2007 RONSTAN A-CLASS CATAMARAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
The USA Brings its Best to the Home Field

With a record setting 100 boats pre-registered, the 2007 A-Class World Championship sponsored by Ronstan, FSE Robline, Corum, and West Marine is now only weeks away. The regatta will take place at The Islander resort hotel in Islamorada, FL beginning on 9-November, 2007 and running through 16, November 2007.  The Week will bwegin with the Blue Water Classic warm up regatta on 8-9, November. The Islander has been hosting the US A-Class for its last two midwinter race weeks and was the unanimous choice by the US class as the best venue to host this world championship. The race site is a 9 square mile area of the Atlantic ocean protected by an offshore reef. Sailors will enjoy clear aqua water and hopefully warm and consistent easterly winds of 8-15 knots.

The international contingent includes Glenn Ashby from Australia who will be racing to defend his 2006 title. Glenn is a multiple world champion in the class and is regarded as the best A-Class sailor ever. In addition, Glenn is regarded as a favorite to medal in the 2008 Tornado Olympic event in Qingdao, China with his teammate Darren Bundock. In addition to Ashby, other top international sailors racing will include past world champions Scott Anderson and Nils Bunkenberg, Olympic medalists Andrew Landenberger and Goran Marstrom, New Zealand champion Murray Philpott, top Dutch sailors Sjoerd Hoekstra, Pieterjan Dwarshuis, and Piet Saarberg, Alinghi designer Mike Drummond (New Zealand), and top Swiss sailors Dieter Melcher and Luc De Bois.

The USA will have all of its top A-Class sailors challenging the international contingent. At the top of the list is three time North American champion Lars Guck who has been dominating US A-Class sailing for the last two years. In the last two North American championships, Lars has won every race. Right beside Lars will be 1997 and 2005 A-Class World Champion Pete Melvin. Pete’s speed and consistency make him a favorite for a podium finish especially given the size of this fleet. Other top US sailors that are certainly contenders to finish in the top ten include Phil Kinder, Olympic medalists Pease and Jay Glaser, 505, I-14, and 18’ Skiff World Champion Howie Hamlin, Olympic medalist Charlie Ogeltree, and Ben Hall who may be racing with a radical solid wing sail (still testing and evaluating).

Many sailors are watching this regatta closely as several new platforms are making their debuts. These include the next evolution of the Marstrom which now has hulls that are canted and has a revised volume distribution for better performance in waves and chop, the Nikita which is an evolution of the original Flyer, a Peter Cogan design that is an evolution of the proven Bimare XJ, and the radical LR2 designed and built by Ian and John Lindhal. These new designs will be joined by the proven Flyer Mk I and Mk II, the Bimare XJ, and the Melvin A2/A3. Except for the potential appearance of the Hall solid wing rig, most sailors will likely be using carbon masts from Hall, Fiberfoam, Saarberg, or Marstrom and square top sails from Ashby, Glaser, Ullman, and Landenberger. While clearly a development class, advancements in A-Class performance have for the last 10 years been subtle never immediately making obsolete the current designs and allowing active sailors to pass on older but still competitive equipment to new sailors. This trend has been very good for class growth.

Stay tuned to www.acatworlds.com to get all the latest news and results when the racing begins in mid-November.

Bob Hodges
US A-CLASS President
Bobh79@bellsouth.net
A-Class USA 230

Here is the British Site which has a used section and an active class.

http://www.aclasscatamaran.co.uk/ - http://www.aclasscatamaran.co.uk/

Here are 2 of the new designs;  the boat on the left is Ben Hall's new Peter Cogan designed A-Class (a further evolution of the XJ, no name yet) featuring a rigid wing sail.  the one on the right is Ian Lindahl's/ Richard Roake designed/John Lindahl built LR2 featuring radical wave-piercing hulls.  Both boats will be at the Worlds in November.

Fair Winds

Boy, those A Class look good.  If only I didn't sail on a pond...

Looks like a strong fleet for the worlds, I shall follow the regatta with interest.  ts disappointing that there doesn't seem to be any UK entries though? 

I am not sure why none of the UK Sailors are entered in the event.  There definately was a worldwide allocation for the event.  After qualifying was finished, there were 32 at large position available.

the fleets only small here at the moment but growing by the day.I think with the cost it was just one event to many this year but maybe next time there will be more takers.

anyway if your after a new or second hand aclass in the uk simon at http://www.jjcats.biz - www.jjcats.biz  will be able to sort you out

Thank you,

Thomas T Siders

US-79

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Numbe r=113917&an=0&page=0#Post113917

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Numbe r=119274&an=0&page=7#Post119274

http://boatdesign.net/forums/showthread.php?t=18037

Here is Ben Hall's -Peter Cogan Designed A-Class "an evolution of the XJ" with it's Rigid wing prior to the mylar film being applied.

Are you Bob or Thomas?  I'm easily confused!

Anyhow, at least I now know who to badger for info.  Too bad you can't make it.

I take it Ashby is favourite?

A sailing shot from Lake Hopatcong.

The LR2

If they were not quicker, why would the C class use them?

Here is the list of favorites and their platform, sail choice.

Glenn Ashby, Geltek Flyer MKII, Ashby Main, fiberfoam Mast

Lars Guck, Custom Morreli-Melvin/Nacra A3, Glaser Main, Fiberfoam Mast

Pete Melvin, Morreli-Melvin/Nacra A3, Glaser Main, Hall Spar

Pease Glaser, Morreli-Melvin/Nacra A3, Glaser Main, Hall Spar

Ben Hall, Peter Cogan designed Nikita, Hall Rigid Wing

Ian Lindahl, Lindahl-Roake LR2, Hall Spar, Glaser Main

Interesting Additions to the Event:

Randy Smyth, Lindahl-Roake LR2, Smyth Main, Hall Spar

Howie Halmin, Morreli-Melvin A3, Hall Spar, Glaser Main

Scot Anderson, Geltek Flyer MKII, Fiberfoam Mast, Ashby Main

Charlie Ogletree, (Current Olympic Representative Tornado Glass) Bimare XJ???, Ullman Main, Mast???

Cam Lewis-???

Mitch Booth-???

Pieter Saarberg- ?, Saarberg mast

(Below is a copy of a letter to the usaca about promotion and the entry list)

From my long experience , - I would like to make clear that I am not a professional reporter, but only an aged multihull enthusiast, (my first article - on the 1982 A class Worlds – was printed on Multihulls Magazine and more recently I took care of the advertising/promotional work for the last three editions of the Little America’s Cup) -, many editors are keen to publish good stuff regarding catamaran sailings (just to name a few James Boyd of TheDailysail.com, who started as UK correspondent of Charles Chiodi’s Multihulls Magazine, the same Charles Chiodi, the guys at Yachts and Yachting, also on their line edition, Jean-Christophe Guillaumin of Multicoques/Multihulls-World etc. On the other hand I had no success with Sailing World and Seahorse (but Scuttlebutt.com was kind to host quite a few reports).

Hi Tom - now you're called Maurizio as well?!

Well, I hope Y&Y publish everything you give them.  Has their been a dinghy champiosnship with a stronger line up this year?  Or with more interesting gear?A Class cats are fab.

One of the reasons that I have posted this anywhere that I can is to bring to light the participation that this year's 2007 Ronstan A-Cat Worlds has generated.  I have gotten the ISAF to post it on their site as well as on many other sites.  The regatta is generasting a great deal of press.  With six former Olympic medalists in attendance and well as 2-4 current Olympic team members, 8-10 former or current world champions, the regatta is truly in the spotlight.  The timing of it is great for the need to garner press attention to the Multihull side of the sport.

As to exposure and attention to multihulls, we as sailors need to get involved at an organizational level.  This means joining the establishment, getting involved at local, regional and national level.  I am trying for a spot on the multihull commitee at USSailing to try to get involved.

You know that old musical names game!

Who said no brits ???

I see Micky Todd sailing in pre worlds regatta , right end of the fleet .

Mickey ran Pink Hammer sails which some of you may remember when he lived in uk , its says ESP against his name in results , but he's a brit as far as I know .

go Mickey !

He was furthest traveller at first Loch Ness too !

This years winner hard act to follow in travelling departement !

Harsh words in the race report about one competitor (Mitch Booth?):

The second controversy involved one boat that was called OCS and then requested Redress on the grounds that the RC was late in raising the Individual Recall Flag. After the hearing, the International Jury decided to award Redress points to the competitor even though he admitted at the hearing that he knew he was over early. Based on the facts found, this was what the Jury thought was the appropriate outcome. Needless to say, the Fleet is a tad bit upset with this compromise decision. Sea Lawyers who use the rules to gain an advantage in this manner are never looked on with respect in our sport.

Talk about passion    -    check this gem courtesy of posting in SA forum

"Anyway, there was one sailor from Rhode Island who had his boat hit by anoter (he was starboard, other guy on port - from what I was led to believe). Damage was done to the extent that Rhode Island had to withdraw and return to shore. Honestly, I did not witness this - Swear To God. The dude sailed in beating one of his bows cursing up a storm. Once he got to shore he was seen kicking and beating the broken bow. The madder he got, the more people just backed away. Eventually, this individual was reported to have taken his daggerboard and in the most literal sense I can express, proceeded to use his daggergboard as an axe an hack the bow off his boat. Seriously, this gentleman from Rhode Island stood there on shore and used his daggerboard as an axe and severed one of his bows from the rest of the hull. There are still pieces on the beach!!! Again, I was at the other end of the course, so I didn't witness anything. But, as I understand things, he was clearly the starboard tack boat and he got T-Boned by a port tacker. It was a bit unnerving to walk the beach afterward and listen to those who witnessed this. Earlier this week, this same individual said to my wife (after she told him that she was runnin the Pin Boat and didn't have any problem calling any boat OCS) that he had five sisters and that he wasn't afraid of hitting a woman. "

Sounds like a tense regatta !!

Our very own Micky Todd is lying 37th overall in this fleet of superstars And maniacs (it seems  )

ahead of "names " such as Jay Glaser a top Us sailmaker

Go Micky !!!!!!!

He can also be seen in UK at times sporting a Solo under the Largo Bay SC Banner , must be the ton up competition that attracts him.