Final weekend of practice for the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship 

Hone your skills before the quarter finals phase

This weekend marks the last couple of days in the practice phase of the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship 2012.  

Now is the time to hone your skills and get to grips with online racing before the racing starts for real, with every race counting towards your overall points score.  

As of Monday 30 January the championship moves into the quarter finals phase, when competitors start accumulating those all important points. So far some 115 people have already registered to take part and have taken part in 35 practice regattas (175 races, with approx. 6,500 finishers!) with the Laser, 18ft Skiff, 29er, 420 and J24 classes already showing some good form.  

The quarter finals run until the 12 February, before moving into the semi-finals phase where the points really start to rack up and things get serious.  Competitors will battle it out in a bid to win one of the coveted places at the ‘live’ final to be held on the Volvo Main Stage at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show, where prizes will be awarded to both the winning class and winning individual.

The winning class will also be awarded the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship Trophy 2012, and the winning individual the Virtual Endeavour Trophy 2012.  

Still time to get involved

But don’t worry if you haven’t had a chance to get started yet, you can get involved in the championship at any stage in the process, – in the practice sessions, quarter finals, or semi-finals. You can even compete to gain a wildcard entry to the finals at the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show itself, if you don’t (or can’t) qualify for the finals through the quarter-final and semi-final phases. 

However the sooner you get started the more practice you’ll have and the more opportunities you will have to clinch those all-important finals qualification points.  

About SailX

SailX is a unique online game that enables you to race virtual sailboats against racers from all over the world in real-time around short courses and in strict accordance with the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing. Races are short, sharp and intense - lasting approximately five minutes each.   SailX runs continuously 24/7, meaning users can just log on and take part in competitive races against other real sailors from all over the world anytime day or night.  

To play

All you need to do is register as a user at www.sailx.com/ryavolvodinghyshow  Registration and racing is completely free and once you’ve registered you’ll be up and racing.

If you do decide to register you will also have the opportunity to make a donation to the Teenage Cancer Trust, which helps and supports young people fighting cancer.  

“When someone registers for the championship we give them the option of making a donation to the charity” explained Amando Estela, creator of SailX. 

“You don’t even have to do it there and then, you can choose to donate later if you prefer.  But all donations are gratefully received for this worthy cause.”  

All the money raised will be presented to Oliver Rofix a teenage survivor of cancer who has for the last year been fundraising for cancer charities in various water related challenges.  Last year he sailed single-handed around Britain.  

Timetable of racing

• 16 - 29 Jan  Practice sessions 
• 30 Jan - 12 Feb Quarter finals - start building your points
• 13 Feb - 26 Feb Semi-finals - big points time - points are worth more in the semi-final phase  
• 3 - 4 Mar Championship final - individual and class champions crowned

So what are you waiting for? Sign up today and get racing…    

For more information on the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show SailX Championship 2012 and to register to take part visit the SailX website 

To find out more about the RYA Volvo Dinghy Show and buy your tickets visit www.dinghyshow.org.uk