Honoring the Legacy of Ilian Papini and Virtual Sailor NG

[adinavtec]

Dear Virtual Sailor community and nautical simulation enthusiasts,

With great respect and admiration, I would like to take a moment to honor the memory of Ilian Papini, the creator of Virtual Sailor NG, a project that set a milestone in the world of nautical simulators. Ilian dedicated nearly 30 years of his life to developing and perfecting this incredible platform, allowing us to explore the virtual world of sailing with realism and detail that few could match.

Ilian's work was not only a technical achievement but also a source of inspiration for many of us who share a passion for simulation and nautical exploration. However, after his passing, there is a risk that his legacy and all the effort he put into Virtual Sailor NG may fade over time. It would be a great loss for such remarkable work, creativity, and dedication to be forgotten.

That’s why I would like to propose something special to the community. I believe we could organize ourselves to reach out to Ilian’s family, with the intention of keeping his work alive and evolving. My suggestion is to explore the possibility of turning Virtual Sailor NG into an open-source project, where we can access the source programs and collaborate to improve and preserve it, while maintaining the original spirit of the creator.

Unfortunately, I do not have the means to contact Ilian’s family directly. Perhaps someone closer to him or with more information could help us establish this important connection in order to carry out this initiative. I am sure his family would appreciate knowing how much his work meant to us and how we would love to keep it alive.

I understand that this could be a complex and delicate endeavor, which is why I also suggest organizing a fundraiser to donate to Ilian’s family, in recognition of his legacy and support for the work he left behind. This fundraiser could serve as a gesture of gratitude for everything Virtual Sailor NG has given us over the years.

I’m confident that many in this community feel the same and would be willing to contribute, whether by offering their knowledge, their time, or a donation. Together, we could make this project a reality and ensure that Ilian’s vision continues to sail through virtual seas for many more years.

I hope to count on the community’s support and open a dialogue on how we could move forward with this idea in memory of Ilian.

Kind regards to all

[ekeimaja]

I started planning this same immediately after learning Ilan's passing away. Also there was a short discussion in the Facebook group, but sadly that post is deleted for some reason.

There have been attemps to contact Ilan's family, including me, but sadly the family members have been reluctant towards anything related to VS future. That is really sad, but it is what it is.

[adinavtec]

Thank you for sharing this information. It’s a shame that the family doesn’t want to continue with the project, but it’s understandable given the pain they must be going through. Still, it’s good to know that there were attempts to make contact, even if they weren’t successful. Perhaps it could be revisited in the future. In the meantime, I’m available to help in any way needed.

I had the opportunity to exchange many messages with Ilan about bugs, which he kindly fixed, and I always found him to be a person passionate about his programs.

[syrphid]

You read my mind, adinavtec. I am ready to sign up every word. And everything said also applies to other Ilan's programs.

Time cures. and with hope for the future, things can change.

[polaris]

For the time being I think is important to keep the community united. I'm not sure this forum will survive the time, we will see. I know there are two facebook groups dedicated to this simulator. I follow them from time to time to check the news about anything related.

[Sailorjohn]

There is also a dedicated Discord thread for VSNG, and the Sim3D website hosts a large inventory of NG vessels and scenery.

[MokMok]

There is also a dedicated Discord thread for VSNG, and the Sim3D website hosts a large inventory of NG vessels and scenery.

Do you have the Discord link of VSNG?

[Sailorjohn]

I don't have a link to the Discord server, per se...but here's the link to Sim3D where there is a direct link to their Discord Server which has an active VSNG group of over 400. That server also has a Navismaster thread, working on creation of a new nautical simulator. There are quite a few old VSers there including Axe and yours truly. You'll see a lot of familiar faces and ships there, including all of Sharpy's models.

https://sim3d.snabbserver.com/

[TheLonesomeSkipper]

I have thought about it, but I'm letting time pass a little more, just to see...

As of this post, I'm still alive and well. I just banned and removed a bunch of spammers as of writing this post. Hopefully we'll see a change for Virtual Sailor for the better. In the meantime, I'll just wait...

Fair winds, Ilan.

Best regards,

TheLonesomeSkipper.