First British player qualifies for eSailGP Grand Final

LONDON – June 17, 2020 – New York was the setting for the fifth qualifying event in the eSailGP 2020 Championship and not unlike the real life event in Season 1, there was high speed and high drama. The eventual winner Déjà Vu hit 52.6 knots in the final match race against Javinho of Spain to secure Great Britain’s first spot in the eSailGP Grand Final on August 14.

Although the SailGP teams could not be there in person in 2020, the iconic venue tested the skills of the 6,957 players who battled it out for a chance to qualify for the eSailGP Grand Final. With three different race winners across the first three races, it was a close fought battle to make the final match race.

However, taking on the SailGP athletes one week earlier in the Athletes vs Gamers series proved a good training ground for Déjà Vu. The Scot from Aberdeen made it two for two - not only getting the better of the SailGP athletes but also the other seven finalists. Never finishing outside the top three, Déjà Vu convincingly won the match race - leading from start to finish - to earn his place in the Grand Final.

Déjà Vu said: “I am really pleased to qualify for the eSailGP Grand Final. It definitely helped to get some extra practice in taking on the athletes last week and I really enjoyed getting the chance to race them. The eF50 is much more difficult to sail than other boats I have raced, so I really focused on being more tactical and I think this is something that really paid off.”

Launched in partnership with Virtual Regatta and World Sailing, the championship features seven qualification events over the course of the season, with each respective winner clinching a spot in the eSailGP Grand Final. The winner of the eSailGP Grand Final not only gets automatic qualification to the eSailing World Championship, but also a ride onboard an F50 in real life when the SailGP season restarts in 2021.

Watch the replay of New York eSailGP here. The next event is Pop-Up 3 with qualifying starting on July 31. The final opportunity to qualify for the eSailGP Grand Final will be Cowes, August 6-13. eSailGP can be played on desktop, iOS and Android.

2020 eSailGP Championship Schedule (remaining events)

Pop-Up 3
Qualifier: July 31-August 2
Final: August 2

Cowes eSailGP
Qualifier: August 6 -13
Final: August 13

Grand Final
August 14