PredictWind A-Class Cat World Championships 2025 at Milford Cruising Club - Day 4

In every Worlds, there is usually one day that can stand head and shoulders above the rest for one reason or other. That opening Monday at PuntAla with those mountainous waves, the final day at Toulon where Scotty and Kuba clinched their second titles in the rough stuff. Well, Friday was probably that day for these Championships.

Although, we have 2 more days left, and the weather does rather like to get involved in these parts. Forecasts from our headline sponsor PredictWind are showing Saturday may well be a repeat of Friday, but Sunday is a nice gentle finish to the event.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Kiwi weather always likes to join in - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The Classic course was today on the Southerly race area, with Course B. This is the TracTrac equipped one, so we get to follow the tactics and machinations of those guys.

Jacek Noetzel POL 1 look like he has a firm grip on this fleet, as to date he has yet to concede a single point to anyone, and from the forecast, this weather looks to have been imported especially for him from his home club UKS Navigo at Sopot, Poland.

To start, we have a nice 11-13 kt breeze, from the West, so no massive breakers arriving on the lovely Milford Cruising Club beach which fringes this part of Castor Bay. There were initially 8 now shows for the fleet, as a few had looked at the forecast and decided this may not be for them, plus another left on the beach with a breakage. Plus a number of the boats either didn't get allocated trackers or they didn't register for some reason, so the numbers will look low, although there were more boats on the course that shown at www.aclassworlds.com/tracking

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Italian Open Champion rounds the top mark and currently lies in a great 5th place in this very strong fleet - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The PredictWind MarkBots had all set off and were busy positioning themselves. A few course alignments, and then it was the off. Jacek nailed the pin setting off at 12 kts. Jamie Jochhiem AUS 956 and Andrew Landberger AUS 308 were in hot pursuit. The waves were just starting to get going, but for the Classics, not a problem. Paul Needkins AUS 954 was also having a ball in the building conditions. But at the top it was Landy leading the pack around, with Jacek some way back, and onto their downhill legs tracking at 17+ kts in the building chop. Jacek opted to go course right and come down the course centre. This was a good move as he's regained his top mark losses, leading at the bottom gate.

The fleet split at the gate, Mike Drummond, NZL 287 heading the right side pack, Jacek, and Landy the left. Back at the top, Jacek rounded in pole, but Mikes fleet had made ground nicely and were in touch again with the leaders. But downwind, Jacek again gybed off to the right side, and the old Sopot dog lit the afterburners and pulled ahead of the others, with only Jamie in hot pursuit. On the last downwind, Mike seemed to have an issue, dropping places allowing Paul to lead the charge of the pack. At the line, it was Jacek, Jamie, Landy and a delighted Paul in his highest ever Worlds finish of 4th place. And 5 boats were DNF, and the conditions started to take their toll.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Kuba Surowiec, POL41, reigning Open Champion, loves these conditions, but even he was pushed to the limit - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Then the wind clicked but a bit more. The tide was on the change, and the waves rose accordingly. Championship Race 7 got under way, and the Pole led from the off, and started to relish the building conditions, conditions he was totally at home with. The conditions were become fruiter, and sailors were switching over to their survival modes. At the blue flag, it was Jacek, Jamie and Landy yet again. Mike's issue was slowing him considerably, but it was Wayne Mercer, AUS 11, on his newly built Tool III who was making hay and loving the boat he'd built, and a 4th was the result.

Race 3 was full on just get around without dying mode. The boats struggling to get going is the short chop and engaging a lower mode was needed to power through at the start.8 A couple of sailors had dropped out in the previous race, leaving 13 from the 29 registered. The 'Gentlemen of a Certain Age' component of the fleet did start to dip out, understandably. However, the Classic boat is built for this stuff, and can lap it up given the opportunity, so the remainder gallantly gave 'once more, unto the breach, dear friends, once more!' as some old bloke local to me wrote. The depleted fleet fired off. The thing with survival racing is that tactics become very much redundant and sailing and boat handling technique comes very much to the fore. Which is why I personally love it, as I'm rather crap tactically TBH. That and being weighty of course, also helping.

Mike and Paul both dropped out as the meter high swell and 25 kt gusts took their toll. At the finish, and some epic heroics on the course by the survivors, it was still the Jacek, Jamie and Landy show, but with Andy Landenberger, the Aussie cowboy son in a good 4th. Then back to their beach, staggering in like another Napoleonic painting.

Meanwhile, on Course A, the flyboys were out as the Open category sailors took to the track.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Open fleet race of the day second start - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The courses were quite nearby, with the top of the Open, roughly in line with the finish of the Classics, but offset about half a mile or so to the North. The Race Officer got them away into the same 11-13 kts breeze. But this was again to become more epic races in store. Shooting upwind, the pack tends to split as the upwind foilers draw ahead at about 6-10 knots from the others, so the fleet spread happens very fast.

At the top mark the gnarly waves and winds had already started, and Dave Shaw, NZL 270 blasted around in the lead, chased like a fox by the current series leader Ravi Parent USA 76, and accompanied by Lamberto Cesari ITA 13, and with Kuba Surowiec POL 41 following. In these conditions, this becomes truly magnificent to watch, particularly on the first turn of the first race. They are all fresh, fast and will be slightly unsure of the line needed. The result is magnificent chaos as each discovers their own line through the corner.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Bundy Bails. Darren Bundock at the last race top mark leaving his boat - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Some, like Darren Bundock AUS 88 and Stevie Brewin AUS 4, favour the invisible middle higher mark technique. This is that the carry their lay line past the mark, configuring their boat for the Devil's Ride of the next leg downhill. At this invisible point, they will gybe quite sharply, to get their boats though that Zone Of Death thing that Cats have transitioning from uphill to downhill in a blow, where the bows and go down and a crowd-pleasing pitchpole is the result. Other favour the gingerly bearing away approach, wide eyes and blowing hard, until they are established on the correct line. Both require supreme skill and courage, making that mark to spreader leg easily the best single leg to watch in any sailing event, including SailGP IMHO.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Darren Bundock finishes the day at the top mark and heads for home - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The first riders, other than Dave, flew around, sitting in, some of the later ones favoured remaining on the wire, doggedly refusing to ease up, despite all logical calls to the contrary. And this time it was Axel Issel, ARG 500 who piled it, bows down the mine, proper trapeze swingball action and capsize gaining an 8/10 from the judges. Others got green water up to the beams, but the A-Cat has long bows, and will lap that stuff up before deciding to trip up.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Axel Issel going down the mine at the first mark - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Downwind, it was Kuba who lit the afterburners, pushing the throttle through the throttle gate to stage 4 power. The lad was totally at home here, sailing at the same club as Jacek. This made him hard to catch, and few, including Ravi, could do so. They battled on to the finish, as the wind again clicked upwards, and the waves grew. He got the bullet, with Ravi clinging on to get second and Adam Beattie AUS 14 in third. Then just to add an extra, a heavy shower arrived, but the sailors probably bever even noticed.

The second race went the same way. But whereas us normal sailors, would go into a survival mode early again, this bunch just go for it totally. Watching Bundy foiling upwind in 16+kts and waves, he just looks like he has a gyro stabiliser, which obviously he doesn't. Just flat and level and relaxed in a manner only someone like him can achieve. A proper magic carpet ride. There was a potential for a problem near the bottom, that the sailors were unaware of, but the Race Officer and rescue crews were well aware. Joey Randal, AUS 22, had his rudder snap about 300 m up the first beat from the line. This, combined with the current, caused him to drift down towards the left gate buoy. Rescue was on hand, but time was needed to get the boat secured for the side tow required for a boat without steering. Another nearby rescue boat was ordered away, as this could result in a chicane for the rapidly closing leaders coming down at 25+ kts. But they expedited themselves out of the way and off to the right side and the sailors remained unaware of the potential crisis.

A few more went over; Stevie managed it twice I understand as did Michael Korneszczuk POL 111. He's another good sailor, who suddenly developed a love of the big pile in, decks awash capsize but always emerges with good humour and is living his best life here. But Kuba just keeps going, like a machine, the reigning World Champ is in his element now. At the line, he gets the bullet and Adam just pips Ravi to second and Bundy in forth.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Michael Korneszczuk, POL 111 gets happy with his life - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

The final day's race, the wind is wound right up the the class max of 22kts, and with puffs exceeding this for a short period. 1m wave all over the course, in fact worse to the South side as the tide is faster over there, which is exactly where they all head after the top mark and their gybe zone. By now the sailors are getting tired, as sailing in those conditions is a full-on athletic workout for both fleets at that level. Imagine 3 hrs of circuit training, in heavy rain and on a trampoline. It's that. And, the foiling folk need to work even harder to keep their machines airborne, or to prevent them from doing so in a spectacularly uncontrolled manner, as keeping them attached to the planet is a major task in these conditions. A few boats went over here and there. Micheal put his in on the spreader leg, and the boat inverted. Not a good thing to see in this class, as fears for mast brakeage spring to mine immediately as these things are usually sealed at the upper parts. He was struggling to get it upright as the head was full of water, even with him being a big lad and with the wind and waves helping, Michael accepted assistance from the little media RIB as it's driver knows just what was required, so the mast was tipped upwards and the Polish lad climbed aboard. And as he had accepted outside assistance, decided to call it a day and pretty exhausted, he headed back to the beach happy in his decision. The mast was fine, BTW, probably just a leak at the hounds in this case. And even Bundy succumbed to the lure of a top mark capsize as a gust hit at the wrong time, showing it happens to the best of us.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Micheal Korneszczukl reassessing his life choices at the top mark - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

Considering the condition by now, the RO called the race to be finished at the top mark. Even the Sopot sailors were saying it was more that they were used to. Doing another downwind leg, would add 3 miles to the top again, and was a wise and appreciated move, as the beach was another 2+ miles further on from there. The sailors arrived and gratefully accepted their finishes. Many cheered, none more so that Carolijn Brouwer NED 88. The twice World Sailor Of The Year smiled even more broadly than the usually does as she blasted through the line on the way home.

PredictWind A-Class Cat Worlds 2025 Day 4 - Carolijn Brouwer delighted to have finished an epic day of racing, and remain on the boat, unlike her husband Bundy - photo © Gordon Upton / www.guppypix.com

There is a scale of types of fun, if you didn't know. Graded from 1 to 3. Type 1 is full on enjoyment at the time, like, say a fairground ride or a good local music gig, but soon disappears in the memory. Type 2 is not particularly enjoyable at the time but lives in the memory forever and enjoyed more in retrospect, like a long hike, and is possibly the best and most fulfilling type. Type 3 is horrible at the time, gives you flashbacks, but makes a great story at the pub, like that time you nearly got attacked by that bear.

This was full Type 2 fun. Full on hard sailing at the highest level. The Classic fleet table saw Jacek tighten his grip on the championship. The Open fleet saw a lead change with Kuba now leading, but only by a slim 2-point margin after discards. Ravi will be fighting hard, as is this quiet American lad's way, so we can look forward to a proper battle as we saw in Houston.

8 races done in the Classics, 6 in the Open with 12 scheduled. Day 5 is a delayed start due to a weather front passing over just as PredictWind forecast, but it will happen.

Be good if it comes down to that last races again wouldn't it?!

Results after Day 4:

Open Fleet

Classic Fleet

Find out more at www.aclassworlds.com