Langford is virtually unbeatable!
KIELDER Water Sailing Club’s Robbie Langford will be competing for national honours in the Royal Yachting Association’s eSailing Spring Club Championship final after claiming the North East title.
Ten of the region’s finest e-racers represented their clubs to battle it out in an online game called Virtual Regatta – and the top four places overall were incredibly close in the final reckoning.
After five races, with three to count, Langford’s race results of a third, first and second were just enough to take the title from Tynemouth SC’s Justin Smith, who counted a trio of second places to finish on equal points.
Third overall, just a point further back, was Sunderland YC’s Danny Boatman with Derwent Reservoir SC’s Simon Weatherspoon in fourth, also with seven points.
As well as being a member of Kielder Water SC, Langford is race captain for Sheffield University Sailing Club, whose team was performing well in the national rankings prior to the lockdown.
He was able to transfer his reallife sailing skills to the online game, which aims to provide the same tactical challenges.
Langford said: “It has been amazing, when you have a load of high-quality racers on this game it is really thrilling.
“It was so tight, I knew the positions were changing constantly.
“I am so pleased to have just snuck into first place.”
The 20-year-old engineering student from Hexham is now looking forward to representing Kielder Water SC and the RYA North East region in the national final of the Musto-sponsored RYA eSailing Spring Club Championships tomorrow.