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There are probably few more stimulating or exhilarating experiences than standing before the mast of a multi-million pound yacht as it zips through the sea.

Sadly, America's Cup Challenge did not convey any of that excitement for me. All you get are tiny little boats that would look more at home on the park's boating pond than in the raging seas off Australia. Perhaps I'm being a little unfair, I'm sure there are some people who'll get great pleasure controlling the yacht's direction, selecting sails and winching sails up and down. Not me, I'm afraid.

In the US the game is called Arnie's America's Cup Challenge. Who's Arnie? Apparently, he's a skipper of one of the American boats attempting to restore honour by winning the cup back. A quick read of the copious notes which arrived with the game failed to uncover any other reference to this mysterious chap.

The blurb I received with the game also included an "armchair guide to the America's Cup". This I found more interesting than the game itself. It's most enlightening on spreaders, goosenecks, coaming and the coffee grinder (no, it's not something used to prepare a drink for the crew).

Not to the simulation. One or two players can take part with three levels of play - amateur, club race and America's Cup. Racing conditions are set by the computer.

All your options for sailing are controlled from the joystick-helm, sail selection and winching. It's then off to try and sail the course aiming for market buoys, keeping an eye on the clock, boat speed, compass, and, of course, the opposition.

If the two yachts become too far away from each other, the screen splits. Messages about changing conditions are also flashed up on the screen.

It's a good idea to watch the demonstration mode of the game to get an idea of what's going on.

So if you're into the intricate details of sailing yachts then America's Cup Challenge could be of interest to you. But if you're just into messing about in boats, forget it.