F18: IF18CA Newsletter, August 2015

Image: Jasper van Staveren / www.sailshoot.com – Check official IF18CA newsletter at https://www.f18-international.org/2015/08/f18-international-newsletter-nr-18-aug-2015/ . Below some comments of our own:
The Formula had a great 2015 Worlds at Kiel, the record entries were not finally confirmed by 170 boats is a huge number the same. For 2016 don´t expect such fleet as we are going to organize the historic first F18 Worlds in South America. The Yacht Club Argentino will organize along the Arg F18 fleet next year Worlds on October 28 to November 4th at Buenos Aires city downtown port facilities.
I’m waiting for the Club to deliver the event website to publish more info on the venue, previous regattas and else.

Crews Weight: Ad Nordzij, F18 Dutch Assoc Chair, has presented a crew weight analysis, the result points out that that 150 to 162 are having best results, but that is also well known as top teams always target that weight range to be competitive, thus is more an intentional and directed scenario than say a random factor. Nevertheless great report by Ad based on Charles Barraud detailed weight data from Kiel.
Check Ad’s report at f18-international.org/2015/08/formula-18-crew-weightrankings-2015-analysis-by-ad-noordzij/

Rules:
On rules, all quiet in Europe after the past paint discussions, as last 3 Wold Titles were won by the gelcoated Nacra Infusion.  On future changes , if any, I think we need to keep allowing to play within the box rule but at the same time remain 100% floating.
Only change I would put over the table is boat weight reduction to make sailors life easier on handling the heavy weight F18 on land and on the water.
I literally broke my back lifting an F18, in contrast a 90yrs old sailor can easily launch and sail an A-Class.
I’m not talking on drastic reduction not even on exotic material, and again, no foiling whatsoever, just on platform weight reduction that can be easily achieved only on hulls being simply over built to achieve min rules weight.

New ‘X’ boat Launch:
On other news, the class informs that: “..we don´t want to promote x boat over others, but a new boat from Poland has been launched..”  Translate: (go figure who built it yourself, to us is not of much interest, F18s are built some crazy guys investing in the boats we actually sail & race, and we are busy discussing other critical political issues…)

Wow, what an excitement from a Class that lives and depends on independent and major beachcat boatyards to keep building F18s now a days, less launching one in current times.
Last F18 design launch was Matt McDonald’s Falcon at LA 2012 and I was lucky enough to sail in its first major event. The IF18CA should be jumping in one foot having new players in the Class, more with latest beachcats projects been all flying oriented.

You know I’ve been promoting all new designs since day one here in CSN as new boats are the first key step on the virtuous circle initiated by builders investment and support for the Class, ending with sailors investing on new boats, and selling their previous ones to new comers, thus expanding the market and class members numbers.
This circle maintains a Formula Class like the F18 or the A-cat alive, so I don´t understand why that cryptic message, again, from a Class that depends 100% on builders investing in it.

Building boats is such a hard task and poorly rewarded business, if you want to make money, stay in the office! You always have to thank people like Matt, Jakub, Manu Boulogne & the Goodalls among others for their will to dedicate their lives to deliver your sailing toys, we need to recognize their work and celebrate every new launch.

The new “F18 from Poland” is precisely Jakub Kopylowicz Exploder F18 , which was raced by Mischa Heemskerk & Francesco Bianchi with some excellent results for a 5 days on the water boat.
You see? Not that hard to do. Nobody was hurt…
I’m preparing a post on the Exploder with great pics from Jasper to be published this week, along his best images from Kiel.