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* “Virtual Skipper”:http://www.virtualskipper-game.com/. Yet another of these games. Alex has actually played this and the most amazing thing about are the graphics. You really feel as though you are right there in the boat. There is also Internet and LAN play so you can hang with others. “IGN”:http://pc.ign.com/articles/692/692466p1.html rated it 6.8/10. It has four boats to sail and only a few missions. But, they didn’t like it mainly because it was _too_ realistic so I wouldn’t be too concerned about the low point score. It’s terrific for folks who love sailing and its probably the best there. Overall, “Metacritic”:http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/virtualskipper4 shows that the game is good, but it doesn’t have enough rocket booster and guns for the teenager.
* “Virtual Transat”:http://www.virtualtransat.com/vt/index.php. This might be too real world, but this is a real time virtual sailor. You actually logon to a web site and really do sail over 90 days or so it takes to go across TRANS ATlantic. It is a high level simulator, in that you register to a virtual regatta, there is a huge map with winds and then you pick your course, so while Virtual Skipper is about tactics, this is about strategy. Should you go high or low, through a big wind or around. See “wikipedia”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-handed_sailing for more on single handed racing.

Here are some casual versions that were frankly kind of cheap looking on a fancy PC:

* “Virtual Sailer”:http://www.hangsim.com/vs/. Wow, the list just doesn’t end. The graphics don’t look super though, more flat colors and it is a DirectX 8.0 application so a little old and it is a 1999 application that really looks it.
* “Sailing Simulator”:http://www.sailsimulator.com/ Another cool niche application, there is also a motorboat simulator by the same guys. This by the way is a real training application for sailers. They have a demo version too and it looks kind of toylike like Virtual Sailor.
* “Posey Sail”:http://www.poseysail.com/ also has one. that lets you learn tactics. If you can believe it they have five different version and plenty of demos including a coastal cruising, novice instructor, distance racing, sailing tactics (including competitive) and advanced racing. It may be accurate, but it sure isn’t too pretty.
* “21st Century Sailing Simulator”:http://www.21stcenturypublishing.com/. This demo I actually couldn’t get to run.
* “Volvo Sailing Simulator”:http://www.nationalgeographic.com/volvooceanrace/interactives/sailing/index.html. A simple application, it shows you how to adjust the rudder and most importantly how to sheet in or sheet out to get maximum speed. Not a long term game, but fun to teach folks.