Big names for Formula 18 Nationals
by Mal Gray on 3 Aug 2005
formula 18 ahull Marloes van der Haagen
With a few late entries still to be finalised before the entry cut-off date, the Hog’s Breath Australian Formula 18 Championship, to be sailed off Airlie Beach from August 11-18, is shaping up to be a tight contest of big names.
Sailing a Hobie Tiger, Glenn Ashby, current world F18 champion and defending Australian champion, sailing with his Olympic Tornado crew, Andrew Williams, will be pushed this year by a very strong field of recognised catamaran sailors.
Daniel Van Kerkoff and Michael Cooke, fresh back from a 10th place in the recent Holland F18 Worlds and sailing a Capricorn, are keen to improve on their last year's fifth ranking.
Several top A-Class sailors have made the transition to the exciting Formula 18 class, like Ashby, who is joined by Steve Brewin, who will sail with his father Richard on a Nacra F18. Queensland’s Brad Collett will sail his new Hobie Tiger with Luke MacDonald and long-time champion Hobie sailor, Brad Sumner, is hungry for a win this year and has been training daily in his quest for the top honours.
Previous winners, Nev Thompson/Shamus Stevens, are also sailing a Tiger and are determined to give the professionals a run for their money.
Another new design hits the water this year to join Chris Dean's Blade design in the home-grown category. This will bring the number of different designs represented to five.
Well known Aussie Cat sailor, Mark Laruffa, will hit the water with his new wave-piercing design. In a race against time, he is rushing to present his boat to the class measurer for certification prior to the event.
Competitors will travel from Cairns in the north, Perth, South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria, to make this years event a true National title and sailors will enjoy the venue and hospitality of Hog’s Breath Race Week and Airlie Beach. It is a well known fact that these multihull sailors find much more enjoyment sailing in the sun.
Entries closes on August 5th at wwww.hogsbreathraceweek.com.au
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