F18 Trophy Challenge 2023: Report by Flavien Bascoul

by Editor · Published May 17, 2023 · Updated May 17, 2023

–

All images Trophy Challenge / F18 Croatia fb. More here. Text below a complete excellent report sent by Flavien Bascoul (FRA 218). Congrats to Drasko Andric and the local F18 for this annual event, now a solid date in the Class calendar. Venue and racing area look like a St Bart & Sweden Archipelago mix. Maybe a Worlds should be done here in the future…

RACE REPORT / F18 Croatian Challenge Through the Eyes of a Rookie

The 8th edition of the “Trophy Challenge”—a long distance F18 event formerly known as “Murter Challenge”—gathered 21 teams from across 10 countries on the small Croatian island of Krapanj. The victory went, on Sunday 14 May 2023, to the duo Friedrich/Elbel (GER 19), while Stroebel/Tosi (USA 44) and Piasevoli/Miroic (CRO 8) respectively placed 2nd and 3rd.

Full results below, additionally a very well written race report from Klaus & Bettina Dreier (AUT 3) are available on the F18 International website.

–

The 8th Trophy Challenge Through the Eyes of a Rookie

By Flavien Bascoul

I am a Parisian who does not sail very often. But when I do, I am looking for memorable adventures that make me feel like I’m living the dream. Which usually is easier said than done. But what I had the privilege to experience last week surely did not disappoint…

The Ultimate First Timer

How did I get there? Well, it all started with drinking rum and socialising on the beach during the Martinique Cata Raid, last January. Since I acquired a second-hand Goodall Viper F16 five years ago, I have been constantly looking for wild ideas to sail out of my comfort zone. So I asked Olivier Lecomte, one of the competitors in Martinique, what he thought were some of the most exciting events for catamaran racing. He told me that he recently enjoyed taking part in a long distance event across Croatian islands, but that he would probably not be able to return in 2023, as his co-skipper Stéphane Kieffer would not be free. To which I replied: “do it with me”.

And voilà, here I am, four months later, visiting Croatia for the first time, sailing an F18 for the first time, navigating the Adriatic Sea for the first time, handling a decksweeper for the first time, being part of a truly cosmopolitan regatta for the first time, among many other “first times”, some of which will forever remain a well-kept secret between the vigorous Croatian skipper Draško Andrić and me.^^

New Place, New Challenges

But I wasn’t the only one concerned with first times. After seven consecutive years based in Murter, this year’s competition was held for the first time on the small (and beautiful) island of Krapanj. This raised administrative and logistical hurdles that a streak of misfortune made even more complex to manage.

One thing is clear: we all witnessed tremendous efforts and dedication from the team of volunteers in charge of the organisation, who shouldered the extra burden of difficulties and found solutions to ensure that the impact on the competitors’ experience was kept as minimal as possible.

Not Sailing It to the Fullest …

The playground there, the navigation area, is nothing short of magical. The possibilities for long-distance routes that wind between the neighbouring islands are limitless. The complexity involved in figuring out a race strategy in such an environment is undoubtedly stimulating and instructive.

Unfortunately, the highly unstable weather conditions did not allow us to fully exploit the potential of this place. We only validated one round of long-distance sailing on Friday and two rounds raced on a shorter up-and-down course on Saturday. On Sunday, we could not even sail at all. It is an even greater pity that many of the teams came from quite a long way away. But that is how it is.

… While Living It to the Fullest

The atmosphere ashore was wonderful and for me that is what matters most. We met really nice people. We discussed our passion. We shared quality time around delightful food, fantastic stories and unique experiences. We had a great time together.

When we left the Island, Olivier told me that we were lucky to have been able to share our accommodation with Joachim Piehl and Jurica Borozan (GER 368) as they turned out to be so kind and pleasant. But I’m sure we would have been just as delighted to be with any of the other crews we met at the event, as they were all great to be around.

Gratitude

I know it sounds a bit commonplace to say this, but it’s nonetheless totally true that without each of these competitors and each of these volunteers on Krapanj, this 8th Trophy Challenge wouldn’t have been as great. This is why I really believe it’s important to thank everyone.

And of course to start with Olivier who offered me his trust to join him and board his boat. It was my first time sailing an F18 and I could never have dreamed of a better opportunity than this one.