A-Class Cat European Championships 2025 at Riccione, Italy - Overall
by Gordon Upton 15 Jun 07:21 BST
9-13 June 2025
The final day had promised to be rinse and repeat yet again. Friday the 13th remember? But the race officers were determined not to be beaten and get as near a full series in as possible and at least get to that sailing holy grail of the second discard. Italian honour must be at stake too!
Once out on the course, it was found by the sailors that things were not as traumatic as the previous day wind-wise. 7 or so knots blew, so both fleets could at least trapeze upwind. On the Open course, to the North, the conditions were to become a masters showcase for the low wind foiling skills of Kuba.
Starting Open race 8, the same pattern emerged, no massive difference across the course, so non-upwind boat-speed was the king. 9+ knots was seen from both Kuba led at the top doing just over 9 kts, then pushed the throttles through the gate, and lit the afterburners. By the spreader mark he was flying at nearly 17 and the next sailor had yet to round! The rest could only watch open mouthed. It was Lamberto who gave chase first matching him until he gybed back for the bottom. Kuba was in fast taxi mode for a short while after his port tack before taking off and bearing away some 25 deg deeper to the gate. Lamberto, Manolo and the rest only really got foiling again as Kuba rounded the starboard end to commence his upwind and had tacked at the mark to go up on the left again. When he arrived back at the top of the third lap, he was a full leg ahead. At the finish, in true gentleman style, he simply cruised about until Lamberto came withing striking range before crossing the line. This was so as not to wipe out at least half the fleet as DNF due to the time out finishing rules. It was as perfect an example in favour of a GP style finish one could witness, and something the class is considering as we speak.
With the wind now being a steady 7-8 kts, Race 9 was rather similar, but with Kuba's countryman, Michal Korneszczuk POL111 getting his best result with 2nd ahead of Lamberto. And race 10, Emmanuel was very happy with his 2nd and Abdon with his 3rd. Also in that race, arriving in place, Katrin Brunner GER15 beat her partner Roeland Wentholt GER95 into 13th, so he buys dinner, with wine, and not that cheap rubbish you usually get Roeland!
Kuba thus wins Mischa's European Championship crown. Lamberto is runner up, and Manolo 3rd.
On the Classics, the stakes were less clear cut. The 2023 Classic World Champion, Scott Anderson AUS 31, was overnight leader with his typical pattern of always top 3, although the Thursday left him with a 5th, which quickly disappeared after the discard. It was the reigning Classic World Champion Gustavo Dorreste ESP 72 who had the work to do. His UFD penalty was gone with his discard, but he'd got that DSC penalty too in race 5 after not sailing though the bottom gate on a shortened course flag. The Ex-Olympian Spaniard was languishing down in 9th place, hoping the Gods granted them 9 races, so he had a second discard.
Race 8 went to Gustavo's script. A bullet in the 7 kt breeze was acceptable, and just ahead of Teo De Battista ITA 4, a great light airs expert, who had been rising up the positions nicely and banging in a good string of second places. He was Gustavo's greatest threat to the retention of this European Crown. Scotty came in 3rd, but no worries, his inner Aussie voice would have said, I've been here before, I can still do the big points.
Race 9 was to be the last run on the Classic course, and was the decider for the Championship and a crucial chance for many sailors to grab vital places. They all lined up and...HONK HONK HONK went Francisco, on his little horn. So keen they were, that half of the fleet were OCS, an easy thing to be in light winds in these boats. So, it was Control Alt Delete and start again. After 15 mins, they finally go going.
Gustavo nails the pin, Scotty about 5 boats up, Teo a third further up again. Virtually all the boats carry on up the left. Then Scotty breaks across first, weaving though the starboard boats. Gustavo carries on a short while, then he goes to the right too, but Teo crosses ahead of him still on starboard as the Spainard dips other boats in pursuit of Scotty. By now, most are tacking across, all on the trapeze, sailing at 8-9 kts, enjoying the mindfulness sailing brings so well. Teo is in the commanding position, his later tack puts him further up on the lay line and much nearer the mark. But Scotty had found the pressure he'd hoped for and was making 1.5kts faster progress. Scotty and Teo round together, Gustavo is back in 7th after tangling with boats on the starboard tack.
Then it was downhill, into their low drag modes. Classics are so much nicer the foilers here. Scotty leads Teo now, but Georg Horn GER 10 is entering their battle. Georg is a Lichtwindmeister and thus dangerous to them. But Gustavo, is slightly faster but upwind of them. They all look to be funneling into a lighter patch, so gybe for the left. But now, Gustavo has about a knot faster speed, being slightly to windward. Scotty is closer to the mark and tacks to go through rounding it to starboard, and closely followed by Teo. Gustavo has gybed rather too early, so needs to get back. He then gets tangled in a few other boats costing him valuable boatlengths lost to the others.
Back at the top, the Ex-Olympian Aussie still leads from Teo, but, again Georg comes to spoil Gustavo's party and he gets tangled in a chasing pack as they round the mark. But sailing slightly to windward, in clear air, his superior boatspeed pulls him ahead of the pack.
The downwind continues with Teo in the wake of Scotty, but Gustavo gybes earlier to find more centre coarse pressure. It is there, but he's forced to sail less deep than the two others to keep his speed up. But then it goes the same as the last lap, and early gybe results in not making the gat again, so two more manoeuvres later, he rounds the gate to starboard. At the top of the beat, Scotty tacks later, over the lay line, but can now soak down to the mark faster with Teo on his coattails. Gustavo is having to sail higher after his earlier tack even though he was bang on his lay line. Scotty is pulling away now, Teo dropping back, but not enough to be caught. Gustavo has realised a while back that barring a mishap, or gear failure, something of a rarity on Scotty's Nikita, he wasn't going to do him.
But there was a little battle going on in the next bunch. Georg and Manuel Vaccari were battling and joined by Michal Warlop BEL9, Georg Reutter GER2 and Jacek Noetzel POL1. All swapping places. This close racing of the Classic is why it draws sailors to the class and retains them into their latter years.
At the flag, Scotty won the regatta, again, a master of consistency and preparation. With 9 races sailed, Gustavo retained his European Crown on countback from Teo and Chris Batchelor ISV15 ended in a superb 4th on a borrowed boat.
Type II fun is described as not that enjoyable at the time, but on reflection, was really very enjoyable. This event was Type II fun. Great close racing on the Classic course, as was to be expected, a masterclass in low wind foiling the Open from a sailor who needs spotting by the SailGP teams. Being part of a fun event in relaxed Italian beach style and molten sand. Cold melon slices in lemon juice, who knew? Friendly natives, and many friends. Surely this is the A-Cat ethos?
Full results can be found here.