Going virtual
The 2020 edition of the Transpac Tahiti Race will go ahead in the virtual world after being revived by race organisers.
26 May 2020
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Having attracted a near-record turnout for the 2020 edition of the Transpacific YC’s Transpac Tahiti Race, organisers had to finally succumb to pandemic restrictions and postpone this year’s race to the future. The dream of sailing to the South Seas on a 3570-mile journey from Los Angeles to Papeete will have to wait until the next planned running in 2022.
However, the dream of this journey is not completely lost for this year, thanks to the boundless enthusiasm of Stephanie Betz and her team at Archipelagoes, the Tahiti-based co-organisers of the race. They have partnered with Virtual Regatta to offer a simulated online version of the race.
The virtual regatta will use polar performance data from Comanche, the current Barn Door Trophy champion of the LA–Honolulu Transpac race. The online race will start at 1400 PDT on the original race start date of 28 May 2020, and will feature the same real-time weather conditions found on the actual race course.
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“We chose to use a fast boat like Comanche because the course record of 11 days 10 hours and 13 minutes is rather old, and with the right weather, could be beaten by a modern fast boat of this type,” said Betz.
“This is an exciting alternative to the real race that we can offer our sailors and race fans to get them motivated to beat this course record virtually, but also to come to Tahiti when it’s safe and experience our beautiful islands in person.”
And while only several dozen lucky sailors could have personally experienced the long trip to Tahiti, the VR version can attract many thousands to play along and get inspired to one day sail this or any other ocean racing course.
French ocean racing legend Loick Peyron has been the official race ambassador for the Transpac Tahiti Race, and has also endorsed this virtual approach in lieu of being able to go to sea.
“This is not the same, of course,” said Peyron, “but it is a clever way to experience some of the strategic challenges we face in offshore sailing.
Who knows, it may inspire some new ocean racers to try this in person on their own.
“We are saddened not to have our real race after over a solid year and a half of planning and preparation,” said TPYC race committee chairman Tom Trujillo.
“But we applaud the tremendous energy of Stephanie and all her partners and sponsors and their show-must-go-on enthusiasm to find and implement this interesting alternative. We had a positive experience with a VR version of the Honolulu Transpac race last year, which ran in parallel to the actual race, so we’re confident this will find success as well.”
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