A-Class Worlds 2019: Mischa Heemskerk crowned Champ

by Editor · Published September 2, 2019 · Updated November 12, 2021

All images Gordon Upton Photography. Complete galleries at facebook.com/guppypix. By your HD copy shot at guppypix.com/ – The 2019 Worlds Regatta at Weymouth did not started in the best way for Mischa Heemskerk. 4-5 Knots on the first day and only one race completed. The Dutchman did not fly at all that day, scoring a dead last position (61st). With an awful forecast ahead second day proved once more a nightmare with light winds and only race but Mischa left his 4knots foil utopy and applied leeward counter heel technique to recover with a 2nd.

3rd day and three races done to recover from two unprolific previous days. In mixed wind conditions going from 5 to +8 knots Mischa dominated with 1,1 & 2.

From that point forward increasing breeze for next days finishing with around 20knots the last one. Mischa managed to control the attack of the D3 Armada and had some close fights with Dave Shaw (D3/Brewin). Dave pushed the Flying Dutchman hard, but Mischa prevailed being faster all round.

In the process towards the Crown, the title was not secured with subsequent bullets from Heemskerk as the 61st was already a discard, and any other bad results could turn those bullets collections in to a nightmare. But as Mischa did with Stephan Dekker back in 2017 F18 Worlds, he put pedal to the metal non stop after a critical bad start. With no margin for error , he went for the title in full blazing glory and domination: 8 bullets out of 12 races, two 2nd a 3rd and of course that first 61st.

Second overall place went for Dave Shaw, we praise him in the week already and how without much international regatta attendance the Kiwi always push hard at the Worlds. Hat off on his performance and top D3 rider.

Third overall for Tymek Bendyk (D3/Bryt), who already did podium back in 2017 back at home behind Steve Brewin. Steve sadly had an accident this year and had to be attended at hospital due to a cut on his foot, losing the rest of the regatta.

Mischa finished that 2017 Worlds in 9th overall, a performance which sent DNA back to the drawing board after years of dominance. The Exploder D3 squad had full control of the Class. After a so so start the new DNA F1x foils were developed further and Mischa had a great 2nd place behind Ashby at last year (2018) Worlds in Australia.

For 2019 the F1x delivered for Mischa to obtain his 3rd World Title (2012/2016 & this 2019). Great effort for PJ , Mischa and the DNA crew to win another World Title for the brand. We’ve been following the DNA story since day one, and is clear you can have some differences of opinions sometimes with them, but those guys love the A-Cat and work hard for the Class even though it is not their main business. But hey for what you work if not to enjoy your A-cat in the end? Well that is the philosophy behind DNA.

Mischa? we like guy. We’ve forseen 10yrs ago he was going to be like the Phil Mickelson of Catsailing and we were right, A & F18 World Titles finally came his way, several by now and more to come no doubt. Mischa himself is a great asset for the Catsailing community and one of the best promoters of the sport we can have, great charisma and talent plus technical knowhow for the big guy (he is the responsible for the final adoption of DS sails in both F18 & A-Cat Classes along pioneering the first ever racing sustained flights in the As).

Bruce Mahoney also sailed an F1x/Mischa Sails and was in podium position thorugh the regatta, he finished in 6th overall.

On the Exploder camp, Jakub as usual a crazy fanatic too, on the development , the customer service and even reporting Live each race with Paula. We are lucky to have them involved. The D3 camp lost the title after grabbing it 2017 & 2018 (Ashby) but they (Jakub and Gonzalo Redondo / D3 Applied technologies) are happy with latest foils development (8 Exploder D3 in the top ten). Version right now is Z27 .

Want to excel in SailGP? Know your Foiling beachCat

Mention to Phil Robertson, in our view racing A-Class is the best thing ever he can do to get his SailGP experience improved. Different Worlds and else, but if you sail a big Cat you need to have first direct knowledge on how an A-Class foiler works.

Phil had a great regatta, finishing last two races 2nd & 1st. A dsq and a dns forbid him to aim higher or even the podium. We wish him best on his return to racing the F50 beasts who are racing now 50knots.

Classics

Two Aussie former Olympic Tornado Medalists continue their longtime and successful career racing at top level in the floating A division. Landy (D3/Landenberger) has some knee issues latest year putting him down a bit to excel with the foilers so he decided to start racing Classics. He won the first official floating Title past year and now repeats for 2019. Scott Anderson (D3/Brewin) , head of Fiberfoam mast, finished second overall.

Third overall for Andy Landenberger Jr (D3/Landenberger) , Landy’s son showed great nerves fighting both legends above and also Alberto Farnesi, three experienced sailors in the fight for the podium and young Landenberger closed a great regatta. We’ll surely see more of him in the future.

Classics demonstrated Foiling is not mandatory for Great racing and fun, just look the F18 renewed spirit with Bundy grabbing this year title in the last race at Costa Brava as an example.

Now if you call yorself a Foiler Class or Division you need to deliver… read below.

Devel and Class Rules

One of the great things of the A-Class is the design battle between DNA and Exploder , better and easier boats to sail have been the result of that interaction, that devel has reached a stall in my view due to illogical restrictions now that the A-Class has two official divisions (Floating & Foilers)

Now almost anyone can foil downwind, but upwind foiling is for top notch guys and only in given special conditions. Development has stalled and we need to break down that wall.

IACA Foiling division Rules must be eased a bit, major design players are not even asking for full drastic changes, for ie they ask for a simple let the tip to be out of 230cm -only- when inserting to main foil sailing position will make life easier for all and will provide a better path to full foiling abilities, the holly grail for any Foiler platform. That rule is applied to the tip but not to other parts of the platform, even the winglets while sailing can go outside 230cm, so we no point on enforcing one just while inserting the main foi in a position where you cannot even get airborne.

Now the A-Class is a foiler Class but only in theory, as currently we have some expensive half flying platforms.

Is time for the IACA management to address this critical issue or they will see another open Class formed in the future, similar as the split we saw initially for the floaters.

Ask yourself who is willing to join and invest a foiling Class when you will get a half foiler only? Nonsense, and I’m tired to hear responses from people I invite them to join the As: “When they can full all the way I will join”

Today’s scenario is quite different from the one Landy as Class President had to endure when Foilers arose within current restricted rules to prevent airborne time, those were really hard times and I think he did the right thing. Now the Class has two divisions , all racing together in same event which is a great thing (though it is mandatory a 2 course arrangement for each) so its due time to free the full potential of the foiling A-Cat.

Goal? 100% foiling Class. Anything less is failing to follow logic and common sense.

Lets see if we can rach the 2020 Worlds to be held at Tampa Bay FL, in full foiling mode.

Ah and a message to Cerf and Bailey: We expect some Live Stream footage too…!!! (And as Bundy remarks in comments below: Live Tracking at least )

Final Results Foiling , complete results for both divs here.

Pos	Flag		Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	Tot	net
1	NED	7	Mischa Heemskerk	-61	2	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	-3	76	12
2	NZL	270	Dave Shaw	-21	3	-10	10	7	5	2	2	2	2	4	4	72	41
3	POL	15	Tymoteusz Bendyk	1	7	-16	2	-17	7	6	5	7	3	3	2	76	43
4	ESP	11	Manuel Calavia	-27	1	3	3	-14	2	4	6	3	7	13	7	90	49
5	POL	41	Jakub Surowiec	-11	8	2	7	(UFD [65])	6	7	3	6	5	5	6	131	55
6	USA	311	Bruce Mahoney	-38	4	9	4	3	10	8	(UFD [65])	10	9	20	10	190	87
7	POL	17	Maciej Zarnowski	-32	12	12	9	-20	9	5	9	4	8	9	12	141	89
8	AUS	1035	James Wierzbowski	4	6	11	13	5	13	(SCP [29])	12	-16	13	8	8	138	93
9	FRA	2	Emmanuel Dodé	-28	15	5	-26	22	8	10	7	17	4	6	5	153	99
10	NZL	555	Phil Robertson	25	(DSQ [65])	23	25	10	4	3	4	(RET [65])	6	2	1	233	103

Top Ten Classic / Floating Division:

Pos	Flag		Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	R10	R11	R12	Tot	net
1	AUS	308	Andrew Landenberger	4	-18	2	1	-5	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	37	14
2	AUS	31	Scott Anderson	-6	1	-7	6	1	2	3	2	2	2	3	4	39	26
3	AUS	300	Andy Landenberger	3	2	-6	2	2	5	5	5	(DNF [25])	3	2	2	62	31
4	SWE	59	Alberto Farnesi	5	-6	1	3	3	3	-6	3	3	6	5	5	49	37
5	ESP	5	Enrique Cornejo	-14	5	11	12	6	4	2	(DNF [25])	4	4	4	3	94	55
6	GBR	18	Hugh Macgregor	1	7	4	4	4	8	-9	7	6	(RET [25])	7	8	90	56
7	ESP	7	Michael Todd	2	-14	-15	10	10	6	4	4	5	5	6	6	87	58
8	SUI	56	Bruno Biedermann	7	-11	3	5	11	7	7	6	7	(RET [25])	8	7	104	68
9		9	John Dowling	9	9	8	9	8	-13	10	11	10	9	11	(RET [25])	132	94
10	AUS	27	William Michie	12	-19	16	8	-20	10	12	10	8	8	10	9	142	103