After the Southern Ocean conditions on Monday, then the Prosecco sailing of Tuesday, Wednesday was always going to be a come down at the World A-Class Cat Championships in Punta Ala, Italy. And so it was, the winds of the Golfo Di Follonica needed a rest. Both Classic and Open foiling fleets remained bolted to the sandy beaches of the PuntAla Camp & Resort for a few hours more that the sailors cared for. There was only so much lovely Italian coffee to be drunk before the visions started to appear as they developed caffeine overdoses.
And as many of the WAGs had all gone off on a tour to Sienna’s coffee shops and patisseries, they were now forced to talk to each other. As is the way with many men, some discovered the guy they sailed with for to years actually had kids or had been married three times. Others never realised that someone else was a former World Hang Gliding Champion or saying something along the lines of ‘Oh, I hadn’t realise she wasn’t your wife..” to that guy you only saw at overseas events, that sort of stuff.
But eventually the red and white striped pennant of doom was dropped and the all boats afloat flag went up. The beach suddenly became as busy as an aircraft carrier deck at launch time, sails pushed up, rudders plugged on, foils safely clipped to the footstraps because they sink really fast if you drop them, and they all headed off for their respective race areas, Classics South, Opens to the North. Once there, they tested all the sailing angles, pin end position, pinged the line on their GPS. Finally they came under starters orders for the off.
The winds were steady direction wise, but a variable 5-8 knts of pressure. Over on the Classic course, the sailors, particularly those who sailed at the weekend event, knew that there was a lift to be found by sailing to the course left, was the wind followed the curve of the small peninsula, South of the sailing area. This meant it was to be a left up, left down course, rather like a reversed Lake Garda situation. At the gun, the fleet set off, with World Classic No. 2 Gustavo Dorest, ESP 72, nailing the pin. He was being followed by another ESP sailor, the Expat Scot Micky Tod, ESP 7, who also loves the pin end. As the fleet started to stretch, out, boats in poor positions tacked away for the right as to sit in a poor position, being covered by someone else is madness. Eventually the fleet rejoined at the top.
Most of the top early rounders had come up from the left, maybe because they started nearer the pin. First around was Chris Batchelor ISV 1 on his DNA F1, but he was chased by Ben Hall, USA 99, and this veteran sailor was on a mission. As expected, the German light wind expert, George Reutter GER 2 was close, but Gustavo was still up there, looking to expunge his first race DNF points, having already won the three Tuesday races. Most tried the left of the course initially, but the wind was such that patches appeared all over, so most simply chased those to avoid the holes, rather like sailing along a big next, trying to keep to the ropes.
At the bottom, Gustavo had passed the others, but Ben Hall doggedly kept at it, and split the course at the bottom, going to the left again. George was always there too. He simply cannot get enough of this stuff. Back at the top, it was Ben, George and Gustavo, but now they were joined by Jose Lopez ESP 52 and Marco Radman ITA 55. Back to the bottom, Ben and most of the others went to the left again, sailing at 8 kts or so in the fickle strength wind. On the last downwind, Ben (78) was just going deeper that the rest, on his French Blue Scheurer, and the fella finally won his first ever Worlds race, after a record number of Worlds races through some 14 World Championships, and the builder of 6 A-Cats, and over 100 A-Cat masts, claimed that Old Guys Rule! Gustavo was a happy second and King George came in Third.
Over on the Open course the top sailors had emerged again. Current leader and reigning World Champ, Kuba Surowiec POL 41, Mischa Heemskerk NED 007, Darren Bundock AUS 88, Manolo Calavia ESP 11, Ravi Parent USA 76 and Stevie Brewin AUS 4 were all in action, fast, even in the light stuff. The wind had increased a little, so they we looking at numbers of 13-15+ knots uphill. Bundy rounded first, closely shadowed by Mischa and Manolo. This course was a little more open tactically, there didn’t look to have any one side massively favoured, so boats came and went on both sides. Bundy lead until the bottom mark of Lap 2, where Mischa seemed to find another gear after the mark rounding and pulled ahead with his characteristic muscular guns-out style.
Looking at the race tracker https://www.metasail.com/incoming/612/ it can be seen that me exceeded 23kts coming into that top mark, possibly as he’d slightly over layed it to guard against shifts, but that was some twice wind speed. Pretty impressive by any standards. But although he then led to the finish a lap later, Kuba was inexorably catching him up right until the end, to finish second. Ravi, also putting on a good spurt was third. Next was a virtual dead heat with Manolo just pipping Bundy at the line, shouting with exaltation something in Spanish.
Rider reset, game on for race 6 of the series. Interesting, no general recalls on either fleet yet too. These are well behaved sailors, take note you RS 200 and Oppy people, this is how it’s done!
On this Open race, Kuba nailed the pin decisively. An A-Cat start at this level is rather interesting. It’s rather like the British Grand National horse race, the sailors all jostle for position in the last three minutes or so, but by the one min gun, most seem to have settled into a place of sorts. Amazing that 80 off boats can cram into the start area and yet remain untouching! Then go! All haul in travellers and mainsheets, and within 7 seconds should be getting up towards full speed. Full speed obviously is sailor dependent, otherwise they would all pile into each other at the top mark wouldn’t they. The top guys in the fleet are the ones who can foil upwind in the light stuff, say from 7-8 kts of wind.
But the wind wasn’t that high, so close in trapezing was the best they could manage. At the top it was Joey Randall, AUS 22 leading the way, with Kuba and Stevie is persuit. Mischa was backin 4th and the Viking, Thomas Paasch, DEN 1 in 5th place. But gybing at the layline, Joey, always a bit of a fan of speed, decided to choose just speed. Kuba chose velocity, and as such was reaching the bottom mark at a much faster rate, sailing lower and just outstripping the rest of the fleet with seemingly minimal effort. All chose the right-hand bottom mark, but once rounded, threw in tacks to head back upwind on the left.
Now, remember that Viking? This is where he raided the fleet, and blasted inside at the mark, emerging on the starboard tack in 2nd place. Mischa was going faster, but Thomas was higher and out pointing him, and with Ravi trying to stay in touch with the top 3 boats. At the top mark, Kuba was increasing his lead, as was Thomas, who found pointing higher in the lightening winds paid dividends, and Mischa was now back in 5th, having had Ravi and Bundy pass him to windward.
At the finish, Kuba scored his 3rd bullet to further cement his lead on the Championship. Thomas got his Viking hoard with a second, and Bundy in at third, some 3+ minutes behind Kuba. However, more interestingly, another, as yet unmentioned sailor arrived in fourth. PJ Dwarshuis, NED 28, Mr DNA himself, sailed the race of his championship to arrive in that position. Interestingly, at the last Worlds in Toulon, in a similar light marginal wind race, he suddenly appeared and claimed the bullet, much to his huge amusement and happiness! It’s his ‘thing’ it seems.
By now the wind was starting to evaporate. Over on the Classic course, they race was finished after 2 laps of drifty shifty winds of 5 kts. Gustavo scored the win, wo consolidate his championship lead as enough races had been sailed for discards to occur, and he could shed those 89 points he got for his retirement on race one. With bullets in all the rest, he looks set for the title, as long as the wheels stay on. Second was Marco and third was the reigning Classic Champ, Scott Anderson AUS 31.
In all, it was a frustrating day for some. Places changed dramatically at times, some for the worse, others for the better. But it’s sailing. Wouldn’t be such fun if we never had days like this would it?
Speaking of frustrations, today, Thursday, the surf has come in and 18kts is blowing. The surf has prevented launching, so racing has been canned. Fingers crossed for a lovely final day tomorrow… Now where’s that kiteboard?
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