November 24, 2024
2 minutes reading time
So Farley, So Good
The 2024 eSailing World Championship concluded with a thrilling final at the Red Bull Gaming Sphere in Stockholm, Sweden.
Arthur Farley (F7 – RS) secured his first World Championship title after two consecutive silver medals in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships.
The final medal race was an intense affair among the top three contenders Tristan Peron (Asere), Alex Kovalski (AlexK – RS) and Farley – all separated by just a few points.
F7’s strategic approach, aiming to avoid penalties and stay ahead of his rivals successfully secured him his first eSailing World Championship crown.
Farley said: “I just went for it… I got a little bit lucky that I crossed Alex. It meant they wouldn’t attack me and that I was free to go.”
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When talking about the level of racing, the newly crowned champion went on to say, “It’s the strongest we’ve ever had it.
“I wouldn’t say there are any slackers in the group. There isn’t a guy or girl who shouldn’t be here, it’s a really high level.”
A late battle between Alex K and Asere saw them drop down the rankings, paving the way for Francisco de Melo (Chico PMelo) and Toshiki Kogure (FUNe KG-R) to secure the silver and bronze medals respectively.
The 2022 World Champion said: “It was looking good for second place until that last downwind.
“We went into a stupid fight, that let KGR and Chico go away. We both lost the podium on that last downwind. I’m really disappointed.”
Final Standings
| Rank | Country | Name | Username | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Medal Race | Total |
| 1 | GBR | Arthur Farley | F7 – RS | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| 2 | POR | Francisco Maria de Melo | ChicoPMelo | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 46 |
| 3 | JPN | Toshiki Kogure | FUNe KG-R | 4 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 48 |
| 4 | FRA | Alexandre Kovalski | AlexK – RS | 1 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 50 |
| 5 | FRA | Tristan Peron | asere | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 51 |
| 6 | ITA | Lorenzo Sorrenti | 42 シ | 9 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 64 |
| 7 | JPN | Kazuki Miyamae | FSC-Kazuki | 8 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 7 | 11 | 5 | 72 |
| 8 | ESP | Carlos Parejo Palop | Carlos Parejo | 10 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 74 |
| 9 | SWE | Sara Granberg | SGR88 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 78 |
| 10 | ESP | Ramon Parejo Palop | CNS Ramón Parejo | 7 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 81 |
| 11 | BRA | Samuel Solano | Harder | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 83 |
| 12 | POL | Natalia Pryba | AquilaAntila | 12 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 100 |
The Journey to the Finals
The journey to the final began in January, with thousands of competitors from around the world participating in 32 unique challenges and over 63,000 races. The season showcased virtual sailing at its finest, testing competitors’ adaptability and strategic prowess across a variety of virtual boat classes.
Through three demanding stages of qualifying and playoffs, the field was narrowed down to 12 elite eSailors who earned their place in the grand final.