The America's Cup has concluded its first-ever esports season, the America’s Cup e-Series, with a thrilling Grand Final event in Barcelona that saw eSailingCentral emerge victorious, claiming the coveted e-Series trophy and the €25,000 grand prize. The championship, a groundbreaking initiative to bring the excitement of sailing to a global audience through the virtual world, culminated in a spectacular showdown witnessed by an energised crowd at the America's Cup Race Village and thousands of online viewers.

The newly crowned champion eSailingCentral said, “The whole experience has been crazy. The Grand Final has been exciting, with a lot of ups and downs and everyone could win until the last race. I am proud of myself and the rest of the competitors for what we have achieved here today and I can't wait for October 2nd to complete this wonderful experience and take the memory of sailing an AC40 with me forever”

The Grand Final marked the culmination of weeks of intense virtual racing, showcasing the skill and strategy required to master AC Sailing, the ultra-realistic PC simulation game developed by Emirates Team New Zealand. Since the launch of the official game in April, the e-Series has captivated a global community of sailing enthusiasts and gamers alike.

“From the outset, our vision for the e-Series was to take our cutting-edge simulator, turn it into a game, and open up the world of America’s Cup racing to a new generation,” said Grant Dalton, CEO of the America’s Cup Event. “The success of this first season has been remarkable. In just a few months, we’ve achieved over 100,000 game downloads, launched a world-class esports competition, and built a vibrant community of players. We're incredibly excited to see what the future holds for this initiative.”

From Virtual Champions to Real-World Sailors: The ‘Gamer to Sailor’ Experience

The e-Series journey doesn't end with the virtual championship. In an unprecedented move, eSailingCentral and runner up Booshify will now embark on the "Gamer to Sailor" experience, transitioning from the digital realm to the open water. Starting today, they will undergo three days of intensive simulator and on-water training, culminating in an epic race aboard a high-performance AC40 yacht on the waters of Barcelona against a UniCredit Youth America’s Cup team.

This experience aims to demonstrate the realism of AC Sailing and highlight the transferable skills between virtual and real-world sailing.

“The 'Gamer to Sailor' race is the ultimate testament to the e-Series' mission of breaking down barriers and making the thrill of sailing accessible to everyone,” said Dan Bernasconi, Emirates Team New Zealand’s Technical Director. “We're excited to see these talented gamers take on this unique challenge and showcase the connection between the virtual and physical worlds of sailing."

The “Gamer to Sailor” race is set to take place in Barcelona on October the 2nd.