To take the helm of the Hermione, nothing could be easier! All you have to do is to go to the online virtual regatta platform, Virtual Regatta. Once registered or connected, you take command of a royal frigate with the goal of reaching Brest as quickly as possible, from Yorktown, Virginia. The game is free and accessible to everyone, from the most novice to the most experienced sailor. You can choose your distance unit in miles or kilometers. You must then bring your boat to a safe harbor, taking into account the actual weather and your crew.
If we forget to come and see our boat, it goes on its way with a coherent behavior of a normal boat, especially the Hermione. The duration of the game can be modified depending on many elements and especially on the weather conditions, but the transatlantic race should end around the 2nd day e fortnight of June.
"We can't afford to wait for the last one, because if some people participate for the performance, others never finish it, making the game totally their own. Let's take the case of the Vendée Globe, where a player will start from Les Sables-d'Olonne and sail around the world, but will decide to join Perros-Guirec because his boat is moored there." says Thomas Gauthier, Project Manager at Virtual Regatta.
"It's a format that was very popular in the first edition with the Hermione. It's a change from the more contemporary offshore races, it appeals to the players and it brings a breath of fresh air. On the first edition, we had 25 000 registrations" explains Thomas.
Improve the performance of your vessel
For a more powerful boat and for those who cannot log on regularly to trim the sails or track the ship's course, comfort options are available, but at a cost:
- Pro sails (more efficient and newer sails)
- Wind speed regulator (maintains the angle to the wind, regardless of wind rotation)
- Heading programmer (evolution of the boat to change the programmed heading)
- Waypoints (points placed on the map that the boat must navigate to)
- Automatic sails (allows you to change the sails automatically to adapt to the wind the boat is experiencing)
"In the free version, all these paid functions are not accessible, but it is possible for the user to connect at any time, from any browser and any support, without third party software. On the other hand, it is necessary to connect regularly to follow your boat" says Thomas.
A simplistic operation
Each time you log on to the game, a dashboard opens and gives you your ranking (how many places you have won or lost). It is a community game so you can meet "friends" and add them to your friends list. The map then makes them appear randomly. To move, you just have to set your course, your sails, your weather and your ration gauge.
The departure will take place on April 9, but the duration of the Transatlantic is uncertain. "We have little experience on this type of course since it is only the 2nd time we have done this e edition. The simulations gave us a month, but it will depend on the weather."
The interest of the game (and of Virtual Regatta) is that you can take the race along the way. "We have what is called the pilot boat, which is a system that allows a player who enters the game late to land in the middle of the fleet (not in the first, but especially not in the last). This will allow the player to compete with other competitors and avoid frustration. The goal is not to prevent the players from playing and not to impose limits on them" says Thomas.
Duration of the game, can be modified according to a lot of elements notably the weather. Date which is on the 2 e fortnight of June it seems to me, if we waited for the last one, it would never end. Especially a lot of players who enter the game to make a performance, but for example on a Vendée Globe who do not cross the finish line (they started from Les Sables, but take the game based a little on their own experience (boat in Perros-Guirec or in the USA).
A particularity that distinguishes it from other virtual races
The game of the Fêtes de Brest has a particularity, it is that we do not sail on a usual boat. "This is a royal frigate, not a Figaro or a Vendée Globe Imoca for single-handed sailing, so there are additional actions." explains Thomas.
The player will be in charge of a crew of 300 people who must be fed. A gauge will allow to rationalize the food and can be regularly adapted. Thus, a well-fed crew will be much more efficient, but will quickly exhaust resources, which will eventually slow down the ship. In the same way, a poorly fed crew will perform less well. So you'll have to set the ratio correctly. Players will also be able to take advantage of stopovers to resupply the ship:
- Newfoundland or Labrador
- Bermuda
- Lisbon
- Azores
- South of Ireland
"These stopovers will be compulsory at some point in the game, because the food capacity does not allow the crew to reach Brest without stopovers. We must therefore choose them according to the weather and the crew's food consumption, but also anticipate the next one explains Thomas.
On the map, these areas are represented by barrels that contain wine, seedsâeuros¦ (everything that was found on a ship of this type at that time.) Simply passing through this area fills the holds. "The longer you stay in this area, the more the holds will fill up. So, the player who arrives with 10% food in his stock will be able to stay in this supply area for a few hours. So the management of the supply time is also to be managed."
Another factor to consider compared to other races, where there is only the weather.
Have fun, learn or perform
Some of them start the game to ensure a performance and finish among the first, but the main thing is to have a good time, alone or with friends. Virtual Regatta is also a big community that plays together and then meets to talk about it. It's also a way to revise your geography (with the Vendée Globe for example) or your history (with the Hermione for example) that's why whole classes can play it!
