I’ve never had much of a chance to talk to or get to know Orca Flotta, although I’ve seen her out there racing in many regattas around Sl Sailing. I was happy to get the chance to have the following conversation with her.

Delinda Dyrssen: Hi Orca.. What got you into sailing in SL?
Orca Flotta: LOL, I used to sail in RL almost all my life, started when i was 7, and stopped about 10 years ago. It took me some time to find sailing in SL though. I always thought sailing boats in here are just decorated motorboats, then I saw some Tako’s in a SL video on Youtube and thought.. hey that looks quite “realistic”.

DD: It was a video that opened your eyes to sailing in SL.. Yes I think most people don’t realize that there is a huge difference between skippering a scripted sail boat and driving a point and steer motorboat on SL.
OF: Probably not, and I thought the same.

DD: How long ago was this.. and tell me about your first experiences sailing on SL?
OF: Oh my, I guess around October last year. My first experience was just skippering my Tako (what else) around the waters of the USS. I met M1sha (Dallin) and Jane (Fosset), they were nice enough to talk to me a stupid noob sailor. Then, hardly able to handle the Tako, never having heard of gestures and such, I attended my first race in Hollywood sim. What a hard school that was!

DD: So you went right into sailing in races then? What advice would you give to the new sailor who is wanting to race in SL?
OF: Well, from my humble point of view I would give the advice to read AC’s (Armchair Binder) famous notecard. It, and AC himself, helped me lots. He even remotely installed the Nicholaz viewer on my laptop. I never knew that those things are important, like how many prims and scripts you carry around with your avie.

DD: So after AC worked with you.. your racing started getting better.. tell me about your most exciting win!
OF: Well, I didn’t really become better, which is partly or mostly to blame on my laziness. I hate practicing :), but my most exciting win was just yesterday, Tako races in Plum Gut. Cacio and I crossed the finish with only a heartbeat difference. That was exciting. In 2 or 3 races we were sooo close. I guess I won in 2 of 3 races or so, but I don’t care much about who wins, as long as it’s fun!

DD: I understand your also a race director now.. tell me a little about when and where you do that.?
OF: Well, my official title may be Race Director but I call myself riot dictator. I only just started with the “Sailing for Life” Tako Competition we did in Mowry. Many if not most of the races Julia (Ceres) RD’d for me, since I was on my annual exile to Germany in RL. We used the EU friendly 12 (noon) time slot on Saturdays, and I want to keep that spot for future races. With different boat classes, starting this coming Saturday with a funny Wee Tiny Tako race.

DD: What other Sailing related things do you do in Mowry ?
OF: I’m a shop clerk at Saxxon’s store, telling people how wonderful his Tako textures are
and also I try to sell as lot of >->>>D SHARK stuff as possible.

DD: So when your not racing, directing a race or selling stuff in Mowry .. what else do you do in SL?
OF: As you can see we’re sitting right inside my second favorite SL pastime (a skyship you might see around Caledon). Like in sailing I love to explore so I have a whole fleet of flying vehicles to explore interesting areas with … from the air. In order to afford all that stuff I’m selling land and am a manager with one of SL’s bigger property firms.

DD: So work and play in SL. It really can be a second life cant it… go ahead, you can tell me the name of the property firm if you like.
OF: Yes, certainly, it’s Serena Estates, owned by Novellium Siddeley, for whom I’ve worked for quite a long time now. I started renting a skybox from him, then managed his club in a rental sim, did EN/DE translations and slowly grew into the job. I have a game plan, or my bbk* has a game plan for me, she refuses to support my lifestyle with any outside money. So poor little me has to earn her living here with hard work. (*.. ask Orca)

DD: Where is your favorite place to sail in SL? What is your favorite sailboat?
OF: Hard to say. Usually I would say it’s the USS (incl NE and SC) but with all the lag now, it’s hard to sail there, particularly with my bad connection from South Africa. Currently we experience less lag than the USS so I must say I prefer the mainland now.
OF: My favorite boat was and still is the Tako … and it’s bigger brother, the Tetra.