A-Cat EuroS 2014 Day 2: Ashby, Waterhouse, Reutter, Dietz, Badzio

All Images courtesy (and a big thanks as always) by Paula Kopylowicz / Exploder.  Thanks to the kindness of Paula & Jakub on publishing pics of the fleet in gral we have been able to see good images in many events (and sometimes the only ones available..)  Check the entire gallery at Exploder.info FB Page

Good day of racing at Bordeaux. Although the course is  a little bit patchy, we had some nice upwind trap conditions, and at least a speeding downwind leg where the foilers made a big gap.
Jason Waterhouse won the first one and Luc du Bois second.

On the designs, a good mix with Dna, Exploders, Nikita, Scheurers in the top 5.
In the overall the non foilers are doing a good job as the conditions are a mix of light and 8-10 knots, this combined with lots of lulls/patchs. Pity that today after the 2nd race, a perfect steady wind entered a little too late.

Jason is right now Ashby big menace , but the truth Ashby is sailing in another league…
– Top 20 Below.
– Results after 4 Races at
https://www.cerclevoilebordeaux.com/classeA/resultsA/resultat/european_classea_s.htm

On the foiling/non foiling I think the big difference is the gap , as the best sailors are always in front beyond the equipment they are using. And the back of the fleet and rookies like me we are ok trying to get your level up. I can use a foiler tomorrow and the overall results will be the same at the end of the week with mixed conditions.  Is only about sailors ability & experience in the end.

A-Cats
The As are a great challenging technical boat, but not on the pitch risk, but on the finesse to get the boat in rhythm. Once going they are pure perfection. The upwinds runs are efficiency to the max and the trap downwinds are like having a over sized Formula Windsurf board on the dynamic of the trim, but the feeling is smoother.
In the breeze the nose is always up due to the curved boards and specially on the winglets, the guys report that it wasn´t the case before without the Winglet Era.
Today one of the Argies (Mehl) went foiling in the late breeze with the Exploder, same concept, only 50cm above the water.

If you are a Cat fanatic, you need to give the A a try at least once, you wont be disappointed, floating or foiling mode. On the Age? +60 yrs old like Mathias Dietz are performing and enjoying the Class big time.

On the racing part I didn´t reached first race as my internal cunningham block got stuck in the beach. Second race had perfect upwind leg for the fleet, after the tack on the layline and in a good position for us, one of the mainsheet blocks in the boom got loose as the dynema line broke due to friction,  it was another dnf.  So I went practicing again, and just having fun but with the will to end a race.. Still 5-6 to go.

– Official website at cerclevoilebordeaux.com/classeA/home.htm
– Top 20 Below.
– Results after 4 Races Here