A-Cat Worlds: America's Cup champion wins 10th World title
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz 23 Nov 2018 08:49 UTC
23 November 2018
Glenn Ashby turns on some aerobatics Final day 2018 A Class Catamaran Worlds, Hervey Bay, Queensland © Gordon Upton /
www.guppypix.com
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper, Glenn Ashby has taken his 10th World title in the International A-Class Catamaran Worlds being sailed on Hervey Bay Queensland.
After losing two days of racing due to strong winds, Ashby cemented the world championship with two wins and third place on the final day. He won the title from former double world champion, Mischa Heemskerk (NED) who was 9pts behind.
Emirates Team New Zealand sailors finished third and fourth overall, with Blair Tuke out-performing his fellow 49er Gold medalist Peter Burling to take third place, and repeating his feat of beating Burling last time the trio competed together at the 2014 Worlds in Auckland.
Tuke had his work cut out to contain a fast finishing Peter Burling, after Tuke finished 12 in the first race of the final day. But in the final two races the three America's Cup champions dominated with Ashby posting two wins, with Peter Burling finishing second in both and Tuke finishing a countable pair of third placings, to take the Bronze medal by 2pts.
Conditions today were ideal for racing - reaching 19kts.
The 114 boat fleet was split in two with the Open title being contested by 69 foiling A-class and the Classic fleet with 45 non-foiling A-class.
Veteran A-cat campaigner Andrew Landenberger (AUS) won his first world championship after he dominated the classic fleet even more so than Ashby counting seven race wins, and being able to discard one of his wins and a fifth place to come away with the perfect net points score.
Last week Glenn Ashby won his 11th Australian A-Cat National title in the Pre-Worlds event.
For full results sailherveybay.com.au/live-results
More information on the event website at www.a-cat.org