The folks at Nadeo are well known for their emphasis on fun and giving something away for free, as is the case with the TrackMania Nations Forever model. We've got something special for you today - which sees Nadeo move away from dry land and out into the seas, with their newest free to play and download game - Virtual Skipper Online.

Granting players the ability to compete in 'some of the most prestigious global sailing events', Virtual Skipper Online sees a similar model used by the Trackmania franchise, with simulated yacht racing at hand, complete with a map editor, and a number of different game modes. We've got the client on the mirror, along with some more information regarding the game.

The downloadable client offers access to a solo mode similar to that of TrackMania, in which gamers can compete against others from around the globe. The game incorporates advanced physics and animations models, which 'replicate tidal movement and wind flurries, forcing players to adapt whilst racing'. In addition, a full day and night cycle is also included, in addition with weather systems which affect the handling of the yachts in game.

Cédric Lagarrigue, CEO of Focus Home Interactive, who are responsible for publishing Nadeo's titles, had the following to say about the free-release of Virtual Skipper Online:

Nadeo demonstrated with TrackMania Nations that a free game can intelligently exist along with a paid version. There are already more than 3 million players subscribed to the free game of TrackMania Nations and hundreds of thousands of players for the paid version of TrackMania United Forever. Today, TrackMania is simply the most played online game for PC. Today, we offer a similar version for Virtual Skipper in order to open the exceptional quality niche game that is so popular with sailing fans. Being a free game that is easily accessible will help it reach a large audience to become a strong benchmark in online games.

Two real life yachts are featured in Virtual Skipper Online, the Offshore Race, and the Melges 24, which each behave differently. In addition, Virtual Skipper Online also features real life watercourses - including Valencia, Marseille, Trapani, Malmö, San Francisco, Porto Cervo, Auckland, Vancouver, Wight, Quiberon, Rio, Qingdao, and our very own Sydney!

The client weighs in at around 880MB, and is free to play, so if you're keen for some yachting action, download it and give it a go!