By Alexander Smith
BARCELONA (Reuters) – The winner and runner-up of the first America’s Cup e-series were given the opportunity to test their skills on a real AC40 this week.
New Zealanders Liam Dimock, 14, who won the virtual America’s Cup series under the moniker “eSailingCentral” and runner-up Robbie Wooldridge, 19, who is known as “Booshify”, were given the chance to race the United States women’s team.
“It was amazing, just experiencing the speed and everything, like 37 knots in very light winds is just not something I’m used to,” said Wooldridge, who spotted the e-series on Instagram and decided to give it a go.
Although the pair, who co-helmed with the support of two of New Zealand’s youth team, led for the first lap, line honours went to the U.S. women as they struggled to keep foiling.
Wooldridge told Reuters that at one stage he was gaming for up to 40 hours a week to hone his skills, practice which paid off when he out-sailed thousands of competitors to reach last weekend’s grand final in Barcelona.
Dimock said he had got into the game after he was told by doctors he was close to having pneumonia and to stop training in his “actual” dinghy for a couple of months.
“I was like: ‘how do I keep my mind sharp?’ … and that was when I had a look and found AC Sailing,” Dimock said, adding that he was normally “more involved in sailing than gaming”.
Dimock told Reuters that winning the e-series still felt “unreal” and going back to his ILCA 6 dinghy would feel “slow”, joking that his friends were jealous and a bit “star struck”.
“I want to go back on the AC40 … that was a really cool boat,” said Dimock, adding that sitting in the futuristic foiling monohull’s cockpit was “like driving a Formula One car”.
While simulators had a place when the wind was either too strong or not blowing enough to sail, “nothing can beat the real thing” Wooldridge said.
The pair, who are both from Auckland and shared tips and practised together, also met New Zealand skipper Pete Burling.
Although Dimock will not be staying for the America’s Cup, where New Zealand will face Britain or Italy, he hopes his win proves a good omen.
“Hopefully it’s good luck for the real Cup,” he said.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Toby Davis)
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