First Formula 18 Chilean Nats

Chile has been forming a great F18 fleet in the last two years, they came to race with us in 2011. In 2012 they sent 5 crews to LA Worlds. They also have been racing Cats way before Arg, with a large Prindle 19 & Hobie 16 fleet. My friend Alfonso Gutierrez was the first South American, to my knowledge, in participating an F18 Worlds in Australia 2007.
Good 10 boat fleet, 9 Infusions and a C2. Great work being done by our neighbours looking forward to bring the F18 Worlds to SAmerica in 2015-16. Uruguay also had their first Nats a week ago with 6 boats.
Argentina will have a strong 2013 local year as many new comers to the class have joined us.

Here in the South beyond paying between +15k more usd than our Euro/US/Aussie colleagues the class continues good growth, I read some reports on less boats in Europe in 2012, but beyond global economy, maybe +300 ordered & confirmed N17 had to do with it?

Chilean Nats were won with 7 bullets by Humberto del Rio-Lucas Gonzalez Smith, 2nd Mario Mandujano & 3rd the Kovacevic bros.
Marcelo Cisternas and Arg Gonzalo Nieto were the only ones on a C2, they were fast but some issues with old ropes ended their chance in many races. Excellent breeze lake conditions for a fleet that is growing strong every year. More images at CSN FB