A-Class Worlds 2016 @Medemblik: Mischa Heemskerk Champ

Sequence by Olaf Kleijweg, click images for hq & slideshow. Check his entire gallery (105 pics) at CSN Fb.  Great shot above Jacek & Mischa at the windwardmark by – Paula Kopylowicz / Expoder gallery.
– Prize pics by Gordon Upton, who is putting some additional hours and gathered some great shots at gordonupton.photoshelter.com
Read his complete onsite reports at a-cat.org
Photos from the week at IACA official Fb page.
– Jodie Bawden took great pics all week , see her shots in previous post & at jnbimages.co.uk
– Must see videos by VRSports at www.vrsport.tv (cannot embed)
– Medemblik Worlds official web acatworlds2016.nl
– Daily video list acatworlds2016.nl/media/video/

More pics from Jodie, Scheurer camp, and others later in the week. Check the A-Class label for the Worlds posts.
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The comparison with Phil Mickelson is always present with Mischa Heemskerk as the progression keeps flowing. Back in 2012 Mischa could finally break the World Titles spell for the first time after many close calls ,  winning in Florida his first World Title (A-Cat Worlds). I wrote at the time, that like Phil it was clear more would come his way after the first one was achieved.

The US talented golfer relies much on his family, I remember his first win in Augusta Masters how he embraced with wife and kids. The rest is history and now the lefthander has 5 majors in his pocket after a long period to reach a first one.

Mischa has formed a family recently and a first baby girl too, he feels now this extra support as he tells it himself in this great Final Day video by vrstport, this new family base has given him a new focus, added to the Dna F1 development and hard training a second World Title is now at home.

Foiling Power House
At Medemblik Mischa was flawless, imperial. 7 bullets over 7 raced, bypassing the last one with the title secured. He took advantage of the conditions the wind gods sent him for every race and he maximized performance.

I selected Olaf Kleijweg’s sequence above as a proof of his powerful sailing skills, those are NOT downwind foiling pics, many of us can aim to have, instead this sequence above is upwind foiling, Mischa said around 18knots in this mode. Lots too see, click for bigger size.

Equipment
Medemblik provided almost perfect conditions for Mischa’s races, the third A-Cat Worlds with foiling tech R&D but the first one we can affirm the development field was leveled and the title was defined by sailors skills alone. I mean past two foiling titles have been won by Ashby…  but indeed there were equipments gaps at Takapuna 2014 and Punta Ala 2015.

This year, and just analyzing Exploder team comments on them being happy with speed plus a key shot in Day 5 video where Mischa and Jakub reach head to head to the windward mark, both keeping a smooth reach transition to downwind.

I witnessed that same sequence countless times at Punta Ala and the difference in speed was too much for Mischa and Glenn against any other sailor. Not the case here,  Jacek seems even faster and foiling earlier. The polish Nr 1 A-cat sailor pushed hard in the last races scoring two 2nds behind Mischa.
Watch how stable Bundy foils , the same for Jacek or Sandro’s take, Impressive how far the As have
gone since 2014.

*Update: Found a great shot by Paula Kopylowicz / Exploder from Jacek & Mischa at the Mark, added above. Video to watch actual footage  here

To above, add the results/equipment table I published during the week and its final results below, it’s clear we can select our platform of choice freely without giving much or any handicap and with some price differences. This has always been the beauty and best asset of Formula/Box rule classes.

Design Alternatives & Sailing hours
Mischa won on the super cool looking Dna F1, but the rest of the top 5 were all Exploders D3.
We experienced turbulent transition times since foiling inception (in terms of equipment diff) and after Medemblik we can say the Class has found again, and for the time being a rather leveled scenario with at least 3 production boats to choose from and even custom gems like Thomas Paasch Nikita with Dna foils in the top ten. (Check equipment table below)

The retrofits can also be as competitive, once flying the performance is given by the foils only.

I don´t see builders going for further extreme mods, I think is time to take out the best of new upwind foiling technique, refine downwind flights, check rigs plus boom no boom? You test and decide, I have my decision already on this one.
Above all putting more sailing/racing hours, right now that is the only way to improve.

Top Ten
Bundock had a really great event , with not as many hours as Mischa in the class, along Brewin and the Polish Armada with Jacek Noetzel & Tymek Bendyk were pushing the winner to perform at his best.
Bob Baier finally found his rythm with foiling, on the Scheuer G7 latest version, finishing 8th overall behind Bruce Mahoney & Roeland Wentholt on the Dna F1s.
9th place for Adam Beattie (D3)  and 10th for Thomas Paasch on the ‘Super’ custom Nikita.

Another Star for the event was Carolijn Brouwer, finishing  14th overall with plenty of top ten results.

Silver Fleet
Silver fleet for Stephan Schleisfer, 2nd Julio Saubidet from Arg with two dns in the qualys,  third for
Robert Graczyk and a great 4th for Yvonne Nieboer. The only two Silver fleet races completed were won by Sergio Mehl, one by 5mins I’ve been told, but the guy belongs to the Gold fleet, a bad start with a non show in two races (own responsibility) , and a broken trapeze  put him out of top ten contender, if you were there, you saw his speed. The guy is fast.

Floating Mode Champ
In the full floating rankings who other than Marcin Badzio? I told the kid is good, he finished 23rd overall behind only foilers of course.

Rookie & Great Grand Master Champ
But the hidden star of the event for me is without a doubt Joerg Gosche: 13, 20, 7, 3, (27), 16, 19 & 20  for a final 18th overall position in the Gold fleet.
Not bad for a TOTAL rookie in the A-Class who got his Dna F1 some weeks ago, he was not even considering to sail the boat on some work/time compromises, less to attend and race in Medemblik on his lack of experience.
But he didn´t knew his F18 expertise was more than enough to give it a try at the Worlds venue.   I pushed him to go.

As a ‘Great Grand Master’, he won his category ahead of the super talented and legend in the Class by now, Mathias Dietz, who finished 26th in Gold fleet too.

When I grow some years left to be a Great Grand Master, more than being top 20s like these two, I hope at least I can continue sailing! Floating mode no problem at all, I will enjoy the ride the same.

A-Cats
Give the A-Class a try, you can sail F18 or any other Class, is not one or other, is having a go as many as you possibly can, just ask Joerg, he will tell you it was worth it all the way, you don´t even need the latest design to have a blast.

2017 A-Cats Worlds at Sopot
Next year the local Arg A-Class fleet will be formalized and we are already organizing the trip to visit Jacek &  Jakub at Sopot. The Class will go from  Dna’s backyard to the Exploder one.
Official web for the event: aclassworlds2017.pl/

Last photo above by UKS Navigo: Polish Camp and their trophies: 4th, 5th, 11th Gold, Floating Champ.

Mischa & Darren re match?
But now is time for the Olympics in August and for the F18 Worlds in Buenos Aires in October, we know Mischa, Darren & Carolijn are wanting to join us, and we will do everything we can for them to attend, Bundy might want a re match from Medemblik  with Mischa, now in the F18s, and Mischa is on a roll, but note his F18 title is still pending.

Mischa : Go with the flow, just follow Phil’s steps and the Titles will keep coming your way…