America's Cup simultaneously announces AC Sailing and its first eSports championship

The world's most famous sailing competition, the America's Cup, has announced the launch of a racing simulation video game called AC Sailing. The title has been developed by the Emirates Team New Zealand studio using the same simulation technology used by the official teams to prepare for the competition, and will be available for free from 19:00 CEST today, 9 April, on the Epic Games Store and Steam.

With this experience, the America's Cup wants to convey the same sensations that professional sailors have when training their tactics to prepare for each race with a wide range of customisation options, both weather and geographic. It is set to revolutionise the future of eSports sailing, creating an opportunity for fans around the world, regardless of status or age, to embark on the sport's oldest competition.

And yes, we are talking about eSports because alongside the announcement of the game, the organisation has also announced the creation of the world's first eSports competition for AC Sailing, the America's Cup E-series, with the inaugural voyage taking place later this evening at 19:00 CEST on the Twitch channel.

The game will feature real-life scenarios such as Barcelona, home of the 37th America's Cup, and the authentic colours of the competition's iconic AC40 yachts.

Grant Dalton, CEO of America's Cup, said: "Creating a video game out of a simulator that our sailors and designers use in the real world of the America's Cup has been a challenge. Players will be able to experience the America's Cup sailing as close to the real thing as possible, as never before."

"The America's Cup has always been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of what is possible in sailing. We are thrilled to bring this legacy of innovation to the virtual world, elevating the role of sailing within the eSports ecosystem as we expand our footprint to as we expand our footprint to become the most inclusive sailing competition of all time.