Volvo Ocean Racers... Take notice!!!

Participants of the annual Volvo Ocean Race should take notice of the online game version of the race. With more than 150,000 participants in the online race, there are thousands of different tracks to the finish line. All kinds of scenario's, using actual wind conditions are being played out right before their eyes. Although the participants of the real race are highly experienced experts in navigation, which of course is needed to enter a race like the VOR. It is possible that they may be able to learn from the successes of some of the top and less experienced gamers, and maybe even learn from the failures of the rest of the field.

In recent years, participants of the VOR may have been curious, but fearful, of taking certain routes. Maybe the thought of failure kept them from plotting a heading, hundreds, if not thousands of miles out of their way. In many cases there's a good chance that someone participating in the game has traveled that route. Sure, the sailboats in the game are only controlled by wind directions and they don't take into account the wave conditions and ocean currents, but maybe it will at least give them a hint to possible routes to consider.