Nestled on the Wairau Estuary on Auckland's North Shore, the Milford Cruising Club carries more than a century of sailing heritage. Established in 1923, the club has evolved from its original relocated house into a modern facility complete with slipway and direct estuary access, making it a fitting host for one of the most technically demanding events in small-boat sailing.
The 2025 A-Class Catamaran World Championships will open with a Pre-Worlds regatta on 8 and 9 November, giving the international fleet a valuable opportunity to familiarise themselves with local conditions before the main event. Following a rest day on the 10th, the championship proper runs from 11 to 16 November. Both the Open fleet, made up of foilers, and the Classic fleet, made up of floaters, are scheduled to complete 12 races apiece, with two races each day and a target race time of 40 minutes.
Racing will take place on windward-leeward courses off Auckland's North Shore, laid to the north and west of Rangitoto Island. Where necessary, the two fleets will race on separate courses or at staggered start times to guarantee fair competition for both disciplines. Scoring follows standard discard rules: competitors may drop their worst result after five races, and a second discard becomes available after nine races.
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Twenty-two entries have already been confirmed for the Open Worlds fleet, among them several New Zealand sailors. Dave Shaw, representing Naval Point, Daniel Philpott from NPCL, and Derek Scott of RNZYS will all feature. Australian veteran Darren Bundock, who claimed the Grand Master Foiler class title at the 2024 A-Class World Championships, is also set to compete.
The Classic Worlds fleet is larger still, with 33 boats confirmed. New Zealand's representation includes Mike Drummond sailing out of WBC, Danielle Haylock from Milford Cruising, and Bruce Mathers of NYC. Australians Andrew Landenberger and Richard Nicholson are among the international names rounding out the field.
Pre-Worlds participation looks equally strong, with 16 foilers and 30 classics expected on the start line across the two days of practice racing.
Championship prizes will recognise excellence across a broad range of categories. The top five finishers overall in each fleet will be acknowledged, alongside category titles for Juniors (under 25), Women, Masters (45 to 50), Grand Masters (51 to 55), and Great Grand Masters (56 and over). The highest-placed competitor in each discipline will be crowned 2025 A-Class World Champion and receive a perpetual trophy. The Pre-Worlds carries a similar category structure, with overall prizes awarded to the top three finishers.
The 2024 A-Class World Championships took place in Punta Ala, Italy, where Poland's Jakub Surowiec, who is entered for the 2025 event, took the Open foiling title. Germany's Moritz Weis claimed the Junior Classic category, while Darren Bundock secured the Grand Master Foiler honours. The Classic Great Grand Master title went to Spain's Gustavo Doreste Blanco, who also finished first overall in the Classic fleet. Those results point to the class's considerable depth across generations and disciplines.
That depth is reflected in the two distinct fleets themselves. Open class competitors sail on foiling machines, their daggerboards and rudders fitted with hydrofoils that lift the hulls clear of the water to eliminate drag and unlock extreme boat speeds. The Classic fleet takes a fundamentally different approach, racing without foils and drawing performance from hull form and sail trim in keeping with the class's original design concept. Together, the two fleets trace the full arc of the A-Class catamaran's development, from its purist origins through to the current frontier of singlehanded multihull performance.
With a strong contingent of New Zealand sailors, a competitive international field, and the Milford Cruising Club's deep-rooted history as a backdrop, the Hauraki Gulf is set to host a week of racing that will reward precision, speed, and technical mastery in equal measure.
