*DISCLAIMER* I am Tacticat Admin, so, expect some bias in my opinions
Classical sim software are mostly sail sims. Trying to provide a close simulation to be in the water.
Tacticat (http://www.tacticat.com) is a RACE sim. Focused to face the user with the same situations he would find in a real around-the-cans race.
Tacticat is a tactical trainer for cat races. You are not handling the boat, you give tactical commands. The less use of keys, the better.
Tacticat works with schemas, no nice graphical display. No clouds, no land or seascapes, no birds
Tacticat is on-line real-time internet. No stand alone program to sail. Always against/with others.
Tacticat is owned, programmed and administered by cat sailors (racin' Hobies 16 and 14 at Nationals and Continentals). Was created as an aid to Cat sailing. First versions were based in Hobie 16 polars, more modern versions have chosen a faster and quick-tacker boat (due to a variety of reasons I will no comment).
Tacticat is free, its primary goal to promote sail racing in general and cat-sailing specifically.
Tacticat works as a class and a club. We do have our national championships, the weekly races and a world wide community. More than 200 hundred sailors (mostly cat sailors, mostly Hobie sailors) meet at tacticat to race and improve our racing skills.
As Tacticat admin, I invite you to join us.
And that because 'yhe more we are, the funnier it is.
aestela