United States A-Class Sailing Association (USACA)

10/21/2026

Just in case the club bar is simply not enough! 🤣

What to Do When You’re Not Sailing
Welcome to Tampa! Davis Island Yacht Club is excited to host the 2026 Star Class North American Championship, October 25–30.
When you're not on the water, there's plenty to see, do, eat and explore around Tampa Bay. We've gathered local resources, discounts and special offers from Visit Tampa Bay and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission to help you make the most of your stay.
Whether you're looking for a great local restaurant, want to explore Tampa's waterfront and historic neighborhoods, or have time to catch a Lightning game, there's plenty to enjoy beyond the race course!

Special Offers for Regatta Visitors
Take advantage of these special offers from our Tampa Bay Sports Commission partners while you're in town for the regatta. Offers and restrictions vary.

Rental Cars – Avis Budget
Planning to rent a car during your stay? Avis Budget is an official partner of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and is offering special rental car savings for visitors. See page 7 of the Tampa Bay Explorer for details.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Special Event Opportunities
Want to catch a Lightning game while you're in Tampa? Through the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, regatta participants can learn about exclusive opportunities for Tampa Bay Lightning games, concerts and special events during their stay.
Scan the QR code on the [ADD-FLYER-LINK-HERE]Tampa Bay Lightning offer flyer and submit your information to learn more.
For questions, contact Matt Thompson at 813-301-6546 or [email protected].

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Single-Game Tickets
Want to catch some football? Get tickets for an upcoming Buccaneers home game.
Buccaneers Single-Game Tickets
For groups of 10 or more, contact Maggie Wheless at [email protected] to ask about special offers and group experiences.

Hamilton at the Straz Center
Staying in Tampa a little longer? Hamilton will be at the Straz Center October 21–November 8, 2026. Use promo code GRP2627 to save 20% on Thursday evening and Friday performances, or 25% on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday matinee and both Halloween performances.
Hamilton Tickets & Details – Straz Center
Restrictions apply. The $5 theater restoration fee included in the ticket price is not discounted. Additional fees may apply. Offer is not valid on prior purchases and cannot be combined with other offers.

Tampa Bay Deals & Discounts
Save while you explore! Visit Tampa Bay's Unlock Tampa Bay Deals offers discounts and special deals at attractions, restaurants, shops and other local businesses. Offers and restrictions vary.

Unlock Tampa Bay Deals
Explore Tampa Bay
Things to Do – Attractions, outdoor activities, museums, entertainment and more.
Tampa Bay Dining – Find restaurants, breweries, waterfront dining and local favorites.
Davis Islands Village – Explore the restaurants, shops and businesses right here on Davis Islands.

Where to Stay – Find hotels and accommodations throughout the Tampa Bay area.
Tampa Bay Explorer – Discover more about the area and explore local visitor resources.

A Few Tampa Favorites
Tampa Riverwalk – Stroll along the waterfront and enjoy restaurants, parks, museums and attractions along the way.

Ybor City – Explore Tampa's historic neighborhood, known for its Cuban and Spanish heritage, restaurants, shops, nightlife and hand-rolled ci**rs.

Water Street Tampa – Visit this downtown district for restaurants, shopping, hotels and public spaces near the waterfront.

Tampa Bay Beaches – Have some extra time? Head west to enjoy the area's beautiful Gulf beaches.

Tampa Bay Sports – Depending on the season, you may be able to catch a Tampa Bay Lightning, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Tampa Bay Rays game while you're here.
There's plenty to explore beyond the race course, so take some time to enjoy Tampa while you're in town!

Best regards,


Greta Brooks
Administrative Assistant
Davis Island Yacht Club
813-251-1158

For all the latest news about the Club and its happenings, check the DIYC Website.

10/15/2026

09/08/2026

Meanwhile at Hellecat, dogs blew off chains at the start of the 4 nations Championships.

07/02/2026

When riding a motorbike, it's always a good plan to assume everyone is trying to kill you, and behave accordingly. So too, it seems, is sailing an A-Cat. Thomas Paasch had this near miss with a powerboat the other day. 'Failure to keep a proper lookout' is a serious and prosecutable offence under international maritime law, however, the consequences of events such as this could be life changing.

Safe Sailing Is No Accident.
Again, just assume they are all out to kill you.🥺

This could have gone terrible wrong. A power boat on full speed app...

06/01/2026

Action from Day 1 of the European Championships at Mar Menor

05/22/2026

Ladies & Gentlemen. We introduce our new class President. Following on the big footsteps of Michael Christiansen, as his tenure comes to it's end, Patrick Stadt has been elected as US fleet President at this important time, with the Worlds due in Tampa, in November.

Born in Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, in 1956 - raised in Melbourne, Florida. He graduated from the US Coast Guard Academy in 1979 with a BS in Marine Engineering. He served for 30+ years in the US Coast Guard as a Naval Engineer and Commanding Officer of the services largest Cutters and gained an MSE in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He then served as one of the Corporate Directors of Government and Customer Relations in Washington, DC, for Huntington Ingalls Industries for seven years following his USCG Retirement. He was a consulting engineer with Peter Hinz Consulting for four years. He is also a licensed Sailplane pilot and a licensed USCG 100t Master.

He has been cruising the US east coast and the Bahamas for several years with Michelle Jennings of Indialantic, Florida, on their 44’ Fountaine Pajot, and they’ll have been married for 47 years on 09 June. He's also an avid Pickleball player. His first A-Cat was a WaterRat, but is now sailing a 2015 DNA, racing and learning for the last four years, and 'very happy to be counted as a member of the USACA and the global A-Cat community!' he says.

05/21/2026

Regatta Report: High-Performance Catamarans Shred the waters at the CSA North American A-Cat Championships. Bailey White reports.

The racing calendar delivered spectacular conditions this past week as sailors from ARG, CAN, and USA gathered for one of the most anticipated events of the season, the A-Class North American Championships. Lake Carlye in southern Illinois outside of St Louis, Missouri is known for its tactical challenges, hospitality and stellar race management. It lived up to its reputation, providing tight racing across a multi-day schedule.
The official notice board, full scoring breakdowns, and tracking links were hosted directly via the event portal at csa-sailing.org/regatta/3VQxQFbbZy.

The Venue & The Host Association
The regatta was organized and hosted by the Carlye Sailing Association (CSA), a largely volunteer group that reflects the best of midwestern American culture and hospitality. The club hospitality deserves special mention with dinners, breakfasts, PB&Js, and refreshments all provided to sailors throughout the event by club volunteers. There are too many club members to cite but Rick Bernstein and Tom Paoloi as regatta chairs deserve special mention as well as Tom Wyman, PRO.

Sailors from sea breeze venues had to adapt to the game of shifts and pressure that can routinely be 2X the mean wind speed. This adaptation often starts with frustration and ends with patience and better results. This is lake sailing and brings a new level of challenge to those who might otherwise rely on speed to win the day. It brings tough lessons that have helped this club’s sailors win world championships in fleets including the Lightning.

Sailors each day arrived at the club after driving down long straight roads beside fields of agricultural crops and enjoyed the beauty of the region. The area is a perfect embodiment of the heartland of the USA and why USACA picked Carlyle for the 2026 North Americans. It served as a way to have a unique experience together as a fleet in preparation for the 2026 Florida Worlds in November at David Island Yacht Club.

The Podium and Key Battles
Looking at the results, you’ll see just how close the competition was. Even Ravi, didn’t always have it so easy, barely pulling off one 1st place finish over Bruce, Todd, and Bailey with a foiling jibe.

Two Open sailors have moved into Classics with a vengeance. Bruce Mahoney and Todd Woods, sailing DNA Vintage F1 and eXploder Classic respectively, showed what is possible in that fleet and overall. Todd in particular transitioned his Open fleet approach to classic mode upwind speed and set a high bar for all. Todd would have finished higher if not for his top hook breaking way from his mast due to age and rust.
Francisco Venetucci deserves special mention. First, he traveled farthest, flying from Argentina to compete. Second, he now owns a 2020 eXploder in the USA and will be training with Ravi and Lena in Long Beach this summer. He is already fast and will only get faster.

As with any great fleet, there are stories throughout it worth mentioning and this article only covers a few. Olivier Lajoie deserves special mention as a new CAN fleet member how has just learned to sail 9 months ago. Olivier has gone all in with two boats, dedicated time with Red Gear Racing and Ken Marshack’s tutelage in Key Largo, and results that consistently improved throughout the regatta. Watch this man go in the coming years.
Other relatively new fleet members like Alex Hart, Scott Ledbetter, Ian Ray, Mark Sellnau, Patrick Work, and Kirt Simmons were awesome to have in the event. Scott is already on the podium and has a fascinating history as a captain for megayachts.

Leon Pinson, a soon to be wedded man, hosted his batchelor party at the event. He and his regatta cat, Louise, are event favorites and Leon showed he will go for it on the water every time, even if it is not in the best interest of his ankle or foot! Youth.

We had six decades of ages racing. Olympic medalists, top sailmakers, composite engineers, doctors, lawyers, air traffic controllers, industrial experts, real estate professionals, electric vehicle entrepreneurs, royal yacht masters, etc etc. You won’t be disappointed to get to know any of them better.

Congratulations to Patrick Stadt, new USACA President and thank you to Mike Christensen for his two years of leadership.

Pics - Carol Ann, CSA

05/14/2026

Brand new exploders will be available for charter at the Worlds for $5000.00 including admiral cup. Sailors must provide own insurance and sail.
First come first basis.

https://usaca.info/classifieds

05/13/2026

Only a couple of weeks or so to go until Fiesta Time in the A-Cat World !