A-Cat Heaven for A-Cat Worlds Race 2

by Rob Kothe on 5 Jan 2009 Race 2 was A-Cat Heaven - Winds were gusting 15 to 18, possibly 19, World Champion A-Cat brochure conditions on Lake Macquarie.

It was sensational first leg of the race two of the A-Class Worlds and Tom Slingsby, the duel Laser World Champion showed that he’s definitely a multihull talent.

Off the start line, the entire fleet went left. Although the line was pin end favoured, Slingsby had started 50 metres down from the boat end, went hard left and tacked on the port layline, while others overlaid.

He came in on the port tack, fast ahead of the five times A-Cat World Champion, Glenn Ashby for the third time in the last week, with Brad Collett and Andrew Landenberger close, followed by Luc Du Bois (SUI).

The young red headed Laser sailor says 'I haven’t really figured out how to sail these things downwind.'

Well he is not too bad. The second time at the top mark, he was third behind the five time World Champion, just behind Brad Collett.

But at the bottom mark, Collett hit the mark and he fell back doing his penalty turn.

At the third top mark, Ashby was clinging to a very narrow lead of Du Bois, but he overlaid and Slingsby sailed through him, then was Brad Collett, Bob Baier and Andrew Landenberger.

After the race Ashby commented 'A two and a one for me so far today. Those ones are nice to put away in the bag.'

Brad Collett. 'Everything went well on the start, I hit a mark, which didn’t help, so I had to do my penalty, but it felt really good and I got plenty of speed.'

Slingsby. 'I’m, going well upwind, first to the top mark again. I was happy to get third. In my view, I feel like I’m dog slow down-wind.'