INTRODUCTION Bring back the America's Cup. It's a one-on-one race between two high performance sailing machines. And you're at the helm. Do you have what it takes to bring back the Cup? Action packed racing. You round the last mark two lengths behind. Only a few meters to go and your eating his "dirty air." With a desperate burst of energy, you winch up the heavy spinnaker a split-second faster than the startled Aussies. Catching a 25-knot gust, you pull dead even, look em' in the eye, and shout, "G'day, mate." Now… it's a sprint to the finish line. Competitive sailing is a lot more than a suntan and deck shoes. One wrong move, and you could burst a $10,000 spinnaker. Or worse, end up with a wet and angry grinder overboard! Realistic simulation: - Race the actual 24.3 mile course off the coast of Perth, in Western Australia. - Constantly changing wind, weather and water conditions. - Authentic 12-meter racing tactics. Track on to a wind shift. Luff to windward and hinder an overtaking yacht. - Follows International Yacht Racing guidelines. All infringements are penalized. - Realistic yacht performance and high-speed sailing action, including potential mechanical and crew failures. - Intense grinder action. Physically control genoa and spinnaker winching. - Extensive manual includes a history of the America's Cup Challenge and guide to 12-meter sailing. And they're off… Critical pre-race maneuvering launches you first off the line as the starting gun fires. Sailing tactics. The overhead navigational chart provides weather forecasts and yacht position. Grinding to victory. Brains and brawn required. Quick winching can be the difference between winning and losing. This crack Australian crew, Micro Forte', wants you to know that they have devoted the past year of their lives (and a lot of cracker biscuits and smoked oysters), to bringing you this sailing simulation. They hope that you gather from it the same sense of excitement and enthusiasm for the upcoming America's Cup challenge that they currently share with all their fellow countrymen down under. Micro Forte' consists of four full time programmers, Stephen Lewis, Stephen Wang, John Reidy and John De Margheriti. As well, Terry Jones helped out a great deal before leaving work on his Ph.D. They share a common goal in wanting to create the most visually impressive and technically competent software possible. They also hope Australia retains the Cup! 1987 America's Cup challenge Perth, Australia. Fourteen challengers from 16 countries will be in Australian waters beginning in October 1986, trying to take possession of the America's Cup. Australia, which startled the world with a dramatic come-from-behind victory three years ago, has vowed to keep the Cup in Australian possession. The 24.3 mile course for the boats is off the Western Australian coast near Perth. The America's Cup schedule: - October 5 - January 23: America's Cup challenger elimination races (Louis Vuitton Cup). - October 19: Blessing of the Fleet. - December 29 - January 7, 1987: Semi-finals, challenger eliminations. - January 13 - 23, 1987: Finals, challenger eliminations. - January 16 - 25: Finals, defender eliminations. - January 31 - February 20: America's Cup finals.