Student's Choice

VR Regatta: The Sailing Game

Published by MarineVerse

Introduction

Imagine being in a different world, a place where you can escape reality and not have to worry about problems. Imagine if you could see what it is like to be a surgeon, a farmer, or a cook. Through the technological advancements, seeing what it is like to be a surgeon, or a farmer, or a cook can become a reality through virtual reality (VR). Virtual reality lets you simulate job professions such as a cook, surgeon, farmer, you name it. Other simulations are allow users to travel through the world, or be in a different universe instead, in the form of games. Some virtual realities allow you to fight gladiators, wield light sabers, and shoot aliens. For the most part, virtual reality is used for entertainment, but virtual reality is also used for educational purposes. There are some virtual realities that allow people to look through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, investigate through human veins, or training simulators (police training for example). VR Regatta provides both entertainment and education for virtual reality users.


About VR Regatta

Ever wonder what it is like to go sailing? VR Regatta is a virtual reality (VR) simulator of sailing -- riding on a boat and learning how to sail. Not only does VR Regatta teaches you how to sail, but it also allows you to travel, visit the coasts of various countries, and provide entertainment. Users are able to command sea vessels such as dinghys, yachts or opti. VR Regata proves to be the most popular sailing programs on all major VR platforms, being nominated for a Viveport Developer Award for 2019. VR Regatta can be used with the HTC Vive or the Oculus Rift. VR Regatta can also be found on Steam.

A couple of sceneries in VR Regatta featuring sunsets, a lighthouse, palm trees, a hot air balloon displayed in visually detailed graphics. (Source)

VR Regatta Intro Videos

VR Regatta Mechanics

VR Regatta is a virtual reality (VR) simulator of sailing -- riding on a boat and learning how to sail. You can use teleporting to move, or you can move yourself. Sitting in a chair is the best and most realistic position to play VR Regatta. If your chair is too high and it makes you feel unnatural when inside the boat, you can change the offset to adjust your height during game play. Some sailing techniques that VR Regatta teaches include:

  • Beating (sailing in a zig-zag pattern)
  • Controlling Sailboat Speed
  • Engine Control


VR Regatta Interactables

VR Regatta has a selection of sailboats that have various parts and controls that are unique to that sailboat. Below will contain interactables on a few of the sailboats featured in VR Regatta.


Dinghy

The following things you are able to interact with on the Dinghy are:

  • Tiller
  • Main-sheet
  • Centerboard
  • Cleats
  • Boom

Picture of two Dinghys racing each other (Source)

Yacht

The following things you are able to interact with on the Yacht are:

  • Steering wheels
  • Mainsheet grinder
  • Jib sheet - left winch
  • Jib sheet- right winch
  • Engine

Picture of a Yacht riding in the sunset (Source)

The Lobby

The lobby for VR Regatta, featuring a resort-like building, furnished with resort themed furniture. User are able to access their challenges to see what they need to complete in order to reach the next rank as a sailor. In the picture to the right, it shows that the user has to complete three challenges in order to achieve the rank of Skipper. Also in the lobby is a map of the islands that VR Regatta features that the user can explore and sail around. The islands are locked behinds ranks, so in order to access a specific island, the user has have a minimum sailor rank which is done by completing challenges. There is also a rank standings which shows other users' rankings in races.

Top Left Picture: Footage of the lobby in VR Regatta (Source)

Top Right Picture: Picture of a list of challenges to complete (Source)

Bottom Left Picture: Picture of a map featuring the islands you can explore around (Source)

Bottom Right Picture: Picture of rankings of each race (Source)

Why VR Regatta?

VR is said the be the best sailing programs for virtual reality. With that information, it means that it is the best program to use for learning purposes, while enjoying amazing graphics. VR Regatta also has challenges for users to do to gain ranks as a sailor, providing a motivational factor in using this simulation. Players can also compete against other players in VR Regatta to see who is the best sailor. If you aren't into competing, VR Regatta also lets you sail about in their virtual world, viewing great sceneries and such. VR Regatta provides a wonderful pastime for people who sail in real life and are restricted to sail due to time constraints or weather. With VR Regatta, sailors are able to stay connected with their hobby and introduce others to the sailing world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think VR Regatta is a great virtual reality program that can teach anyone the basics of sailing and then honing those skills to bring out to the real world. The graphics in this program are beautiful. I also would not have to worry about hitting or bumping into things in real life, as the most comfortable position to be in to us VR Regatta is sitting on a chair or on the ground and not using up much space. The progression of this game is also rewarding. I get to see my progress as a sailor by completing challenges. The higher rank I get, the more confident I would feel about bringing the skills I obtain from using VR Regatta out into the real world. However, some issues with VR Regatta is tracking. When you have to steer the Dinghy, users have to have one controller behind them while looking forward, so the user always has to look back and forth to steer the sailboat. It is not too realistic since you would not need to look at the hand that is steering the boat, but VR Regatta still does the job of simulating sailing. Overall, I would give VR Regata 8/10.

VR Regatta - Reviews