Exploder F18 – Production Details

Images by Jasper van Staveren/Sailshoot.com & Paula Kopylowicz/ Exploder.info . Click images for HQ — This project along the first F18 I built here in 2006 that launched the local Class plus organizing next F18 Worlds in Argentina together with all the hardcore local sailors &  members are my contributions to the Class and personally a great pride being involved 10 full years with the F18s.

Next week I will start promoting our Worlds for 2016, official web at f18worlds2016.org.ar, but now I wanted to publish these great shots by Jasper van Staveren & Paula Kopylowicz, (some never posted),  where we can see the F18 Open Project concept made a reality only by Jakub Kopylowicz / Exploder yard investment, from all angles.

Jakub’s effort is providing a new alternative for F18 sailors worldwide, and puts the F18 Class in movement again after some years of zero new boat releases.
Last one was the Falcon by Matt Mc Donald in 2012, which of course I raced for the first time, and it is a joy seeing Matt’s boat doing so good now with Easton-Burd performance in last events & Kiel Worlds.

The concept of the F18 OP has been described at large, check F18 OP label for details, but in short I wanted Fischer’s Wildcat performance with Melvin’s Infusion margin in the breeze. After Mischa Heemskerk & Francesco Bianchi raced the boat at Kiel Worlds 2015, with only 4 days of previous testing and setup just made a factory boat I feel mission was accomplished on providing an allround F18.
But still much racing and setups are pending, and with a group of sailors in Europe we are going to fit Manu’s Boulogne Cirrus Mast as an alternative to the AG+ Jakub is offering along a good set of Exploder Tornado beams.
Mischa & Francesco sailed at Kiel with Exploder beams, AG+ Mast and Mischa Sails, by Heemskerk.
A renown sailor will race the Exploder F18 in next Australian Nats.

Explder Factory boat
Jakub is offering a standard Exploder factory complete boat, equipped with the AG+ and Tornado beams, a complete boat ready to sail with Landenberger Sails.
And if you want to use Cirrus mast or beams, you will need to get those yourself and send it to Exploder factory. For the entire factory boat you can contact Jakub Kopylowicz at Exploder.info

Cirrus extrusions
I will use Cirrus beams & Mast for mine in the future, Jakub is molding the beam beds option for that purpose, that will be the ‘MV’ version.
But as seen at Kiel his Tornado beams are doing quite well too.

For those wanting Cirrus parts I have talked with Anne Boulogne and we established a discount per quantity, those interested can contact Anne at www.bcm-catamaran.com or me directly, I have Cirrus public list price she provided and I will put you in contact with the other sailors interested in their parts, ordering alltogehther you will be able to take advantage of the discount based only on quantity. Of course you can contact her directly too for your Cirrus parts or your complete Cirrus R F18 at www.bcm-catamaran.com

Rudder Blades & Daggers
Built in full carbon, section used was the one provided by Francesco Nadal, the Eppler 386, shape profile was done by Jakub. Construction is super proven as seen at Kiel where we saw many breakages in the high breeze but none for the Exploder, this on Jaklub’s A-Class & long time Carbon building experience.

Sails
We arranged at Punta Ala with Felix Egner from Landenberger sails & Jakub to offer a good deal within Exploder factory complete boat alternative.

– Design royalties for this project of course are ZERO (0) Eu/Us, thus contributing to a better cost.

For other alternatives beyond Landenberger you have the loft remaining I named the other day:
– Mischa Sails – By Top Sailor & Designer Mischa Heemskerk
– Hide Sails Kent – Winning designs proven by Simon Northrop simon (at) northropsails.com
– One Design Sails Hungary  by  Marton Balasz (former Ullman/Soldano loft) fb/1DSailsBalaton
– Performance Sails – Winning set used by Larsen & van West for 2014 & 2015 World Titles performancesails.com
– North Sails US – Through Tripp Burd I think they made Falcon’s North set which has provided wins in super light to breezy  races for the the Nr 1 US crew. onedesign.com
– Glaser Sails – www.glasersails.com . Thanks Gill for the reminder for Jay Glaser, who kindly helped me at LA 2012 Worlds to add a cunningham point to my Landy. Glaser also provides factory sails for the Falcon F18 & F16s, plus proven A-Class sails.

If you know of another good F18 Loft send me a mail and I will add it to the list.
Soldano & Udin are not making more F18 sails.

You can also contact me directly for the Exploder , Cirrus parts group arrangement and Landenberger sails  at catsailingnews gmail com .

Other F18s in the market right now are:
– Cirrus F18 bcm-catamaran.com
– Nacra Infusion nacrasailing.com
– Goodall Design C2 goodalldesign.com.au/Catamaran/
– Falcon Marine F18 falconmarinellc.com/
– Hobie Wildcat hobiecat.com/sail/wild-cat/
– Windrush Edge windrushyachts.com.au/sailing-boats/the-edge
– Mattia F18 mattiaitalia.it/mattiaitalia/
– PSA Capricorn – capricornsailing.com/
– Sirena Voile Shockwave MKII sirena-voile.com/v3/fr/loday-white/shockwave,28.html