North American A-Class Championship ready for prime time!

by 2015 A-Cat North Americans on 7 May 2015 2015 North American A-Class Championship – With an expected 50+ high performance A-class catamarans (A-Cats), Olympic and America’s Cup-caliber skippers and a packed social calendar, Panama City and St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club plan to show the world this May that their premier sailing and tourist destination is ready for prime time.

Thanks to support from a tourism grant from Panama City, the A-Cat North American Championships (A-Cat NAs), will offer surround-sound coverage for fans to follow the exciting racing action of the fastest single-handed racing catamaran in the world, and enjoy the social activities throughout the city known as the 'beautiful town on the bay.'

St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club is proud to announce it confirmed a top-notch media team, comprised of professional sailing photographer Walter Cooper, videographer Nicholas Bowers, and public relations pro Laura Muma, who will provide pictures, video and commentary to capture the thrills and spills of the A-Cat racing, tell the behind-the-scenes stories about the competitors, camaraderie and the incredible A-Cat technology, and introduce fans and future visitors to all that Panama City has to offer.

“St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club is thrilled to host this prestigious regatta and we are grateful for the City's assistance in leveraging this North American championship to promote Panama City as an incredible sailing and tourist destination,” said Richard Dodd, StABYC Commodore. “We look forward to introducing our beautiful town on the bay to top sailors from all over the United States and Canada.”

“A few of us have raced in Panama City in the past and been so impressed by the natural beauty, easy style of the area, and great hospitality of St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club,” said Bailey White, president of the United States A-Class Catamaran Association. “Last year, when we thought about where we wanted to have our North Americans in 2015, St Andrews Bay Yacht Club came to mind immediately.”

Currently, 46 boats are registered for the event, many of which will arrive early for a weekend Coaching Clinic, hosted by Olympic silver medalist Randy Smyth on May 16-17. A practice race is scheduled for May 18, and up to three races a day are planned for May 19 – 22.

To follow the event, visit website (daily recaps, images and videos), Facebook, and Twitter (real-time race updates).