Advice on container shipping

For those used to shipping their boats around the world, skim through this as there are a couple of key bits of NZ specific information.

To get your boat to NZ, you will need a 40” high cube shipping container. Within one of these, you can fit up to 10 A-Class (Stack them bow to bow, 4 high, then 2 on their side in the middle). To make it worthwhile cost wise, you usually need about 5 or more boats in a container. Costs vary obviously, but the return trip could cost between €1,500 to €3,000 Euro per boat.

Some very interesting good and valid observations made here by Rainer Bohrer. The idea of the 'GP style finish' should be trialled at major events and should be seriously looked at now.

Drinks for the winners! ++  Punta Ala was a true highlight in many respects—not least thanks to the record participation of 170 sailors (86 in the Classic Class and 84 in the Open Class). Here, I want to discuss a few statistical insights, particularly regarding race duration and wait times in the seven races of the – Open - class.

Available at - http://www.a-cat.org/sites/default/files/2024_WGM_minutes.pdf

The little lizards in the woods of PuntAla are sad.  All the beautiful people and their even more beautiful boats have gone.  There is something profoundly sad about a venue after a major event happened.  The excitement, the drama, the laughter, the arguing, the banter, the buzz, all gone.

On Wednesday evening, at the Worlds in PuntAla, a presentation took place honouring four great contributors to the A-Class Cat.  Artworks were presented for each nominee.  

They were: Dieter Melcher, SUI 192, he wrote most of the IACA Constitution

Ben Hall, USA, for numerous contributions to the class, especially in USA

Graeme Harbour, for his incredible help in the IACA Committee (Class Rules and Championship Rules modernizations), and of course as International Measurer

Open - Kuba Surowiec POL 42 retained his Open title, with a hugely impressive display of sailing in all conditions

Classics – Gustavo Doreste Blanco, ESP 72 is the new name on the Classic World Champions Cup.  He overcame a first race retirement co come back against a very strong field of former winners.

Congratulations to them both!!

results - https://www.manage2sail.com/en-US/event/ACatWorlds2024#!/results?classId=acatfoiler

After the Southern Ocean conditions on Monday, then the Prosecco sailing of Tuesday, Wednesday was always going to be a come down at the World A-Class Cat Championships in Punta Ala, Italy.  And so it was, the winds of the Golfo Di Follonica needed a rest.  Both Classic and Open foiling fleets remained bolted to the sandy beaches of the PuntAla Camp & Resort for a few hours more that the sailors cared for.  There was only so much lovely Italian coffee to be drunk before the visions started to appear as they developed caffeine overdoses. 

If Monday was the sailor’s day of nightmares, then Tuesday was their day of dreams

The morning after the night before had dawned at the PuntAla venue on the delightful Tuscan coast.  The region had been due to get a little spot of weather the previous evening.  And by little spot, I mean a massive slow-moving thunderstorm accompanied by biblical rain levels that found every crack and gap in restaurant roofs and came under doors.  But no lasting damage and the resort awoke to a few puddles, but as the place is built upon sand, the water had largely dissipated.

The largest ever A-Cat Worlds opened today in PuntAla Camping & Resort, Italy.  Nearly 185 sailors are entered in the twin classes with the first races scheduled for Monday 9th Sept. on two course areas.  However, due to an extreme weather warning, the race committee decided not to hold the practice race on the Sunday, so the sailors go an afternoon off for exploring the local area, or just sitting in the ridiculously high humidity of the resort, waiting for the inevitable thunderstorm to arrive, which it has now done.

Photo- guppypix.com