America's Cup: Ground-breaking computer game now available for everyone to play
Max Gasser
· 09.04.2024
The AC40 simulator developed by the team from New Zealand costs 80,000 euros, and the complex software can be downloaded onto your own computer for a whopping 4,000 euros a year. However, this experience - or at least an approximation of it - is now available completely free of charge.
The computer game "AC Sailing", also developed by Emirates Team New Zealand, can now be downloaded from Steam and Epic Games. It should not only impress fans of the America's Cup with its graphics, but also utilises the technology of professional simulators. A number of youth and women's teams, including the German campaign led by Paul Farien and Carolina Werner, are preparing for their big event in Barcelona using only this technology.
Team New Zealand's Technical Director Dan Bernasconi explains: "AC Sailing is based on the powerful 'Gomboc' physics engine developed by Emirates Team New Zealand and used by most America's Cup teams for yacht design and sailor training." The computer game is the result of over ten years of development work.
"The best "AC Sailing" players have the potential to sail on the AC40 in real life"
Since 7 p.m., sailing and gaming enthusiasts who have a suitable computer have the opportunity to "AC Sailing" free of charge to see the results of this work for yourself. A live broadcast started at 18:20 on the Twitch streaming platform. To kick things off, sailing stars such as Ruggero Tita (Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli) and Dylan Fletcher (INEOS Britannia) gave a first impression and sailed in a show match against sailors from the youth and women's campaigns as well as an e-athlete. DSV Youth Chairman Jonathan Koch, himself a successful e-sailor, was on hand as co-commentator.
In addition to the one-design AC40s, whose rudders the players can take over in various game modes, the core components of the game also include real sailing locations such as the Cup area off Barcelona. The former not only serve as a training and testing platform for the teams in the real Cup world, but will also be used in the America's Cup for youth and women.
With fleet races for up to eight boats, the game also offers a similar regatta mode. In contrast to the "big" America's Cup, the Youth and Women's AC will initially be sailed in fleet races with six boats over several elimination rounds before a final match race is held. This one-on-one competition typical of the America's Cup will also take place in "AC Sailing", so the video game should be very close to the real competition.
America's Cup enters the world of e-sports - Regatta series announced
The races will also take place online, meaning users can put their skills to the test against sailors from all over the world. The game will also feature special challenges in single-player mode, targeted race training and the option of free sailing. For sailing newcomers and beginners, the game also includes various tools and a tutorial that introduces the most important aspects of sailing. The developers of "AC Sailing" have thus set themselves the ambitious goal of creating a realistic and thrilling sailing experience that is suitable for both beginners and experienced sailors.
The America's Cup E-Series was announced at the same time as the game release. This e-sports format will initially be open to all players. Online qualifiers can be used to secure a place for the grand final in Barcelona in September. If Dan Bernasconi is to be believed, this could be a great opportunity: "We believe that the best "AC Sailing" players have the potential to sail on the AC40 in real life - just like the women and youth sailors did when training for the Youth and Women's America's Cup."
No pay-to-win for America's Cup victory
And it's completely free. Although there will be in-game purchases, they will only be for visual additions that do not affect the course of the game. The full range of functions of the computer simulation can also be used without such purchases. Unlike in many other games, so-called pay-to-win is therefore excluded. As is usual in a one-design class, victory on the virtual regatta course has to be fought for.
The last time there was such a game was at the 32nd America's Cup in 2007. However, this was much more of an integration into "Virtual Skipper 5". A similar video game, "Virtual Regatta Inshore", has established itself on mobile devices in recent years. In addition to more than ten other classes, the large AC75s were already available for online multiplayer races at the last 36th America's Cup. In "Virtual Regatta", even e-sailing world championships and other national championships are held. There is also an offshore version in which, for example, The Ocean Race and the Vendée Globe can be contested virtually live during the respective race under real weather conditions.
Technical details and system requirements for "AC Sailing"
To play AC Sailing, you need at least a Windows 10 64-bit operating system. In terms of processor performance, your computer should have at least an Intel Core i5-6600 (3.3Ghz) or an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 (3.2Ghz). This requires 8 GB RAM. Your graphics card should be at least as powerful as an Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB or an AMD RX 570 8GB. The game also requires DirectX version 11 and at least 10 GB of free memory. The game also requires an Epic ID account.
If you want to enjoy the game in optimum quality, the developers recommend the following slightly higher system requirements: Here, the computer should have 16GB of RAM and be equipped with an Intel Core i7-8700 (3.2Ghz) or an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (3.6 Ghz). For the graphics card, an Nvidia RTX 2070 8GB or an AMD RX 5700XT 8GB is recommended for an optimal gaming experience. The DirectX and free memory requirements remain the same.
