Glenn Ashby, 31, didn’t even need the ninth — and final — race to seal his title as the six-time A-Cat World Champion in Belmont, Australia. With six first-place finishes, the Australian secured his victory on Lake Macquarie before any other boats could threaten him. Ashby sailed against 85 boats and, save for an uncharacteristic third-place finish in Race 1, remained consistently at the top of the fleet. He finished with eight points.
This championship was just a bead on a long string of victories for Ashby. He won his first A-Cat World title in 1996 at age 18 and also holds bragging rights to two F18 World titles, two F18 Australian title, five European A-Class wins and, a silver medal at this summer’s past Olympic Games in Qingdao, China. His resume often precedes him at major races, where the competition knows Ashby is a tough force to reckon with. He sails exceptionally low on the trapeze, a technique he attained from his Tornado crewmate, Darren Bundock.
Australians Steve Brewin and Andrew Landenberger took second and third place this week, with 26 and 35 points respectively. Here’s hoping for equally superb sailing at the A-Cat Worlds 2010, scheduled for Italy.
