A-Cat Worlds 2015: Day 4, ‘Master Class’ by Glenn Ashby
All Images MV / Catsailingnews. Above Chat with Glenn Ashby after the two races held today in both fleets. Check results & complete photo album of Day 4 at IACA FB. Special thanks again to Felix Egner from Landenberger Sails for driving & sharing the rib, he was the key for me being able to have the rib and for some of rather decent shots I might be taking on my little experience with photography.
Updated results with 7th race scored at aclassworlds2015.it/overall-results.html
Epic racing at Punta Ala with a first race for the Ages, as a reader said: Who needs to the AC or pay for viewing nothing when you have the A-Class show free for all to watch. High Caliber sailing by Ashby at Punta Ala to consolidate his path to another title.
First race was simply a Master Class by Ashby, with Mischa leading the top marks on his upwind edge and Glenn going deeper to compensate Mischa’s speed downwind. I think Mischa got somehow hurt by winning races by large margin here and at Dutch Nats, he remarked having no competition it was a little bit to call today for the right angles. Nevertheless the Australian also had to discover this new rig at the Dutch Nats, and today his experience showed you can compensate a speed gap with perfect course racing.
Following the two leaders Manolo Calavia stood out today along Landy, both sailing their own match race, and Landy showed getting more hours on the water was necessary for him to get back on track.
Manolo is currently 3rd, Steve Brewin got Mischa over the line yesterday on another race to remember and he is currently in 4th place, he will also get back stronger on his own new sail devel.
Jacek Noetzel from Poland with a super smooth foiling mode in 5th place and Jason Waterhouse 6th.
And then you have Kamikaze rocket Eugenio Calabria, every time we look with Felix a dna going like a rocket in every point of sailing, it is always ITA 2! A little more flight control and he will be a treat for the top 3.
Note apart for Scotty Anderson with the Nikita floating mode, showing some top foilers how it’s done the traditional way. He is racing on handicap but you can´t you by his talent and acquired knowhow.
The Silver fleet is having a tight competition with Daniele Menegatti, Mariano Martinez, Hervé Ledue and Julio Saubidet from Argentina that today finished ‘a la Ashby’ foiling with while the leaders were in full floating weight forward mode, to recover some places and ending 2nd, a win for Julio in this would have been as great as Glenn’s moves! (2nd from last pic above)
On the title race everything was perfect for Ashby and I felt lucky to be here seeing it live, I think this first race has to be put as one of the best ever, on the context, on the sailors, on the A-Class, on the development and finally on the venue and the sailing conditions, a perfect scenario for two great sailors.
Glenn Ashby’ performance today puts him a step forward on his already legendary status.
Mischa pushed hard and had his chances, high respect for him for being an innovator, I doubt Ashby could have compensate the gap with his previous setup without the work they did together on the new rig.
Either way Ashby had a re cut sail done in 4 hours! as he pointed in his interview above, and with more time he will come with an improved sail design forcing Mischa to continue his own work and the one initiated also by Pete Melvin at Takapuna 2014.
Heemskerk work has made him and Ashby a better sailors and together have elevated the game to new height.
the A Class.
