No, it's not a joke ! Weather4D Embark with SailGrib in the Vendée Globe 2020 with Virtual Regatta. The two friends Henri and Olivier have together developed a routing module directly integrated into the game.
Philippe Guigné, the creator of the online game Virtual Regatta, explains in an interview with Voiles & Voiliers :
"… we want the virtual Vendée Globe to be aimed at the general public and it is therefore logical that we help neophytes by providing new tools. Thus, For this edition, we offer a routing assistance system, Directly integrated into the game, in partnership with SailGrib and Weather4D. These routings will first be simplified so that everyone can use them. In a second phase, We will set up more elaborate routings that will allow us to determine long-term strategies…”
A new evolution for the two leaders in navigation applications, Weather and routing on mobile devices, which should allow them to popularize their applications to a wide audience, and perhaps spark vocations among the large number of players who have never been on the water before.