Formula 18
{{Short description|Catamaran class}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox sailboat specifications
|name = F18
|insignia =
|insignia size = 540 mm (h) x 630 mm (l)
|insignia alt =
|insignia caption =
|line drawing =
|line size =
|line alt =
|line caption =
|image boat = File:Formula 18 catamaran sailboat 1655.jpg
|image size =
|image alt = Formula 18 catamaran sailboat
|image caption =
|designer = various
|location =
|year = 1994
|no built =
|design = Box Rule
|class = International Formula 18 Class Association
|brand = various
|builder = various
|role =
|boats =
|crew = 2 person
|trapeze = helm and crew
|draft = {{convert|1.40|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (upwind)
|air draft =
|displacement = {{convert|180|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|hulls =
|hull type = catamaran
|construction =
|loa =
|loh = {{convert|5.52|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|lwl =
|beam = {{convert|2.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|hull draft =
|hull weight =
|engine =
|appendages =
|keel type = optional: daggerboards / centerboards
|ballast =
|rudder type =
|rigs =
|rig type =
|I =
|J =
|P =
|E =
|mast length = {{convert|9.10|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (maximum)
|rig other =
|sails =
|sailplan =
|sailarea main = {{convert|17|m2|sqft|abbr=on}} (mainsail and mast combined area)
|sailarea headsail = {{convert|4.3|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
|lp =
|sailarea spin =
|sailarea gen = {{convert|21|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
|sails other =
|sailarea upwind = {{convert|21.3|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
|sailarea downwind = {{convert|42.3|m2|sqft|abbr=on}}
|sailarea total =
|rating =
|d-pn =
|rya-pn =
|phrf =
|status = World Sailing Multihull
|previous =
|successor =
}}
The Formula 18 (F18) class is a non-foiling, restricted development,{{Cite news|url=http://www.f18-international.org/constitution/|title=Constitution|date=2018-12-15|work=Formula 18|access-date=2018-12-15|language=en-US}} formula-design sport catamaran class. It was started in the early 1990s and quickly grew getting class recognition by World Sailing, with large racing fleets all over the globe.
Design goals
File:Formula 18 Catamaran sailboat 5767.jpg]]
The overall objective of the class is to offer popular, safe, exciting and fair racing in 18-foot catamarans.
The F18 class is a "box rule{{Cite web|url=http://www.sailing.org/26769.php|title=Class Rules - Formula 18 Catamaran|website=sailing.org|language=en|access-date=2017-10-10}}" class, which means that any boat that adheres to the limited set of general design specifications may participate in all F18 races. This has led to a score of homebuilders and professional builders to design their own F18 boats and race them in this class. However, it is the mainstream production F18 designs that have dominated the top of the class. The presence of multiple boat builders and sailmakers in the class stimulates innovation and helps to limit costs to sailors.
The F18 box rule allows limited development, striking a balance between the class remaining close to the front edge of multihull design and preserving capital invested in the fleet. Since its introduction, the F18 has seen a steady evolution in both hull and sail shapes, which has led to remarkably improved performance in terms of both handling and speed. The latest innovation adoption was the introduction of the mainsail "decksweeper" at the 2017 Worlds. Crewed by experienced teams F18s can reach speeds of over 13 knots upwind and more than 20 knots downwind.
The relatively high boat weight facilitates robust construction and limits the benefits from fragile advanced construction techniques, keeping costs down and increasing longevity. It also supports adding interchangeable parts to the platform, for example for use of the platform as a foiling catamaran outside F18 racing. Moreover, the relatively high boat weight reduces the sensitivity of performance to crew weight.
The F18 class also uses an equalizing system, with crew extra weights, to offer competitive racing for a larger crew weight range.
Class development
File:F18 Worlds 2015 - 14-07-2015 (Kiel - Germany)-0187.jpg
File:Formula 18 catamaran sailboat 7257.jpg
The Formula 18 was created in 1994 by Olivier Bovyn and Pierre-Charles Barraud to introduce first across the line / elapsed time (versus handicap / corrected time) competition to the sport catamaran sailing community at an affordable cost. The concept became popular very quickly and due to its fast growth, the F18 attained ISAF Recognised Class status already in 1996, within 18 months after its inception.
Mainly a Europe-based class at the beginning, class membership eventually spread to Australia and the Americas and the F18 class currently has full racing circuits in many places around the globe. Several thousand boats have been sold over the years. The F18 attracts both female and male as well as mixed crews and it is particularly popular among teams with combined crew weights of approximately 140–170 kg.
Its design and popularity has led the F18 to be the boat of choice for long-distance raid events such as the Stockholm Archipelago Raid, the Costarmoricaine, and the Worrell 1000.
The boats are equipped with double trapezes and a gennaker, and as a result, they require a skilled and physically fit crew to be competitive. However, many crews also use this catamaran for purely recreational sailing.
Over time the class has seen many talented sailors who also made their appearances in Olympic sailing classes, the America's Cup, Jules Verne Trophy and Volvo Ocean Race, including Carolijn Brouwer, Glenn Ashby, Darren Bundock, Jimmy Spithill, Mitch Booth and Franck Cammas.
The Formula 18 class is governed by the International Formula 18 Class Association{{Cite web|url=http://www.f18-international.org|title=Formula 18|website=Formula 18|language=en-US|access-date=2017-10-10}} and is recognized as a World Sailing Multihull Class.
The early success of the F18 class during the 1990s inspired the founding of the Formula 16 class. In addition, a number of Formula 18 designs have gone on to have competitive one-design racing including the Hobie Tiger, Hobie Wildcat and Nacra Infusion.
Popular Designs
Design in bold are in production
Events
{{main|Formula 18 World Championship}}
External links
{{Commons category|Formula 18 (Catamaran)}}
- [http://www.sailing.org/classesandequipment/F18.php World Sailing F18 microsite]
- [http://www.f18-international.org/ International F18 webpage]
- [http://www.usf18.com US F18 webpage]
- [http://www.f18.org.uk/ UK F18 webpage]
- [http://www.f18.nl/ Dutch F18 webpage]
- [http://www.ausf18.org.au/ Australian F18 webpage]
- [http://www.formula-18.de/ German F18 webpage]
- [http://www.formula18.it/ Italian F18 webpage]
- [http://www.canf18.com/ Canadian F18 webpage]
- [http://www.formula18.no/ Norwegian F18 webpage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011115916/http://www.formula18.no/ |date=2009-10-11 }}
- [http://www.f18.fr/ French F18 webpage]
- [http://www.f18.fi/ Finnish F18 webpage]
- [http://www.f18sweden.se/ Swedish F18 webpage]
- [http://www.sff18.us San Francisco Bay Area F18 webpage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318233129/http://www.sff18.us/ |date=2020-03-18 }}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Classes of World Sailing}}
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs}}