Business as usual - Ashby dominates A Class Cats invitation race

Although 14-time world catamaran champion Glenn Ashby missed the last A Class Worlds because of America's Cup commitments, it was business as usual in his first race back.

As a fleet of more than 60 of these super-fast, single-handed catamarans roared off the line at Wangi Wangi on Lake Macquarie, Ashby and America's Cup winning skipper, Jimmy Spithill, were seen lifting above the rest at the pin end of the line.

Although Spithill showed superior upwind speed, it is downwind that most catamaran races are won, and it is downwind that Ashby is the undisputed king. One of only a handful of sailors to stand up on the wire today, Ashby increased his lead on every leg to win by more than 50 metres from Darren Bundock, with whom he won an Olympic silver medal at Beijing.

In Ashby's absence, the last World Championship was won by another Australian, Steve Brewin. It looked as though it would be a race in four, with Brewin pushing Ashby, Bundock and Spithill on the first three legs. But a spectacular capsize just past the top mark saw Brewin break his mast and his day was over.

As he bore away to chase Ashby, Brewin was prepared to stand up on the back of the boat in the 20 knot winds - in the A Class racing is suspended at 22 knots. Unfortunately, the wind got under the trampoline and spat Brewin off the back of the boat. Still connected by the trapeze harness and his tiller hand, he attempted to regain control, achieved it for a moment, then lost the lot. The boat cartwheeled and the mast snapped.

Spithill also went for a swim, costing him a top three finish but showing he will be very competitive in the coming week. Ashby said that Spithill was "70 to 90 metres quicker" going uphill, but that because he (Ashby) was prepared to stand on the back in the first downwind leg he was "knots faster than the guys sitting in the boat".

Spithill agreed with Ashby's comments, saying: "I'm OK upwind but Glenn is out on the trapeze while I'm in the boat just trying to keep it upright."

Although it is already obvious that Ashby will be hard to beat, as always in an A Class, it is too early to make predictions about the other placings.

The rigging area was a flurry of last-minute activity as superstars like Spithill, Tom Slingsby and Nathan Outteridge rushed to have their brand-new boats ready for today's race. Outteridge, never known to be first onto the race track, was one of the very last as his whole family rallied around to fit sponsors' stickers to the hulls before the race.

He was not prepared to get up on the trapeze downwind during the race, but said that he had tried it on the way back to the rigging area and "it seemed OK". We can expect to see Outteridge flying downwind as the week progresses and he gets more comfortable with the boat.

His battle with close friend and fellow Australian Sailing Team member Tom Slingsby will be interesting. Slingsby took the honours today by a single place, and his Laser background will make him quicker upwind than Outteridge on these single-sail catamarans which are the multihull version of the Laser. However, despite being a schoolboy tennis champion, Slingsby claims not to have terrific balance and Outteridge, the 49er world champion, has much more experience on the trapeze.

The pair had a close encounter today when Outteridge dialled-down on Slingsby at full speed and this is an on-going battle that should provide plenty of interest and excitement as the week wears on.

The Nationals start tomorrow with two races and continue until Saturday.

Roger McMillan at Wangi Wangi.