A Class Cat Regatta Nazionale at Centro Velico Punta Ala – Day 1
by Gordon Upton 1 Sep 04:10 PDT
31 August – 1 September 2024
Welcome to the first full racing day of the PuntAla regatta festival. Next week, we will host the 2024 World Championships for both Classic and Open categories, but this weekend features an Italian National event, akin to a TT series event, serving as a practice and warm-up for the Worlds.
On Saturday, 15 Classic and 15 Open boats sailed across the deep azure waters of the Golfo Di Fallonica in three consecutive races orchestrated by the Centro Velico Punta Ala under the leadership of President Claudio Bagnoli. The fleets were combined, making it easy to manage a 30-boat fleet. Next week, however, we will face two fleets of 90 boats, adding more pressure on the race committee regardless of their experience.
A pleasant 8-12 knot westerly breeze allowed the races to proceed without issue, aside from a couple of temporary postponements as a few careless motor yachts drifted onto the course and had to be waved away in typical Italian fashion. Nevertheless, there was a short and choppy sea state due to the proximity to the Isle of Elba, which made things challenging for the sailors, particularly the Open foilers attempting to foil upwind. The continuous trimming required to maintain speed through the chop led to early nights for some due to sheer exhaustion.
The three races unfolded smoothly, with no significant drama until the results came out. In the Open category, Darren Bundock AUS 88 gained a strong lead, showcasing a masterful performance on how to handle these boats in choppy conditions. He was pursued by Ravi Parent, USA 76, Mischa Heemskerk, NED 7, and Stevie Brewin, AUS 4 in the first race. The second race was similarly contested until Mischa’s board rake control belt snapped, forcing him to capsized the boat and attempt an on-water jury-rig fix, which ended his race. This left Bundy, Ravi, and Stevie to battle for the finish, with Bundy clinching victory. Race 3 introduced Mischa again. In a gradually diminishing breeze, Mischa and Bundy split at the windward mark, with Mischa successfully capitalizing on the shifts to secure a good lead. Ravi opted to head in early while conditions were still favorable, allowing Giuseppe Colombo, ITA 442 to finish in third place. Mischa crossed the line in the dying breeze, followed by Bundy and Giuseppe about eight minutes later.
However, Bundy faced a shock as his first start was ruled OCS, resulting in a total of 16 points. With Mischa’s DNF in race two and Ravi’s early exit in race three, this opened the door for an Italian sweep, with Luigi Camisotti, ITA 54 leading by day’s end, Giuseppe in second, and Paolo Mangialardo, ITA 300 taking third place.
In the Classics, Mathieu Verrier, SUI 44 delivered a flawless performance, dominating throughout. He was followed by Francisco Mainaro, ITA 583, and veteran sailor Stefano Sirri, ITA 7.
The standout of this year’s event is Mischa Heemskerk and the DNA team, who revealed their new experimental rig developed over recent months. This rig made its debut last weekend at the Dutch Nationals in Hellecat, causing quite a stir online with wild theories and rumors.
The rig features a bending component designed to allow significant leeward curvature. This may look strange at first glance unless you’re familiar with the one-design DN class Ice Yachts, which inspired this radical deviation from traditional mast and sail designs. The sideways-bending rig, when paired with a custom sail, allows adjustment to manage sail power while upwind, proving to be more efficient than a conventional rig. The mast adopts a tube design with wing shapes achieved through bonded side cheeks, resulting in considerable lateral flexibility, potentially deflecting up to 2.5m. This deflection is controlled by adjustable Dyneema lower shrouds tightened or loosened as needed: they are loosened when going upwind and tightened downwind.
This remains a work in progress, but initial tests are promising for the team, as this event marks its first test under race conditions, albeit in lighter winds and with stiffer competition. They have shown it can produce moments of power and speed exceeding that of conventional rigs, although Mischa admits to being largely unsure of its capability and how manageable it can be. More development is needed, as they are still at an early Mk1 stage. Nevertheless, they sense great potential and are excited to continue pushing boundaries. We all look on with keen interest and curiosity.
You can find the complete results here.