Ahoy!

Welcome to the twenty third post in the series “VR Sailors - MarineVerse Community” – introducing sailors racing in MarineVerse Sailing Club.

Today, we are chatting with Barry, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

In virtual reality, you can meet Barry as Finnbuck. In MarineVerse, one of the race series Finnbuck is racing in is “Yacht US Monthly Race Series: January 2025” and as of today is #8 in the USA.

We have asked Barry a couple of questions..

What is your sailing experience?
“I have been sailing for 60 years, with 20 of those years as a professional instructor”

What is your favourite sailing memory?
“Sighting land after my first solo offshore sail – an unforgettable feeling!”

Tell us something about your experience with MarineVerse Sailing Club? Any good memories or highlights?
“I initially planned to create my own sailing software using Unity. Then I discovered MarineVerse - exactly what I wanted to build! I love how realistic it feels, and it’s a lot of fun sailing virtually.

My kids and I have been enjoying private races together!”

Who and why should try MarineVerse Sailing?
“Anyone about to take sailing lessons – it’s a great tool to learn the basics before stepping on a real boat. It’s also perfect for seasoned racers who need to keep sharp in the off-season.”

Any tips for those new to sailing that want to race in MarineVerse?
“Learn from the more experienced sailors and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Mark rounding and proper sail positioning after big course changes are key areas to practice.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

We have 5 Meta Quests in our family.

Yesterday I set up two other Marineverse accounts and have the software now on 3 headsets. We all sailed in a private race yesterday and used streaming software to record it

My two boys (ages 8 and 12) are new to sailing.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is known for its rivers, but has very few places to sail. Our club is on a lake where we need to deal with light and variable winds. Of course, those conditions turn out really great sailors, but my background in sailing is on oceans and bays that have predictable and steady winds. I had taken a long time off from sailing, but finding the club and sailing again is so great for me.

My boys are both good gamers so they are learning Marineverse quickly. My youngest boy will be in a sailing class in June and will have a huge leg up after sailing virtually. He will be in an Opti.

MarineVerse Sailing Quest

MarineVerse Sailing Club is all about the community. If you would like to try sailing, join us. You can meet VR sailors at our Discord chat server, and you can download MarineVerse Sailing Club on Steam or via the Meta Quest store.

We hope you enjoyed this blog post in the “VR Sailors - MarineVerse Community” series – stay tuned for more soon!