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Displaying items by tag: MultiMillion Refit

#BelfastLough - MJM Group based in Newry, Co. Down has landed a major new deal which will see it refit a major cruiseship at Harland & Wolff in Belfast.

The move writes the Belfast Telegraph, is part of a recent multi-million pound contract between cruise operators Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club and the specialist high-end fitout company, MJM Group. It also marks the first time a cruise ship firm has awarded complete project management responsibility to an individual organisation.

MJM Group will project manage the docking, berthing and refit of the Azamara Pursuit in Belfast this April and the ship will make its maiden voyage in August.

Gary Annett, chief executive of MJM Group, said the deal is a “milestone opportunity” for the company.

"The success of this project has the potential to be a game-changer for the UK maritime industry. By securing this multi-million pound contract we are putting Northern Ireland, and the UK’s marine industry in a strong position to compete for future drydock and refit works," he said.

To read more on this cruise industry contract, click here.

Published in Belfast Lough

Esailing & Virtual Sailing information

The concept of e-sailing, or virtual sailing, is based on a computer game sailing challenge that has been around for more than a decade.

The research and development of software over this time means its popularity has taken off to the extent that it has now become a part of the sailing seascape and now allows people to take an 'active part' in some of the most famous regattas across the world such as the Vendée Globe, Route du Rhum, Sydney Hobart, Volvo Ocean Race, America’s Cup and some Olympic venues too, all from the comfort of their armchair.

The most popular model is the 'eSailing World Championship'. It is an annual esports competition, first held in 2018 and officially recognised by World Sailing, the sports governing body.

The eSailing World Championship is a yearly competition for virtual sailors competing on the Virtual Regatta Inshore game.

The contract to run the event was given to a private company, Virtual Regatta that had amassed tens of thousands of sailors playing offshore sailing routing game following major offshore races in real-time.

In April 2020, the company says on its website that it has 35,000 active players and 500,000 regattas sailed.

Virtual Regatta started in 2010 as a small team of passionate designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs gathered around the idea that virtual sailing sports games can mix with real races and real skippers.