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VR sailing course?

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wm36
1st Mate

Member Avatar

USA
69 Posts

Initially Posted - 12/30/2023 : 20:35:59

Hi all. When we started sailing about 6 years ago my wife and I took some online classes through NauticEd. The classes were good, got us going. Now we are on their mailing list, and one of their latest offerings is a virtual reality sailing course. You purchase a VR headset from Amazon or Best Buy or whoever then sign up for their class.

I still consider myself a rookie sailor, especially after taking the winter off. I am wondering if there is value in this? I'm not a big gamer so I wouldn't have much use for the headset (I don't think) other than this class, but $250 for the hardware seems like a reasonable expense for a brush up sailing class.

Anyone else tried anything like this? Thoughts? Here is a link for the class:

https://www.nauticed.org/sailing-courses/view/virtual-reality-sailing

Wayne & Lynn
Hillsboro OR
1995 C250 WB #151

DavidCrosby
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
229 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2023 : 09:33:03

For what its worth, here is my opinion:

I see this as a video game. I am sure there are some things that could be learned from playing the game. However, there is nothing like time on the water.

I suggest reading books over the winter. Come spring 2024, get out on the water and sail your boat. Make the mistakes. Learn from them and keep sailing. Sail. Sail. Sail.

If you really want to learn to sail and become very confident, then get involved with people that race their boats. These people are typically in need of crew. It will not cost you. They will be thankful to have you onboard. Might even feed you for your efforts. There is so much to be learned when attempting to get a sailboat around a race course. You will not challenge your skills much if all you do is reach back and forth across the lake, bay or .... If you are forced to get to a very specific spot dead into the wind and do this as efficiently as possible on a regular basis, you will learn a lot.

Racing also puts you in close proximity with others. One of my most memorable sailing experiences is racing my 28ft E-Scow in the 1994 National Championship Regatta. Doing the dance on the starting line in and amongst 64 other 28ft sailboats is unbelievably exhilarating.

I have been sailing since I was 8 years old. I am now 59. I have never taken a formal sailing class. Everything I know is through reading books and physically being out there doing it. For the first 20 years, I was a die-hard racer, crewing for people every chance I could get even while campaigning my own boat. As marriage and kids came a long, my sailing became less racing and more cruising based. I have even crossed oceans as crew on other people's boats. My only cost being getting myself to/from the boat.

I am sure you are thinking, "But I am not 8 years old. I don't have a lifetime to learn how to sail." To that point, 10 years ago, a guy that was a beginning sailor at our marina would ask myself and others lots of questions. He would also jump at any opportunity to sail with us or have us sail with him on his boat. He has gained a ton of experience over these years and has become quite confident. He has learned a lot, but also has a lot to learn. We have become very good friends and we (including our wives) sail together on a regular basis. Even I continue to learn new things.

One of the old guys I regularly crewed for when I was a kid (I think I was 12 at the time. He was in his late 70's) had said, "It takes 30 minutes to learn how to sail and 30 years to become a sailor."

Get out and Sail!

David

David Crosby "Small World"
'02 C250 WK #614

dalelargent
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
198 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2023 : 09:50:26

I agree with everything David wrote above.

Although, I would add, I heard the saying as �it takes 20 minutes to learn to sail, a lifetime to master.�

I truly believe the best learning to sail is by sailing. And I love the idea of reading some books over the winter�and/or watching educational YouTube videos. (My local library has a nice sailing section even though it�s a landlocked community).

Perhaps take notes as you learn so you can review before sailing come spring, and perhaps make a list of maneuvers you wish to practice come spring.

Happy new year and fair winds to you all.

Dale

1989 c25 WK/TR #5838
1998 Catalina 36 mkii
1983 Vagabond 14

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3368 Posts

Response Posted - 12/31/2023 : 16:36:47

Agree with above comments.

During this winter season, if you have the dough and the interest, sounds okay taking the virtual/software course. It's something to do during this sailing slowdown season and likely you will learn from the course. It would be beneficial if you could read some reviews of what others have had to say about this specific course offering especially since it is a fairly new course using latest technology/virtual reality format. I would also wonder if it has been approved by a National or recognized boating association and if not, are there perhaps similar new courses that have had reviews/approvals. Just something tp check on.

Adding to the other postings as to phrases many of us recall from time to time is "Respect for the Sea". This also relates to years of sailing, dealing with actual conditions and the real mental and physical conditions experienced while at sea.

You already own a boat. The course (or alternate course) will mainly be of a benefit to you. . But what goes thru my mind is mainly concerning those that do not own a boat, take an online course and then jump into buying a boat without any real on the water experiences. Then not prepared to handle sailing or boating under normal conditions, never mind, adverse conditions. I. think that is what I and perhaps others are thinking about reading the post.

Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html

wm36
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
69 Posts

Response Posted - 01/02/2024 : 20:36:56

Thanks everyone for your input. I was leaning against the VR course, you have helped me save some money.

Interesting idea about crewing for racers! We sail the Columbia River out of Portland OR and there is an active racing community. Our first two marina slips were on "racer's row", and our main goal every afternoon was to be back in our slip and out of their way before they took off! So I know where to find them, might just have to try it!

Thanks again and Happy New Year to all.

Wayne & Lynn
Hillsboro OR
1995 C250 WB #151

glivs
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
822 Posts

Response Posted - 01/04/2024 : 06:16:40

Wayne, Lynn,
As already said, nothing can beat the experience of actual sailing, the feel of the wind on your face, the feel of the tiller, watching the cats paws on the water surface, ... and especially on our boats where even shifting your weight can effect a change. At the same time, one can often learn much faster from the benefit of others experience. I've learned so much from this forum regarding performance and trim that I've readily tested at the helm. That said, simulators are also intended to aid learning. After all, military, commercial and even the former shuttle pilots train(ed) on simulators. A few years ago, I explored the demo version of a sailing simulator from the UK that had received decent reviews. It clearly allowed one to experience the relation between sail trim and speed under different sailing conditions but ... Bottom line, if you are looking for something to keep you connected to sailing and possibly amused on these long winter nights, there are simulators out there that could prove fun to explore without significant cost.

Gerry & Leslie; Malletts Bay, VT
"Great Escape" 1989 C-25 SR/WK #5972

DavidCrosby
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
229 Posts

Response Posted - 02/08/2024 : 18:24:11

I mentioned the following in my original response,

quote:
Racing also puts you in close proximity with others. One of my most memorable sailing experiences is racing my 28ft E-Scow in the 1994 National Championship Regatta. Doing the dance on the starting line in and amongst 64 other 28ft sailboats is unbelievably exhilarating.

I was just reading an article that the 2023 E Scow National Championship, hosted by Mendota Yacht Club (Madison, WI) won the US Sailing One Design Regatta Award.

To get to the point of why I am writing about this. I mentioned "doing the dance on the starting line ......" This award winning national championship regatta had 126 28ft E-Scows on the starting line. Impressive!