F18 Carnac Eurocat: First ‘Major’ of the Season

The Eurocat organized by the Yacht Club Carnac has become, many years ago, the first big event of the racing season, where all the new boats are tested and proven. It is always a good benchmark of things to come. Easily considered a second but unofficial  F18 Worlds event with more than 140 boats! plus the rest of the fleets, 250 last year. 

Photo left: Franck Gicquiaud www.littoral-ouest-photos.com

Nice work too on the French association, gathering the highest number of members with currently 280. Every new year we have more competition on the F18, and 2012 is no exception. Now Hobie, Nacra, Ahpc, Cirrus and Sail Innovation will have top contenders, where some years ago you only have the best sailors riding and winning with the Tiger. The current alternative for competitive boats is quite “a la carte” menu. And you can´t go wrong with any item you order.

The ‘Dark Horse’, if we can call him that way, for the entire 2012 season is a British sailor not yet announced  by his team.
For the rest we have the ‘usual suspects’, and maybe a 2nd DH choice could be Oskar Zeekant and Karel Begeman if they attend to all major events and LA.

On the pending class matters, I will not add more “”blogging noise”” …at this time, but I can ask with respect to the Euro guys to solve any little dispute right now? At the beginning of the season, way before the Worlds at Los Angeles, California. Please go now and protest or chat, or whatever you guys need to do, in an official way or done by individuals, I don´t really care, you just solve whatever is needed now, cause we just want to sail and have a party in LA and not wasting time with rules and futile fights on any unsolved issue.

So Bundy, Backes, Coen, Bissaro and else will be there. On these top contenders this year I go with Carolijn Brouwer, that was too close at Balaton. She is back after being mom and all the F16 racing added to the F18 campaing makes her one of the most active sailors on the fleet, and it is time to have a female World Champ, more on the Olympic Mixed Era.

Finally, the Argie fleet friends, the not so young now, Pierre Le Clainche and Antoine Joubert, maybe with a new boat, the two times F18 Young World Champs, time for them to take the past Italian dark horses path to the top 3. They were 7th at Balaton and this year they are gathering extra experience racing the X40s with Hagara, Peyron and the likes. Watch out with them too.

What we need for Carnac is someone broadcasting this huge event in the future… de Munck??