What a mesh

A few days back we were talking boats at Tradewinds, when Rene sailed by in her latest creation. While it is not exactly a classic sleek racer such as the 10m, it is still a very beautiful boat, and the details... so many details. It's really, truly breath taking.

Left to right: Ahab, Liv, me and Rene

In SL, the first boats were built using basic shapes such as boxes, cones & spheres. They would then be glued together to form a hull. Such a boat is the Tako. Then came the sculpts, which are shapes made out of plastic. Heat them up and they can be changed into any shape. A hull can be a single sculpt. The Flying Fizz is (almost) a single sculpt. Still, there are limits to complexity on sculpts, and so they invented Mesh.

Sailing the zeeschouw

I am absolutely no expert on building, but mesh seems to have few limits on the details. Rene seems to know just how to take advantage of that. Right after casting off and raising sails I was (naturally) looking at the beautiful sails. I think Rene saw that, and she asked me to look inside the boat.

The lamp is rocking

Not a bad idea. Loads of fantastic details. The lamp is even rocking as it is hanging from the ceiling. Here's another shots from the inside:

3, 2, 1, beeeeep and smile

... and another one:

Cooker, shelfs, books, table, sitting, - it's all there

Here's the view from the lookout:

Sailing is great too

Yes, the sailing is great too. Even though this boat does not appear as a classy racer, ReneMarine has made it sail really well. It is definately worth sailing, but it's hard to keep concentrating on the sailtrim, when there are so many things to look at. 

Luxury sailing 

So. If this is what mesh can do, I'll say what a mesh. This boat is absolutely beautiful. The details are fantastic, and the illusion of being on board a real boat takes a huge step forward. Everywhere you look, it looks real.

What a mesh

If this is the future of virtual boatbuilding, then I can't wait to see the future. ReneMarine is already there. First they had the Fries Yacht, and now there is this... bigger sister. Hopefully more boatbuilders will follow and take mesh to the max.

The Fries Yacht

The mini schouw is a cute little thing. It may not have the looks of a tall and sleek classic racer, but it has a high cuteness factor. Honestly, it doesn't really look speedy, right. Well, reality is different. Last week I saw the Fries Yacht "speeding" around Tradewinds. When Jet asked if I wanted to try it, I had no second thoughts. Yesss!

All aboard

So here we are. Me admiring the Fries Yacht, and Jet talking about all the wonders I will experience in a few minutes. Now, I like Jet, but too much sales talk usually make me go on stand by. However, just looking at the details of the boat kept me awake. It's that beautiful.

Motoring

We had to motor a little, because someone was fishing inside the marina. Strange idea. Maybe we need those signs from RL: "No fishing in the marina". Anyway, that gave me time to study the onboard instruments. Lotsa little buttons there.

Sails up!

Sails up, and whooohooo... If I had expected this thing to be kinda sluggish, I was sooo wrong. It does not sail like a dull fat bottomed keeler. At all. The sounds were very enticing as we heeled over and accellerated, much like a Wayfarer or even faster. Not that a Wayfarer is considered fast these days. 

Speedy little critter

Here we are going full speed ahead. It feels great. I mean... the feel is great. It's moving, sounding and behaving - in so many ways - like a real boat. It is not a Tako, not a Bwind, it's... is it Superman? No, it's a  ReneMarine boat, and it's wonderfull.

Instruments

It wants so much to be a real boat. Check the instruments. These aren't meant for mooring. They're clearly made for racing. Jet insisted on all the little buttons actually working. Not sure I tried them all, but the ones I did try, they clearly had an effect. On the display.

Downwind

There's no keel. Stability is built in. The sideboards prevent sidetracking, and they seem to work by themselves. Automagically. What's left for us to do is steering and trimming. Dunno how these boats are sailed in RL, but I suppose a little balancing would be in place at times.

Reaching

Never mind that. There's luffing sails, a vane at the top of the mast, and I am sure I can push a button to get a compass on the instrument. But the best part is this: She sails like a dream. Simple as that. I don't know what Rene put inside this boat, but it feels so alive. It almost carves around a mark. On top of that it is very responsive, so you feel totally in control. It sure is virtual sailing.

ahh... beers out.

That's not to say it wont do cruising. It absolutely will, and you can even let your friends steer it, while you grab a beer, relax and get some tan. That feature wasn't quite finished yet. The steering part I mean. I tried it. It worked for a little while.

...and then some relaxing

So how do I feel about the mini schouw... aka "The Fries Yacht"? It's a strange mixed feeling. The boat itself is beautifully made. The boat type does not excactly have the appearance of a sexy race boat. Nevertheless, it sails so well I would not be surprised to see an active racing fleet. The sailing engine from ReneMarine is to blame for that. It's fantastic. Is it a fun boat to sail? Definately. Is it one of those boats you just gotta have? Absolutely. Once you've sailed it, you will love that feel and want more. Thanx Jet. I had a great time.

Incidentally, one of my first posts showed a ReneMarine Zeeschouw.

Real virtuality, take two

Another real deal inworld is Rene Marines beautiful "Zee Schouw". She might not be a full blown racer, but Kudos to Rene for the faithful replica.  I can easily imagine myself dazing on the deck with a cool beer, going downwind on autopilot, whilst palmtrees and coconut islands pass before my eyes.

Me admiring Rene Marines Zee Schouw.

Am I dreaming? Not at all. In the back - a view down south with the island of Wicktro on the horizon. Beyond Wicktro is the Blake Sea with its myriads of lovely destinations. The southern part of Blake is full of coconut islands.