Fifty-five boats from eight nations will converge on Auckland's Milford Cruising Club this weekend for the PredictWind A-Class Catamaran World Championships 2025, with Open and Classic titles both up for grabs. The fleet may be smaller than the record 179 boats that contested the championship in Italy last year, but what it lacks in numbers it more than compensates for in calibre. Former world champions, Olympic medallists, and America's Cup veterans are all present, and the racing is shaping up to be exceptional.
The foiling Open division is where the most intense rivalry sits. Defending double world champion Jakub 'Kuba' Surowiec (POL 41) from Poland arrives as the clear favourite, having claimed back-to-back titles at PuntAla in 2024 and Toulon in 2023 aboard his Exploder/Bryt. His technical precision and composure under pressure make him the sailor everyone else must measure themselves against.
Australia's Darren Bundock (AUS 88) is the most consistent challenger to that dominance. A two-time Olympic silver medallist and seven-time F18 World Champion, Bundock sailed to second place in the Open foiling category at the 2024 A-Class Catamaran World Championship in PuntAla, Italy, and continues to approach every regatta with the methodical, analytical mindset that has defined his career. He races his Ronstan and is never far from the top of the results sheet.
American Ravi Parent (USA 76) brings his own compelling credentials to the start line. The 2022 world champion, he is one of only two sailors, the other being the legendary Glenn Ashby, to have won the A-Class Worlds, F18 Europeans, and F18 World Championship all in the same year. After a mixed 2024, Parent arrives in Auckland in better form and with a clear ambition to reclaim the title he held three years ago.
Italy's Lamberto Cesari, who finished runner-up at the 2025 European Championships in Riccione, Italy, has been among the pacesetters this season following a training stint alongside the Australian squad. He will be in the mix for a podium finish again. The Australian contingent is well stocked beyond Bundock, with Stevie Brewin (AUS 4), a three-time world champion renowned for his speed in medium-air conditions, and Adam Beattie (AUS 14), who can be dangerous when the breeze allows him to open up.
For New Zealand supporters, Dave Shaw (NZL 270) carries the home hopes in the Open fleet. Runner-up at the A-Class Catamaran World Championships in Weymouth in 2019 and a dominant presence in national competition, Shaw knows the Hauraki Gulf as well as any sailor in the world. Home water advantage, intimate local knowledge, and quiet resolve could combine to deliver New Zealand its first A-Class Worlds victory in more than a decade.
Emmanuel Dode (FRA 2), the current French champion, Michal Korneszczuk (POL 111), who put in a strong performance at the Riccione Europeans, and Carolijn Brouwer (NED 888), one of the most decorated female sailors in the sport, round out the names worth tracking through the week.
The Classic fleet offers a different kind of spectacle. Nothing leaves the water here, but the battles are no less fierce. Andrew Landenberger (AUS 308) heads the line-up as a multiple world champion and former Olympic medallist who also had a hand in designing the new Scheurer G8. Known throughout the fleet simply as "Landy", his smooth, measured style and sharp tactical mind set the standard others aspire to match.
Switzerland's Robin Maeder (SUI 007) makes an interesting switch this year, stepping away from the foiling division to compete in the Classics aboard the older Scheurer G7, tuned specifically for straight-foil performance. His versatility and precision make him a genuine contender.
New Zealand has three sailors well placed to challenge in the Classic fleet. John Kennett (NZL 277) is dangerous in light airs, where his lightweight frame and fine touch give him a natural edge. Mike Drummond (NZL 287) brings deep design knowledge and an understanding of performance tuning that few can match. Pat Ashby (NZL 271), the reigning Classic National Champion, is at his best when the breeze builds and the going gets physical.
Returning from 2024 are Jacek Noetzel (POL 1), Poland's veteran A-Class pioneer, and Micky Todd (ESP 7), the Spanish-based Scotsman whose consistency across large-fleet regattas has made him a reliable fixture near the front of the pack. Among the newer faces, Danielle Haylock (NZL 252) stands out as one of two women competing across both fleets. A competitive New Zealand A-Class sailor known for her determined approach, she races a Tom Block-built straight board boat and has shown she belongs in the company whenever the wind pipes up.
With 20 Australians and 18 New Zealanders entered, the trans-Tasman rivalry will be a defining thread running through six days of competition. Poland, the USA, Italy, the Netherlands, France, Spain, and Switzerland make up the balance of the international field, each adding its own character and depth to the regatta.
Pre-Worlds racing gets under way on 9 November, with the main championship running from 11 to 16 November off Castor Bay. Defending champions arrive with a straightforward mission: hold what they have. Those chasing them see Auckland as the chance to write their names into class history. For the New Zealand contingent racing on familiar water, competing in front of a home crowd on the Hauraki Gulf is motivation enough on its own.
