PredictWind A-Class Cat World Championships 2025 at Milford Cruising Club - Day 1

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Ravi Parent, 2022 Champion, is satisfied with his day, getting a bullet and a third, leaving him as day one's Open leader © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Today was the culmination of many months, possibly years of hard work by the Milford Cruising Club, and the NZACCA's David Haylock, in particular, as the 2025 PredictWind A-Cat Worlds finally got under way. It takes many meetings, zoom calls and liaising with many different bodies to actually pull it together. Ask me how I know?! But finally, all his sleepless nights, or 4am wakeups are all worth it and the Games have begun.

PredictWind, the Kiwi founded ground-breaking weather app hasn't failed us yet, as today was as they said. A Westerly 6-9 kt breeze, pretty steady directionally and maybe building a little later on. The races on the two courses were scheduled for 11:00 NZT, and all the fleets launched with little fuss from the sandy beach bordering Castor Bay to set off for their respective sailing areas: the Opens to the East on course A, the Classics to the South, course B. They will be swapping courses each day, and the PredictWind TracTrac recording and live feed is in the B course boats - see www.aclassworlds.com/tracking

On that course, the 30 or so Classic sailors were under starters orders and were off. William Michie AUS 27 nailed the pin, shadowed closely by Jacek Noetzel POL 1 as the majority of the fleet favoured the start boat end and a few of the tipped riders got slightly blocked in on the second row of boats, and a couple, including Andrew Landenberger AUS 308 decided to tack away to the right of the course. But Landy wanted the left and tacked back after clearing his air and sailed to join that part of the fleet.

At the top, it was the fleet's emerging new superstar, Jamie Jochhiem AUS 956 rounding in pole, from Jacek and Paul Neeskins AUS 954, who had a blaster of a first beat. Most then went down the left side following the best pressure, but Jamie was unable to counter Jacek's superior boatspeed, and he reached the bottom gate first, choosing the right side this time, as did Landy. Jamie split the course, as any good match-racer would, going to the left. The other boats split pretty much evenly so no side one was that favourable. However, when Jacek tacked across towards the mark, Landy continued along the same port tack before he too tacked onto his lay line. But at the top, those on the left had found minimal difference, so Jamie was still in touch with Jacek as the 'Father of the Polish A-Cats' rounded in the lead.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - The NZ Navy come to watch the proceedings - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The trio were joined by Mike Drummond NZL 287 as the America's Cup legend tried to keep them close. The race had become beautifully tactical in these lighter airs. I have it on good authority from Richard Gladwell, no less, when he told me that here, the wind can follow the West to East street patterns, so giving little bands of pressure that local experts use to their advantage. How much this came into play though remains to be seen as Jacek protected his lead from all comers as the fleet headed for the bottom gates again and with Jacek and Landy extending their leads from Jamie and the pack. More covering by Jacek, from Landy's threat saw him back at the top to be joined by Mike. This can all be replayed on that TracTrac reply, and it's fascinating to watch, as it gives great insight into their tactics.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Joey Randall, AUS 22 having fun between races - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The final downwind leg shows how Landy tries to break Jacek's hold, at one point he leads for a while before the Polish lad claws back and gybes to cover, manages to sail slightly deeper at times on the final run-in and gets the bullet. Mike gets third. Great tactical stuff in those conditions.

Race two sees the majority go left at the gun, but a small breakaway trio of Landy, Jamie and Paul Neeskins head right. But the left seems the better side and at the top Jacek leads, to be chased in great form by William Michie, Vladek Kwasniewski POL 120, and Wayne Mercer AUS 11. Landy has a total mare of a beat, with the 'Curse Of Course B' weed playing its hand, and leaves him at the back of the fleet.

At the top, the whole fleet decides the right side looks good, and all gybe away at the spreader. However, Landy being some way adrift sees no reason, so punts for staying left. I once witnessed such a thing at a SailGP even in Plymouth several years ago. ETNZ, with our lad Glenn on the throttles, had an OCS and were recalled back to the line. These were the days before the current drop behind the fleet stuff. At their first mark after the start, they banged a Gybe and sailed to the totally opposite side to all the rest. The result for them, was exactly the same as for Landy. Both came out of the bottom gate in second place behind Jacek! Magnificent to see indeed, and proof that if you keep our head, prevent that chimp getting out of it's box, this can be the result! More on this later BTW.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Local sailor Andrew Johnson NZL 280, with his local landmark - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Back up the beat, the fleet largely goes to the left now, Jacek covering, Landy and Jamie chase, and Wayne, on his newly built, 'last of the few' Tool and is living his best life, in forth place. At the bottom, Jacek covers superbly despite challenges from Mike and Robin Maeder SUI 7. But Jacek extends his grip, up the next beat and down the final leg to get his second bullet, but Jamie and Landy battle it out to the last with Landy squeaking into second, and all go back to the beach and the comforting bosom of their loved ones.

Meanwhile on the Open things got weird.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - French Champion, Emmanuel Dode FRA 2 working hard, in the challenging conditions - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

After a general recall, the fleet finally got off in a 8-9 kt breeze and headed off to the left. Then the true Swiss Cheese Wind arrived. Many sailed into big holes. From the bottom many boats could be seen bobbing around in full on lowrider mode, whilst the odd other boat looked like it was being towed by a speedboat. Rounding the top mark fully foiling, in something like 8 mins from go was Ravi Parent, USA 76. Then Darren Bundock AUS 88 followed at a respectable distance. Then nothing. Re rest had engaged a box full of neutrals, being unable to find anything to make them go more than 5 kts or so. The V2 speed for foiling, is about 11kts BTW.

At the bottom, the 2022 Champ foiled through going to the right this time, followed by Bundy some 4 mins later. Then a big gap, maybe 8 mins and Dave Shaw NZL 270 arrived leading a group with Adam Beattie AUS 14, or Adam BT as he is remembered by my phone voice translator. Lamberto Cesari, ITA 13 and Kuba Surowiec POL 41 were then a little way back.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Italian Champion Lamberto Cesari ITA 13 rounds the bottom gate in race 2 - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

This state of affairs continued until, the finish when Ravi foiled in, almost 10 mins ahead of the rest, followed by Bundy a few mins later and BT eventually in third. The rest of the fleet struggled in looking like those Napoleonic solders on the road home from Moscow, looking gaunt and traumatised. Kuba crossed the finish and sailed away. His body language suggested no-one talk to him as he was clearly still buffering. No Chimp time for him.

Then the Race Officer Paul Davies said to me, with a shrug, he'd need to push to top mark out even further, as that bloody Ravi was a full 10mins short of the predicted race length time. Not funny enough we both said. The joys of a PRO.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Kiwi Home Ace, Dave Shaw NZL 270, destroys the fleet with his foiling wind wispering abilities to claim the bullet in Race two - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Race two go off. The same Swiss Cheese wind. Puffs of maybe 9 kts, with gaps of 3 kts. But if you could sail along the cheesy parts and not the holes, well, this is what Dave Shaw did. He arrived at the top and lit up full foiling and just foiled off to the far left. Go to the edges is the advice in such times they say. He'd pretty much got halfway down to the bottom before the next few boats arrived. They nearly all gybed around to go right and drifted off downhill. A few hundred meters saw many floating around like ducks. Michael Korneszczuk POL 111 and Kuba were virtually sailing on a beat again, desperately looking for speed anywhere, Kuba was pretty much pushed out and tacked away right. Stood up, looked, shrugged, slumped down and set off to the North, seemingly never to be seen again.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 - Kuba Surowiec POL 41 searches for that illusive wind advantage in Race two - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

We chugged our little white media RIB to the bottom to witness the wails of lamentation of the rounding boats, only to witness Kuba arriving, fully foiling from right field to round up to the next beat in second place. That is how Champions behave and are made. As in the Landy case, it's never over. But now, the wind had very slowly switched on and many boats arrived on foils over the remaining two laps.

At the finish, Dave nailed the bullet, Kuba arrived in second, looking mightily relieved and Ravi in a happy third to end the day in pole position, and Bundy chugged home in forth. It was a challenging day mentally for them all. Chimps need reboxing*.

And as it the way of things, a lovely breeze sprang up to give Champaign sailing for the return to the beach. Typical!

Wednesday PredictWind tell us will be proper British North Sea weather apparently. Rain, squalls, from the East. Hopefully some sailing can be done otherwise it's the pie kiosk again.

Find out more at www.aclassworlds.com

*There is a book, The Chimp Paradox by Prof Steve Peters, the former British Olympic Cycling team psychiatrist. It lays out mind management techniques in an understandable way and is highly recommended.

Results after Day 1:

Open Fleet

Classic Fleet