A-Class Worlds – New Boys sound a warning

by Rob Kothe on 3 Jan 2009 2008 Olympic Tornado Silver Medallist Glenn Ashby is five times A-Cat World Champion and the Australian sailor is odds on to take a sixth title on Australia’s Lake Macquarie this week, but the new boys could make it tougher than expected.

Ashby had a convincing win in the Pre-Worlds event, the Australian Championships which finished on Wednesday, in which most of the world’s best A-Cat sailors competed.

The nine race World Championship starts tomorrow at Belmont 16 foot Sailing Club and today was the final hit out for the 94 boat fleet.

Today's practice race was sailed in an eight to 13 knot wind from 065. The breeze stayed steady at the bottom of the course but was quite shifty up the course and at the top mark 1.1 nautical miles upwind.

The championship fleet in the time honoured way tested the patience of Principal Race Officer Peter Moor, with two general recalls then up went the I flag.

Ashby was just below the Committee boat and was fast away, but half way down the line dual Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby powered left.

Slingsby said ‘ I was down a little bit more to the pin than most, I started out to the left a bit; got a big left hand shift, tacked then just played the little shifts and just got ahead to the top.

‘I have to concentrate so hard on these boats; I don’t have much time to look around. I was just having a good battle with Germany’s Bob Baier.’

Slingsby held his lead down the run battling to keep an in-form Baier behind him, with Australian 1996 Olympic Tornado Silver medalist, Andrew Landerberger climbing into third place by the second top mark.

America’s Cup skipper, Australian James Spithill, is a multihull neophyte, but has been thrust into the multihull world with the giant BMW Oracle 90 foot catamaran and now he is proving a dab hand at the A-Cats, finishing fourth in the Pre-Worlds.

Today he was in the top six or seven until he spectacularly slipped off the back of his boat, 100 metres short of the top mark on the second beat. ‘I was leaning back and the boat accelerated from underneath me’ he smiled.

Many of the fleet sailed off the course after two and a half laps, so the final results were not a real guide to the Championship ahead.

Glenn Ashby had the final word. ‘Defending my title was always going to be tough this year, with guys like Steve Brewin, Scott Anderson, Bob Baier and a host of others keen to knock me off as the A-Cat fleet continues to get more competitive.

'But now we have some pretty talented ‘newbie’s’. Tom beat me the other day and he did it again today, just natural talent and he, James and Nathan are all improving very rapidly, so its going to be an interesting week.’

A-Cat World Champio - Entries

AUS Anderson Scott AUS 902
AUS Ashby Glenn AUS 1
AUS Batenburg Christopher AUS 883
AUS Beeby David AUS 862
AUS Benson Jack AUS877
AUS Bradbury Peter AUS 934
AUS Brayshaw Stephen AUS 936
AUS Breaden Zac AUS 836
AUS Breaden Steve AUS 935
AUS Brewer Dave AUS 908
AUS Brewin Steve AUS 4
AUS Brown Glenn AUS 6 53
AUS Caldwell Neil AUS 827
AUS Chaney Andrew AUS 828
AUS Coleman Roger KA 524
AUS Collett Brad AUS 843
AUS Collett Vic AUS 912
AUS Deed Ben AUS 924
AUS Denholm Russell AUS 19
AUS Dowling John AUS 9
AUS Drover Pat AUS 849
AUS Ellis Dave AUS 893
AUS Firth Matt AUS 864
AUS Geisker Ben AUS 021
AUS Goldsmith John AUS 869
AUS Grant Andrew AUS 868
AUS Griffits Robert AUS 765
AUS Harbour Graeme AUS 8
AUS Hooper Brian AUS 913
AUS Howells Richie AUS 844
AUS Johnston Mark AUS 922
AUS Jones Michelle AUS 661
AUS Kopp Michael AUS 911
AUS Kopp Horst AUS 884
AUS Landenberger Andrew AUS 24
AUS Loutit Dave AUS 914
AUS McArthur Bruce AUS 935
AUS McDonald Lucas AUS 857
AUS McDonald Russ AUS 63
AUS McKenzie Dave AUS 907
AUS McKeon Simon AUS 923
AUS Mercer Wayne AUS 09
AUS Miller Campbell AUS 834
AUS Neeskens Claire AUS 837
AUS Outerridge Nathan AUS 822
AUS Parker David AUS 831
AUS Parker Graeme AUS 889
AUS Richards John AUS 101
AUS Schultz Konrad AUS 802
AUS Scott Stuart AUS 865
AUS Sinclair Hamish AUS 7
AUS Slingsby Tom AUS
AUS Spithill James AUS 938
AUS Steenhuis Andrew AUS 916
AUS Symonds Ken AUS 824
AUS Vize Gavin AUS 880
AUS Watson Tom AUS 839
AUS Williams Andrew AUS 321
AUS Wright Steve AUS 800
AUT Schober Klaus AUT 1 39
BRA Swan de Freitis Claudia BRA3
BRA Swan de Freitis Clinio BRA16
BRA Wright Roger BRA 2
DEN Paasch Thomas DEN 1
ESP Ladron de GuevaraJuan ESP 9
ESP Martinez Mariano ESP 42
ESP Calavia Manuel ESP 11
FRA Le Coq Jean Louis FRA 7
GBR Field Chris GBR 007
GBR Lovett Nigel GBR 33
GER John Andreas GER
GER Baier Bob GER 14
GER Beike Donald GER 12
GER Dietz Matthias GER 81
GER Goetz Marco GER 21
GER Raab Klaus GER 79
GER Reutter George GER 56
GER Stumhofer Helmut GER 76
GER Von Selzam Ekke GER 95
IRL Sheehan Yvonne IRL 5
ITA Blancato Luigi ITA
ITA Calabria Eugenio ITA
ITA Cangemi Rosario ITA
ITA Casadei Roberto ITA
ITA Longhi Guido ITA
NED Van Hilton Theo NED 8
NED Dwarshuis Pieter Jan NED 28
NED Hoekstra Sjoerd NED 3
NED Saarberg Piet NED 1
NZL Drummond Mike NZL MD2
NZL Philpott Murray NZL 1
NZL Urquhart Ken NZL 233
SUI Vela Sergio SUI 216
SUI Du Bois Luc SUI 202