Event: ACO 13th Musto Skiff World Championship 2024, Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA), 14th – 20th July.
By Musto Skiff Class Association
Musto Skiff sailors from across the globe are invited to participate in the ACO 13th Musto Skiff World Championship 2024, which will be hosted in the UK by Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) over 14th – 20th July.
Entry is now open for the annual regatta, which typically attracts between 70 and 100 skiffs representing several nations within Europe, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the USA. With the largest fleet coming from the UK, the class organisers are anticipating a record entry for this year!
This is not the first time the class has been hosted at Weymouth and Portland. The class previously competed at WPNSA in the summer of 2012, immediately prior to the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. That 2012 Worlds regatta attracted 105 entries representing 11 nations, and much to the delight of the class, the regatta also saw a Royal visit from King Charles III, who was there in his former role as The Prince of Wales to meet members of the Team GB Olympic and Paralympic Sailing squad.
Will ‘King Bruce’ return to reclaim the Worlds crown?
The World Champion crown is currently held by Matthias Houvenagel, the French native who lives in Melbourne and impressively represented Australia at Lake Garda in 2023 to win his first Worlds title. But there will inevitably be strong competition to wrestle the title from his grasp.
Class legend Bruce Keen is an obvious contender having won the Worlds title three times previously (including in 2012). Further challenge (should he enter this year) is expected from Jon Newman, a talented Aussie sailor who’s also laid claim to the World title twice previously and, most recently, won the Australian National Championships at the start of this year. Further challenge will inevitably come from the UK’s Sam Pascoe, who was first runner up in the 2023 Worlds, and will be sailing on his home patch, as well as strong competition from the European’s including class stalwart Paul Dykstra of the Netherlands. And let’s not forget the current UK Nationals Champion, Bill Maughan, who took the final podium spot at the 2023 Worlds and has rapidly been nudging up the leaderboards of late.
Competitive racing right across the fleet
Whilst there is always some close racing in the top 10 with many familiar faces, some fantastic racing is expected right across the whole fleet. Just like Formula 1, pockets of great sailors will be battling it out in their own areas, both in the mid-fleet and at the back of the fleet. If entry numbers are high enough, the competitors may be split into Gold and Silver fleets, giving more people a chance to win accolades and prizes during the regatta.
There is also a growing number of talented youth sailors coming into their own. German youth sailor, Edgar Stalleicken; and UK sailors Eddie Bridle, Rob Richardson, Ollie Bull, and Luca De Jong are all showing their skills in the skiff. This category is going to be fiercely contended if the top youths make a return for 2024.
International Chairman, Danny Boatman said: “The ACO 13th Musto Skiff 2024 Worlds is going to be the biggest Worlds we’ve had in a long time! Last year we also had a huge increase in youth participants, and I hope to see this continue. The introduction of the new design square top main at the end of last year has also given the class a boost, alongside the small mainsail, which I can’t wait to see competing on the same racecourse. It is going to be an epic regatta in yet another iconic venue, and with the standard of racing getting higher every year, the Worlds will be unbelievably competitive – and a lot of fun!”
How to enter the Musto Skiff 2024 Worlds
The planned event schedule for the Musto Skiff 2024 Worlds includes a Pre-Worlds on the 14th of July followed immediately by World Championship racing over 15th to 20th of July, which includes 5 days of racing and 1 lay day.
As detailed in the NOR, entry is available online at https://webcollect.org.uk/msca. A tiered price structure is in place to encourage early entry. This starts from £435 if entered before 15th May. A 50% discount for youths (aged 25 or under on 1st of January 2024) is available until the entry closes.
The 2024 regatta will be supported by long-term World Championship sponsor, ACO, a global market leader in drainage technology, who will once again be the Event Title sponsor. Class Title sponsor, Musto, will also support the 2024 Worlds with a range of merchandise for prizes.
More event details can be found on the Musto Skiff class website, which includes a dedicated event guide available at www.mustoskiff.com/2024-worlds
Feature image: Sam Barker – WPNSA Training (© Noah Fitzgerald)
