Full range for A-Class World Championships

The 2024 A-Class Catamaran World Championships hosted a record fleet of 180 boats on September 9-13 in Punta Ala, Italy. Equally divided into Classic and Open divisions, the competitors faced highly variable weather conditions: from sunny days with moderate winds to sudden storms, strong gusts, and even a tornado.

In the blue waters of the Gulf of Follonica, between Scarlino and Castiglione della Pescaia, seven races were completed out of the 12 initially planned. Consistency and resilience were rewarded, with applause going to the new world champions: Gustavo Doreste Blanco (ESP 72) in the Classic category and Jakub Surowiec (POL 41) in the Open category.

The event started with as a morning of light winds soon quickly strengthened with gusts reaching 20-25 knots, making the conditions extremely difficult, with many boats capsizing and the final race of the day cancelled due to bad weather.

The second day delivered dream-like conditions, with stable winds between 10 and 16 knots, allowing for the smooth running of all three races for both categories in perfect conditions, showcasing the best of the A-Class.
The third day allowed only one race due to weak wind, and even though the wind was sufficient on day four, a sudden and violent storm hit, with significant swells along the coast, trapping the fleet on the beach as the large waves made it too dangerous to head out to sea.

Despite these difficulties, enthusiasm remained high until the final day when the 7th and final race was held in tough conditions, with strong winds and waves that tested the participants. Unfortunately, many sailors withdrew early, decimating the fleet.

In the Classic category, Gustavo Doreste Blanco from Spain was followed by John Scott Anderson (Australia) and Jacek Noetzel (Poland). The top North American finisher was Ben Hall (USA) in 17th.

In the Open category, Jakub Surowiec (Poland) emerged as the champion, with Darren Bundock (Australia) and Mischa Heemskerk (Netherlands) on the podium. The top North American finisher was Ravi Parent (USA) in 4th.

Event information – Race details – Results