A yacht simulator built around real sailing skills
eSail Sailing Simulator is a yacht sailing simulation where you learn and practise the actual work of running a boat. You raise the mainsail, tack, gybe, reef, moor and anchor, and you can hand control of the sails, control lines, winches and travellers to your virtual crew while you practise winch technique and work cleats and jammers. AutoSail mode is there to take some of the load off while you are getting started. The learning side is substantial: 20 interactive tutorials in 'Learn Yachting with eSail', written and narrated by experts such as Jon Dobbin and Hannah White, covering everything from raising the sail to using the chart, anchoring, mooring and advanced sail trim. The simulation also includes a charting module that works like paper charts, with dividers, plotter and pencil to plot a course while you check your position against buoy and lighthouse lights.
Sailing together against other skippers
Online PvP lets you race against other users, and you can also take on computer-skipped boats. Races are where your tacking, gybing and sail trimming get tested, including work with the mainsheet, jib sheets and kicker (boom vang). Beyond racing, the challenges give a group plenty to compare: steering runs between red and green buys where other boats may not behave as expected under collision regulations, treasure hunts where you need throttle control to get close without hitting the jetty or arriving too fast, anchoring tests where your swing circle is checked under changing wind directions, and passage planning where you plot a course between locations such as Maxwell Marina and Frazer Town via waypoints and finish with a mooring that must not touch the jetty.
What to know before you set out
Live Sailing mode puts you in the waters around the Shearwater Islands with weather that shifts from gentle breezes to storms, so you check the VHF forecast and set or reef your sails before weighing anchor. Your position and boat setup are saved, so you can pick up a journey where you left it, and visiting Points of Interest works toward Master Explorer status. The world includes places to visit and features such as the wreck of the Princess Zara. Two practical notes: multiplayer is not available in China, and community volunteers provide some translations, so those are not guaranteed to be exact. Finally, eSail is not a replacement for training with a qualified instructor, and it cannot replicate the physical and mental demands of real sailing or guarantee that its physics match any particular boat.