Rating: 4/5

Virtual Skipper 5 is the latest release from French game developers Nadeo. The new installment adds many improvements over its predecessors, particularly in the areas of graphics and AI.

Virtual Skipper 5 features all 12 boats from this year’s America’s Cup as well as the Trimaran Open 60, the Offshore Racer and the Melges 24. The quality of the America’s Cup boats is fantastic. The liveries on the boats are detailed right down to every minor sponsor. All the crew on board are dynamic and grind the sails as you change tack and move about as you hoist the spinnaker after rounding the mark. The AI is really competitive – they react to wind-shifts and as you turn up the difficulty they begin to act exactly like the real thing, competing with you in the start box and fighting for the best side of the course and forcing you into penalties.

There are 14 waterways in Virtual Skipper 5, but Valencia is the main site, where all the America’s Cup action takes place. However, you can also take part in other regattas or create your own. Auckland is featured and includes the inner harbour right through to the outer Hauraki gulf, with Rangitoto, the North Shore, and the CBD all being featured in great detail. San Francisco Bay and Sydney are the other highlights for me.

Two things make Virtual Skipper 5 fantastic, though. One is the graphics and the second is the level of realism. You have to remember that Virtual Skipper 5 is a simulator, not a game. Getting the best settings for the graphics takes some time, but when you get it all set up right for your computer the results are breath taking. The water moves with waves and your boat creates wake as it moves through it. Sunlight reflects on your boat and this reflects onto the water, you can see the wind affecting the water with calm and rough patches, and my favourite is the water drops forming on the camera lens in rain.

You can get Virtual Skipper both from your local computer store or from the official website (www.virtualskipper-game.com) with the exchange rate being so good it cost me $63 to get it over the internet (in stores it is $80), and it took me just under three hours to download the 900mb file.