A-Cat Worlds 2025: Training II by Gordon Upton

–

A-Cat Worlds 2025 Training Session II

Some great shots by Gorddon Upton Photography. Complete gallery by Gordon at his fb page here

Auckland background aside, the most interesting sequence above is the flying Classic Floater G7…!

But well, that’s an aspect we know as a fact for a while now when breeze is on for the Classic platforms. You can have foiling transitions, progressive bumps, but you can surely sustain a good flight more if you have the skills.

What to do to avoid these flights for the foilers? Hmm hard to say, as remember the Nacra 17 curved boards first version also flew even without rudder winglets. I would limit winglets area, to those Landy used back 2014 for ie. I sailed a Scheurer curved boards with those small winglets and the trim was excellent in the breeze to prevent pitch poles in the breeze.

Another issue to prevent flights for Classics today is the aggresive assymetric foil sections currently used in Classics curved boards vs those N17 or legacy A-Cat ones

For the rest, is something the new Class President, Bailey White will need to address as some Classic sailors might complain with justified reason that the chance to have a long steady foiling run is avoided or restricted to the max.

Pics above can be a 2-5 seconds ‘jump’, but as noted above it is possible to make current Classic platforms to foil long run on a given wind condition.

Check also a Windsurfing styled boom, double wish bone in last pic above. Good call, but lets see if holds, Windsurfing vs A-Cat loads are quite different, but surely that’s a custom made boom, will get more info next days.

Worlds starts next week.