A-Class Australian Nats 2016: Bundock continues Flight Program

Bundy was left out of the Nacra 17 race for Rio but he wont stay put, in fact he is re discovering the A-Class, now in foiling mode. After Punta Ala Worlds 2015 in September we exchanged some comments on the event and I told him he was the sailor missing the incredible new show. Darren already sailed in the Class in 2011 Australian Nats with some good performances. But the rather ‘boring’ (but super technical & tactical) downwind the As used to have kept Bundy not totally hooked.

After the reports & sequences I shot from Punta Ala (now available on Film by Nick Bowers / Dna) it was clear the slow non trapeze downwind is now reduced say to 4-5knots. A little 6-7 gust with new Decksweeper sail and the technique Mischa & Glenn developed you are able to trap and even foil downwind , something almost impossible to envision years ago.

The F18 does not flies, but the Spi gives you additional drive and is more dynamic than the previous fully inside flat downwind A-Class runs.
Bundy is having a blast foiling the A(he had good practice too with the N17) and now has the chance to learn to foil in the lower wind range, new tricks to learn for multiple World  Champ.
Quite glad to see him in the A-Class racing Arena.

Bundy told me yesterday he will be sailing an Exploder platform with Z5 foils (He also commented Brewin will be using latest Z10 version from Jakub.), L rudders (with standard castings), and a Brewin decksweeper sail as can be seen in image above from his FB, like the one published from Steve Brayshaw past weeks.

Exploder has sent new foils/rudders devels to Australia, Jakub confirmed Bundy, Brewin & Nathan will be on Exp, Spithill too (but with Dna foils).

The Australian Nats will be another milestone in Class development as we’ll see the Exploders racing with decksweeper sails for the first time.
In Europe Felix from Landenberger sails has been working & testing their new design with Exploder & Scheurer camps. Glaser is doing the same with  Stubble and others in the US.

The new equipment (or the lack of it) in the Class, is the boomless Main. Stephen Brayshaw has developed a new traveler system for his Brewin decksweeper to compensate the additional draft the lower part of the sail gets without a boom. Brayshaw will be sailing a Dna and reports no performance loss without the boom. Check the working traveler on video below.
Bundy & Stephen are both members of Team Ronstan Australia and will be racing 2016 Australian Nats starting this Monday.