A Class Catamaran European Championships 2026 at Club Náutico Mar Menor - Day 2
by Gordon Upton 3 Jun 03:24 PDT
31 May - 5 June 2026
Sailing, in common with most sports, can both delight and disappoint in equal measure. Today was one of those days at the 2026 A-Cat European Championships, at the FRVM centre in Los Alcazares.
The day was the usual day the sailors had become accustomed to. Warm morning sun, the buzzsaw noise of the future pilots of the Spanish Air Force being taught to fly at the San Javier Air Base, and a gentle but steadily building breeze from the East, so onshore. This could then have a sea breeze component added go give a wonderful 12-14 kts of loveliness.
So far, so good. The race committee set off to the race areas, then ordered the D flag flown sending the sailors to the beach. The wind was there but not a much as previously. The Classics launched first and sailed due East to their allotted area. Then the Open foilers off to their Northwest area. They then milled about while the race crew waited for the wind to fill in.
It did. Then didn't but then came back to taunt the poor PRO in each fleet enough to persuade them to get the sequence under way. It then stopped and the red and white pennant went up to signal a postponement.
Finally, they got it started again and race 4 commenced. 7-9 kts seemed the best that could be hoped for and the fleets set off towards their top gates in their low drag upwind modes, usually meaning sitting on the front beam for many and pulling their sterns out as much as possible.
But the wind was having none of it, and large patches disappeared throughout both courses and the result was that there was no other option than to abandon. As ever, this is usually greeted with immense disappointment, expressed in a number of ways and inventive adjectives, often from boats doing well in this waterborne game of snakes and ladders, and huge relief from others. So, they all slowly returned to the start areas and began the floating about stage. This lasted something like 90 mins and more.
Eventually the big wind shift forecast finally arrived and the course axis were both swung 20+ degrees clockwise and the Open fleet also moved position further to the south east into an area known to be more stable direction-wise. Top marks were dropped in and the sequences finally got under way.
On the Classic course, the conditions, because the wind arriving now had to come over and around a series of little mountains, became those ideal for lake sailors as bigger gusts and shifts kept sailors on their toes. A few more capsized around the course after being taken by a surprise gust at an inopportune moment.
But Jacek Noetzel, POL 1, continued his lead with two more bullets added and pulling a 5 point lead away from Gustavo Doreste ESP 72 who had a poorer day, and a UFD in the second race after he crept over the start line, an easy thing to do in these conditions. But this allowed Marco Radman ITA 55 to close the gap to within two points now, and the quiet Italian is now snapping at his heels.
Andrew Landeberger AUS 308 also had a UFD in the last race, a pity, as he was second in the first race. However, they will drop off the scoring, but it's a waste of a point discard opportunity this early in the series.
Over on the Open course, the fleet got away cleanly in the first race. Their wind area was less shifty, being a mile further to leeward of the Classics, and the gusts smoothed out also. The lead battle resumed as Kuba Surowiec POL1 defended his lead from strong challenge by Lamberto Cesare ITA13, who is like a fox hunting to snatch and unwary Kuba as any moment, and indeed even his boat name, 'Volpina Volante' suggest as much.
But the battle for third place was developing now. Barcelona sailor Manuel Calavia EST 11 is battle well with Emmanuel Dóde FRA 2 for that position. We all love Manolo, his spectacular vocal outbursts upon making mistakes draw amusement from those nearby but are testament to his sailing passion. We are all with you man!
First race was Lamberto's. Or was it? The wind shift had forced the PRO to move the top mark, thereby removing the gate as per the Sis and dropping in a Yellow to be rounded to starboard. All good so far?....PAY ATTENTION AT THE BACK!
But then this was compounded by a second mark change a lap later with another colour change mark. This was always going to be an issue with a gate in these situations, and the Sis do explain this. However, in a pressure situation and at the speed these boats travel, misidentification of a moved mark is an ever-present danger, especially when there are several marks of different colours on the water and a mark layer is nearby. Was it red? was it yellow? Was it that mark?
The sailors have seconds to decide, and confusion is never far away in these situations.
It transpired that the lead boats misidentified the correct mark designated in the second change and rounded it. Seeing where the leaders went, it is a huge temptation to follow their course, and this happened, rather in the manner of bullocks going through a field gate, they all madly follow only for the farmer to find them all in the wrong field.
23 boats sailed around the incorrectly identified mark and were awarded a NSC (Not Sailed Course) for their efforts. Lesson learned - never assume the guy in the lead actually knows where they are going. Check twice, turn once. Sailing is such joy.
At the gun, it was Emmanuel who got the bullet in this race of confusion.
Race 5 was a much less controversial and back to the Kuba/Lambi show, but with the young Swedish Olympian Nacra sailor, Emil Järudd SWE 14, getting the third. The wind had settled down, and as ever, the best leg of the day was the one to the beach.
This ended a day of massive frustrations, big heat and fishing net style winds. But this is a European Championships, and it's not actually supposed to be easy is it? All continues on Wednesday.
Results so far