United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)

04/20/2026

Over the weekend of April 17-19th, the Upper Keys Sailing Club hosted the Intergalactic regatta. This event has been going on about 20 years now and celebrates the top sailors from the second half of the fleets. A fun, less serious event, it was John Schiefer who was the original brainchild of this event. It gave recognition to those who may never win but always participate. Still with some great sailing and they had 16 sailors, including 4 down from Canada. The water was a beautiful, warm, clear turquoise with winds 8-10 for two days. The winds died on the Monday, so no sailing, but everyone had a great time.

Had this been a normal regatta, the overall winner and the winner of the Classic division would have been Ben Moon, with one of the CAN sailors, Andrew Woods, leading the Open foiling fleet scores. However, this isn't a normal regatta, it's the Intergalactic Regatta, and the winner is scored from the lower half of the whole fleet. Hence the declared regatta champions here are Andrew (Kiwi) Burdett, overall and Classic, and Mark Herenden for the Open fleet! We said it was to be fun! Many thanks to Shelli Skeels.

03/07/2026

Worlds entry opens and NOR published.

The 2026 World Championships Notice of Race is now published.
https://www.aclassworlds.com/documents

And entry is now open for both the Admiral's Cup warm-up regatta - https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/31123

And the World Championships - https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/31124

02/21/2026

This year, the AUS Association celebrated 60 years of A-Cat sailing as an association.

Former AIADCA President and A-Cat legend, Ian 'Storm' Johnson, has done many hours research in the archives to produce this interesting biography of their Association. This was presented at their 60th celebrations at St Leonards Yacht Club and Motor Squadron in early Feb 26.

Read it here
https://www.a-cat.org/node/3928

02/20/2026

Great research work done here by the Aussies!. They found all the first, second and third places for the Worlds from the start in 1981 https://www.a-cat.org/node/24

02/01/2026

🗞️ Bruce Mahoney and Bob Hodges Capture North American A-Class Midwinter Championship

Press Release for Immediate Release

KEY LARGO, Fla. (Jan. 31, 2026) — Bruce Mahoney (USA) and Bob Hodges (USA) captured top honors at the 2026 North American A-Class Midwinter Championship, hosted annually by Upper Keys Sailing Club. Extreme wind and weather conditions on the final day forced racing to be abandoned, locking in results from Friday as final.

The four-day Midwinter Championship served as the most important North American checkpoint in the lead-up to the 2026 A-Class World Championship, set for November 9-14 at Davis Island Yacht Club. With the Worlds returning to the United States this fall, the Key Largo regatta offered a clear look at who is finding speed early in the season.

Foiling Fleet
Bruce Mahoney delivered a commanding performance in the foiling fleet, translating pressure into points across the series. Multiple race wins and consistently low scores allowed Mahoney to secure the Midwinter title before racing was halted by weather.

Francisco Venetucci (ARG) made a late-series charge to claim second overall, while Axel Issel (ARG) rounded out the foiling podium. Several teams used the regatta to debut new boats and updated systems, treating the Midwinters as a proving ground ahead of the World Championship.

Classic Fleet
In the Classic division, Bob Hodges demonstrated the value of consistency, extending his advantage over Haywood Cope (USA) to secure the Midwinter title. Valdek Kwasniewski (POL) remained firmly in contention throughout the week, highlighting the depth and international strength of the Classic fleet.

Once again, Classic boats finished well inside the overall top ten, reinforcing the class’s reputation for rewarding smart sailing and clean ex*****on across configurations.

Weather Shapes the Outcome
Midwinters delivered a full range of conditions over four scheduled days. Early racing featured classic Florida Keys flat-water foiling conditions, while a powerful front brought extreme breeze that ultimately shut down racing on the final day.

Despite the weather, the fleet remained fully engaged on shore, reviewing drone footage, comparing setups, and sharing ideas, hallmarks of the A-Class culture.

As longtime A-Class sailor Ben Hall noted earlier in the week, “In this class, it’s about fifty percent camaraderie and fifty percent racing. Everybody helps everybody, and that’s what keeps people coming back.”

A Proven Formula
Upper Keys Sailing Club once again showcased why it is one of the premier venues for high-performance sailing in North America. The sheltered waters off Key Largo provide an ideal foiling racecourse, while the club’s sailor-first culture and generous hospitality continue to define the Midwinters experience. Easily accessible from Miami, the venue offers both elite racing conditions and a welcoming community.

The A-Class Catamaran is a singlehanded, box-rule development class that encourages innovation within a defined measurement framework. Sailors compete in both foiling and Classic configurations, refining designs, rigs, and systems through experimentation and on-the-water testing. The class attracts Olympians, engineers, lifelong tinkerers, and dedicated amateurs united by a shared pursuit of performance. Take a tour of Olympic medalist and America’s Cup champion Randy Smyth’s Classic A-Class boat with a few unique features including bow rudders: https://fb.watch/EZb73qkseU/

Eyes on Tampa
Several sailors competing in Key Largo raced this fall at the 2025 A-Class World Championship in New Zealand, including Mickey Todd, Bailey White, and Axel Issel. With new designs debuting and speed gaps narrowing, the focus now turns to Tampa Worlds.

The 2026 A-Class World Championship at Davis Island Yacht Club is expected to draw a deep fleet and showcase the class at its highest level on Florida waters.

Event Media & Results
Photos: gallery.hannahleenoll.com
Drone footage and interviews: United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)
Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

Media by Hannah Lee Noll

01/31/2026

A-Class Catamaran Boat Tour 🏎️💨

Olympic medalist Randy Smyth gives us a tour of his unique A-Class Catamaran at the 2026 Midwinter Championship at Upper Keys Sailing Club. Two details stand out immediately: canard rudders mounted on the bows, and a mast with leading-edge cutaways designed to allow more controlled mast bend.

This is box-rule thinking in action. What do you think?

🎥: Hannah Lee Noll

01/31/2026

This crowd? Rain doesn’t stop us.

Three more races are in the books at the A-Class Midwinter Championship, hosted by the Upper Keys Sailing Club. This is a true sailors’ club. No blue blazers. Just sailors bellied up to the bar talking mast bend, replaying drone footage, and arguing setup choices.

As Ben Hall put it earlier this week, “There are no professional sailors here. Everybody helps everybody.” And on an uncharacteristically cold Florida day, that looks like hot soup waiting dockside, a whole contingent of volunteers, reggae on the speakers, and bourbon flowing as boats come back in.

On the water, Bruce Mahoney continued to turn pressure into points, posting a pair of bullets today to extend his lead. Francisco Venetucci surged into second overall after an impressive 1-2-2 scorecard, with Axel Issel rounding out the foiling podium.

In the Classic fleet, Bob Hodges extended his lead over Haywood Cope, while Poland’s Valdek Kwasniewski remains firmly in the hunt.

Tomorrow is the final day. A front is rolling through, so we’ll see if we’ll get an opportunity to shake up the scoreboard or if the results will hold as-is.

Drone footage & interviews: facebook.com/USAClass/
Photos: gallery.hannahleenoll.com
Results: upperkeyssailingclub.com/regatta/CpTrhx1mgK/results

📸: Hannah Lee Noll

01/30/2026

01/30/2026

“Everybody helps everybody.”

That’s what makes the A-Class different. Forty-plus boats in Key Largo, all kinds of setups, all kinds of sailors, and a fleet where information is shared as freely as tools in the boat park. Someone puts a hole in their boat, and five people are already figuring out how to fix it before sunset.

As Ben Hall puts it, this class is equal parts racing and camaraderie. An eclectic mix of sailors from every background, drawn together by speed, curiosity, and a love for figuring things out. Think DN iceboating energy on soft water instead of ice.

It’s a box-rule. Try things. Break assumptions. Learn fast. You can show up with a stock boat and go racing, or spend your nights tinkering and testing. Both belong here.

Hall’s got fourteen world championships under his belt and a few grandkids already lining up as the next generation.

That’s the A-Class. Full spectrum sailing. Full commitment. And a community that keeps people coming back.