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A young New Zealand sailor has beaten hundreds of competitors worldwide to secure a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Barcelona after winning a regatta with a difference...
Fourteen-year-old Liam Dimock will compete in the America's Cup sailing e-series grand final in the Spanish city next month after winning last week's qualifying series.
Dimock outmanoeuvred at least 700 other gamers in an AC40 simulator to book his place in the series finale, presented by the America's Cup to coincide with the real event.
His achievement is even more remarkable because he stumbled across the video game by chance - and only because illness kept him from sailing.
Dimock, an avid ILCA 6 sailor, was about to start his pre-season training when he contracted Covid-19 in late June. Unable to take to the water, he tried the next best thing - perfecting his virtual tacking and gybing.
Liam Dimock and his dad David after he won the final race. Photo / America's Cup
"I'm crazy about sailing, so when the doctor booked me off for a few weeks, I was trying to find ways to stay involved in the sport without actually being on the water," Dimock said.
"I found this game online and thought I'd check it out. I'd never heard of it before, and I didn't know there was an America's Cup competition, but it seemed like a bit of fun. Soon, I was winning about 90 per cent of my races, so I thought I might as well give it [the e-series] a go."
Just over two months later, Dimock beat an estimated 700 other players to reach the final stage of qualifying.
Last week, he lined up against seven other e-sailors from around the world, including Canada, Denmark, Albania, and Spain, for five races of about 10 minutes each (with two- to three-minute pre-starts).
The Wentworth College student triumphed over Danish gamer Lukas for the title by winning a tense final race, feeling a mix of "excitement and relief."
"Going into the last race, I wasn't thinking about match-racing Lukas or focusing too much on points - because whenever I've done that in the past, it hasn't gone too well for me," Dimock said.
"I just wanted to sail a good race, but Lukas had a bad start, and I knew that if I kept it clean, I could do it."
Dimock beat hundreds of competitors from across the world sailing an AC40 simulator. Photo / America's Cup
The moments after he crossed the finish line first were "crazy."
"My dad was screaming, my sister was screaming. My mum was at work, but even she was screaming over the phone. It was a very cool feeling."
Dimock logged around 240 hours preparing for the series, working on different setups for the boat, strategising for various in-race scenarios, reviewing mistakes from earlier races, and playing the game.
He believes his real-life sailing background gave him a definite advantage.
"I have a few mates who aren't sailors who took the 'learn to sail' course [offered with the game], and a few of them do okay, but not quite at the same level as the sailors," Dimock said.
"A few of the other guys also sail the ILCA 6; one is involved in TP52s, and another is about to start his Olympic campaign."
Dimock started sailing at the age of 7 - first in the O'pen Skiff, before moving into the Starling, and for the last two years in the class formerly known as the Laser Radial.
"I had to choose between rugby and sailing when I was younger, and I'm happy I chose sailing. I'd like to sail at the Olympics one day - whether that's in the ILCA or another class, we'll have to wait and see."
Dimock is an avid ILCA 6 sailor whose trademark yellow helmet has earned him the nickname Helmet Boy. Photo / Live Sail Die
He wore the same yellow helmet that he sails with throughout the e-series qualifier, earning him the nickname Helmet Boy online.
"It's actually an orange helmet, but it's discoloured from all the sun over the years. It's always been a bit of a lucky charm for me when sailing, so I thought I'd wear it for this series, and it seemed to work!"
He'll travel to Barcelona for the grand final late next month and will be preparing as best he can, with upcoming school exams limiting his screen time.
"I'll spend at least an hour a day on the game - which is still quite a lot - and really ramp it up in the final few weeks," Dimock said.
"My parents are happy for me to put in the time practising as long as I can keep up with my schoolwork. They know sailing is what I want to do with my life."
How would success in the grand final compare to the thrill of winning races on the water?
"Some of these e-races are pretty exciting," Dimock said before a long pause.
"But yeah, nothing quite compares to the feeling of sailing an actual boat."
