What's happening with the A?

With the 2025 A Class worlds right here in NZ there is no better time to join the class!

A Class Catamarans are remarkably affordable in NZ in terms of performance and fun per dollar. More good news comes in the fact that development in the class is slow enough for older platforms to remain competitive in the national scene for many years. We frequently get well maintained boats that are 10+ years old and still winning races, and there seems no sign of this abating.

Some members are upgrading their boats to give themselves a good shot at the Worlds, in turn freeing up boats so new class members might join in. World championships have historically been key for injecting new hardware into the fleet and creating some trickle-down for all to enjoy.

If you are even the slightest bit tickled by the idea of sailing your own A in NZ, we have prepared a breakdown for you including cost, performance and insight so you will be in-the-know!

Budget Boats

Price: $2k-10k
Type: Classic fleet boats, early generation foilers.
Performance expectation: Capable of winning regional races.

If you just want to get involved for the sheer thrill of sailing an A, entry into the class is remarkably cheap. Early 2000s classic platforms are still blindingly fast in the light as they are down to weight and super-low drag, allowing you to win races in regional regattas and even light air national races in the right hands.

We have heard news of a handful of Grahame Davies built hulls, starting from $2k (hull only) up to about $5k (full package incl road trailer) on offer currently, and these would be perfect for sailors to join our classic fleet. Get in touch if this sounds like you.

'Early foilers' are foiling boats that are running some gear from the dawn of the foiling revolution. For instance, eXploder Z10 boards, J boards, or hulls pre-2014. A lot of these platforms are converted to newer foils to enhance performance while keeping costs low.

For instance, Ben Davy is currently selling an older Geltek platform on some modern and dependable Exploder Z22s for $10k. This boat will be capable of full downwind foiling and with a bit of tweaking could also foil upwind, perfect for those who want to experience stable foiling on a budget.

Mid-Price Boats

Price: $10k-30k
Type: Excellent classics, capable foilers.
Performance expectation: Capable of winning national races.

These boats are nationally competitive in most conditions and have usually had a lot of development thrown at them.

Foilers will have an upwind capability and at least Z22 boards. The price often includes a lot of extras including road trailers. Against the 'performance' category, they do lack a touch of efficiency which will mean they are good mid-fleet boats at a worlds level, and slower than classics in sub-5kt.

In the classic department, expect a solid, well kept boat with a current sail, C boards and T foil rudders.

Dave (15k ono) and Hamish (18k ono) currently have two very good foilers for sale in this price bracket, Hamish asking slightly more due to his boat's pedigree:

Performance

Price: $30k-50k
Type: New classics, ~5 year old foilers, conversion projects.
Performance expectation: Capable of winning worlds?

At this price range you are looking overseas for a modern setup where they are more readily available. These will be boats with near new foil designs, under-tramp sheeting, eXploder AD3s or DNAF1xs. Shipping costs and import taxes will have a big impact on price.

OR

You buy a mid-price boat here in NZ for $15k and spend a further $20k or so upgrading it to the lastest foils and sails.

With the right know-how you will be able to assemble a world-class setup, but this is not for the faint-hearted. You have to be prepared to either throw time or money at your boat, or both.

Top 1%

Price: 50k +
Type: Factory new
Performance expectation: More capable of winning worlds.

A special category for those with no time but lots of money. This would be a factory new, or near factory new boat with the potential of costing much more than $50k, mind you.

Now you're in the know!

Get in touch with us on Facebook, the comments below or our contact page and we're happy to have a chat about options or put you in touch with our members.

- Hamish Hall-Smith

David Haylock runs us through what he is doing when he foils downwind on his A Class. 

Hamish has continued to put new gear on his converted 2013 DNA A Class. Here, he is trialing some upwind foiling in the new year...