAS Vice Commodore