F18 Sailors,
Welcome to the new season, with all the hopes of sailing in warm winds and sunny skies. I hope that it brings you all great sailing and many happy memories to live with throughout the next winter. For our friends in the South, we know many of you have had a busy sailing season. We look forward to hearing from you all, PLEASE keep Jasper informed of all your activities, he can do a great job for the Class but only if you let him know what will and has happened where and when.
Worlds 2014
This is going to be one of the “Great Worlds” that we have had since we started all those years ago. Ireland knows about parties and we all know that we will enjoy real Irish hospitality and family friendship. We have an International Team looking after us on the water and sail from a Club packed with World and Olympic sailors. Organising Chairman, David Taylor, is going to Carnac next weekend to sign up entries. You will see from the NoR amendment that the reduced Entry Fee date has moved to 11th May, still ONY £230.00 so NOW is the time to save money! Book now for the “Worlds of a Lifetime!” More info? Check the website: 2014.f18worlds.com
Championship Rules
The last DRAFT of the Championships Rules has gone out, both to the Board and also Council, without any further comment. They still need formal ratification from Council unless you are happy with the distribution todate that hasn’t brought any comment, so can we class them as passed ? I will send to Jens Uwe in Germany so he can discuss with Keiler YC for 2015.
On subject of Championships, we still need the dates for Argentina in November 2016, and also for Brest in July 2016. I have had two chairmen asking that we return to the early July date, as members have got used to F18 regattas being in early July and we need to establish that situation to gain the support of other Classes and we need to avoid clashes, we are talking to N17 for their Worlds on that subject.
There are more new regattas developing for F18 sailors. This is good news as it offers more opportunity to our sailors, but there is the problem that one regatta takes attendance from another as there is a limit on time and cash for sailors to attend them all. This concerns me as we must keep the premier event THE WORLDS and other regattas will have an effect on attendance.
F18 Scholarship
F18 Scholarship. I have had a request from Martin in Argentina that start an F18 Scholarship, to support a young team each year. This idea has just come forward and I welcome the initiative. There are just two problems, a, it will cost money, b. we have a team suggested this year from Argentina, it would have been better if we had a more open competition and have nominations from around the world. But still, I am in support of this idea we have to start somewhere, IF we can raise the cash. The idea is to finance a team at the Worlds and then provide them with best coaching/advice during the regatta. Time is getting short this year if we have to arrange boat charter for them.
I regret that the first two comments I have received have been “No, let each country support their own if they want to!”
F18 Lists
We need to ensure that we have up todate lists of officials so all F18 members can find them easily for support. I have asked Olivier/ Pierre-Charles to update the Board, Council, Measurers and Coaches lists. In line with Olivier’s paper “The Future” dated June 2013, we can review membership to the Technical Committee as subjects arise that are addressed to them.
Coaching
We have not received any requests for monies up to now. There was “central” money budgeted for support when we were clear as to the details of the coaching, where, when, with whom and out turns. (as Council wished).
Boat Crew weights/results
Members will recall the minutes of the December 2013 meeting when Ad Noordzij from Holland presented a paper and offered to do more analysis. With the detailed support of Pierre-Charles, this work has been completed and I attach to the email with this Newsletter, together with an English translation of Ad’s work that he put on the Dutch F18 website. See below.
Dear F18 sailors
A regularly recurring topic of discussion among F18 sailors is the one of what is considered the optimal crew weight for racing with the F18.
Here we present the results of an analysis of the final results of the last three World Championships based on crew weight. This analysis was conducted during the past few weeks.
We produced this analysis following a discussion during the World Council meeting in Paris last December, upon which the Dutch association agreed to undertake this task. We have already shared these results with the F18 World Council members.
With this we foremost want to offer objective, fact-based information to all F18 sailors.
By combining the results of the last three championships we achieve two important objectives: 1) due to the large number (357) data points the role of potentially polluting factors is greatly diminished, and 2) by looking at several events the results better represent the typical conditions (wind and sea) in which we sail our F18 regatta’s.
The end result is information which should really matter to you: the actual results of the most competitive F18 event, sorted and analysed based on crew weight.
On behalf of the association, Mischa, Jorden, Gijs, Pieter and Ad
Best regards,
Ad
Download: full analysis and results (Microsoft Excel)
F18 Shop
Our printer tells me that there has been more activity recently, we hope this continues. I remind all members that if we are going to meet the demands placed upon us for activity then we need the money that work like the shop helps to support.
Marketing Support
It is vital for the Class that we keep Jasper informed of all regatta dates and then results, comments and pictures. We know that we are in a competitive period where F18 has to keep its major No1 presence in the catamaran sailing world. We can only do this by letting ALL sailors know what we are doing where and when ! This work helps build the profile of the Class and in turn create more demand, which in turn helps all F18 sailors who have made such a financial commitment. So if you haven’t done so, ALL calendar regatta dates into Jasper PLEASE.
Austrian F18 Association
We have mentioned before, but it is worth stating again our welcome to Austria. It is always exiting when we get another country joining with their President Phillip Belcredi, we look forward to meeting and welcoming their sailors in future regattas.
My Thanks
My thanks to all F18 workers throughout the World. I know what it is like when you all have work and families to support. Your efforts ARE appreciated. I ask that some of you make contact with Jasper, so he can do “a piece” about all the work that is done, often behind the scenes so sailors can enjoy their weekend.
Don Findlay – Sec. Gen. IF18CA