Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

The A-Class Catamaran Worlds in Florida Keys

by Bob Hodges on 2 Oct 2007
Midwinter regatta in Isloamorada Erik Andersson
The A-Class Catamaran Worlds in the Florida Keys, Islamorada, FL, USA November 9-16, 2007. With a record setting 100 boats pre-registered, the 2007 A-Class World Championship sponsored by Ronstan, FSE Robline, Corum, and West Marine is now only weeks away.

The regatta will take place at The Islander resort hotel in Islamorada, FL. The Islander has been hosting the US A-Class for its last two midwinter race weeks and was the unanimous choice by the US class as the best venue to host this world championship. The race site is a 9 square mile area of the Atlantic ocean protected by an offshore reef. Sailors will enjoy clear aqua water and hopefully warm and consistent easterly winds of 8-15 knots.

The international contingent includes Glenn Ashby from Australia who will be racing to defend his 2006 title. Glenn is a multiple world champion in the class and is regarded as the best A-Class sailor ever. In addition, Glenn is regarded as a favorite to medal in the 2008 Tornado Olympic event in Qingdao, China with his teammate Darren Bundock.


In addition to Ashby, other top international sailors racing will include past world champions Scott Anderson and Nils Bunkenberg, Olympic medalists Andrew Landenberger and Goran Marstrom, New Zealand champion Murray Philpott, top Dutch sailors Sjoerd Hoekstra, Pieterjan Dwarshuis, and Piet Saarberg, Alinghi designer Mike Drummond (New Zealand), and top Swiss sailors Dieter Melcher and Luc De Bois.

The USA will have all of its top A-Class sailors challenging the international contingent. At the top of the list is three time North American champion Lars Guck who has been dominating US A-Class sailing for the last two years. In the last two North American championships, Lars has won every race. Right beside Lars will be 1997 and 2005 A-Class World Champion Pete Melvin. Pete’s speed and consistency make him a favorite for a podium finish especially given the size of this fleet.


Other top US sailors that are certainly contenders to finish in the top ten include Phil Kinder, Olympic medalists Pease and Jay Glaser, 505, I-14, and 18’ Skiff World Champion Howie Hamlin, Olympic medalist Charlie Ogeltree, and Ben Hall who may be racing with a radical solid wing sail (still testing and evaluating).

Many sailors are watching this regatta closely as several new platforms are making their debuts. These include the next evolution of the Marstrom which now has hulls that are canted and has a revised volume distribution for better performance in waves and chop, the Nikita which is an evolution of the original Flyer, a Peter Cogan design that is an evolution of the proven Bimare XJ, and the radical LR2 designed and built by Ian and John Lindhal. These new designs will be joined by the proven Flyer Mk I and Mk II, the Bimare XJ, and the Melvin A2/A3.

Except for the potential appearance of the Hall solid wing rig, most sailors will likely be using carbon masts from Hall, Fiberfoam, Saarberg, or Marstrom and square top sails from Ashby, Glaser, Ullman, and Landenberger. While clearly a development class, advancements in A-Class performance have for the last 10 years been subtle never immediately making obsolete the current designs and allowing active sailors to pass on older but still competitive equipment to new sailors. This trend has been very good for class growth.

Stay tuned to www.acatworlds.com to get all the latest news and results when the racing begins in mid-November.

Switch One DesignX-Yachts X4.3Selden 2020 - FOOTER

Related Articles

60th Anniversary Congressional Day 1
Strong start for defending champion USA's Chris Poole, defending champion of the Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup leads the first day of the 60th Anniversary event with six straight wins in the opening round-robin stage.
Posted today at 5:18 am
New footage of the Nautitech 44 Open & Bavaria C46
Have a look at the latest from Ensign Yachts, plus the J/40 wins under ORC at Pasquavela in Italy In this edition, we highlight a new Yacht Charter service in the Mediterranean, showcase new footage of our award-winning Bavaria C46, and highlight a walkthrough of the Nautitech 44 Open. Plus the J/40 wins under ORC at the Pasquavela in Italy!
Posted on 30 Apr
McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet battles Pacific
In historic 4,300-mile test of endurance Solo Sailors Face Doldrums, Equipment Failures and Avian Invaders in Unprecedented Small Boat Challenge - week five of leg 2
Posted on 30 Apr
Don't Risk Your Keys on the Water!
Keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box Don't risk taking your keys on the water... keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box.
Posted on 30 Apr
21st Sandberg PalmaVela kicks off tomorrow
With the spectacle of the Maxis in Palma Over one hundred teams representing 19 nationalities will gather in the Bay of Palma for the first major multi-class event of the season: the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela. The impressive Maxis will be the first to take the stage.
Posted on 30 Apr
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup Day 1
Light winds prove insufficient to start racing Although the 11 boat fleet went afloat until mid-afternoon, crews filled with hope and anticipation, the wind refused to build enough for racing to take place on the first day of the new 52 SUPER SERIES season at the 52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup.
Posted on 30 Apr
Transat Paprec Day 11
The Battle of the Leaders Now past the halfway point and sailing through the heart of the Atlantic, the competitors in the Transat Paprec are still locked in an intense battle. A windless zone expected later this week is drawing everyone's attention and forcing tough decisions.
Posted on 30 Apr
Pip Hare joins Canada Ocean Racing
Sailing alongside Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer for The Ocean Race Europe Canada Ocean Racing is excited to announce that British offshore sailor Pip Hare will join their Be Water Positive campaign for the 2025 edition of The Ocean Race Europe.
Posted on 30 Apr
Antigua Race Week Day 3
Superb racing delivered Sailors ranging from newcomers to veterans of multiple America's Cup campaigns enjoyed Caribbean sailing at its best in today's racing at Antigua Sailing Week, with lots of sun and moderate tradewinds of 10-12 knots.
Posted on 30 Apr
Australian Hobie Cat Nationals Entries Open
To be hosted by the HCAWA, with Geographe Bay Yacht Club Entries are open and the Notice of Race is live for the Pitts Design and Construction 53rd Australian Hobie Cat Nationals to be hosted by the HCAWA, with Geographe Bay Yacht Club, in Undalup Country, Busselton, Western Australia.
Posted on 29 Apr