Launch of the F18 European Tour 2026

Press Release

A new circuit to structure, unite and energise the premier sports catamaran class in Europe

The International Formula 18 Class Association announces the official launch of the F18 European Tour 2026, a new continental circuit built around four major events scheduled between April and September.

The project was born from a spontaneous discussion between sailors during the last F18 World Championship in the Netherlands, based on a widely shared observation: despite the vitality of the fleet at World Championships and the many events organised across Europe, the season lacked clarity, consistency and coordination.

Over the past years, the multiplication of regattas has scattered the fleet, fragmented participation in national championships and made sports planning more complex. Yet the success of the 2024 and 2025 World Championships clearly shows how strong and passionate the F18 community remains. The issue was not to organise more events, but to organise them better – fewer events, but stronger events.

The F18 European Tour is the answer to this challenge. The circuit is based on four major regattas in four countries, ideally spaced about two months apart to allow for maximum participation. To be included in the overall ranking, a team must count three results out of the four Acts. The World Championship automatically becomes one of the Tour’s Acts when it is held in Europe. When it is hosted outside Europe – as will be the case in 2026 with the Worlds in Australia at the beginning of the year – the European Championship becomes the central event of the Tour.

The ambition of the class is that this European Tour, inaugurated in 2026, will become a long-term annual fixture, renewed each season and established as the backbone of the F18 calendar in Europe.

For competitors, online registration for the F18 European Tour 2026 will open in late January.

A clear and focused European calendar

The four Acts of the F18 European Tour 2026 will be:

Act 1 – Barcelona (Spain): 24–26 April

Opening event of the F18 European Tour 2026, hosted in Barcelona and marking the official launch of the new continental circuit.

Act 2 – La Rochelle (France): 14–17 May

Second Act of the Tour, held in La Rochelle, one of Europe’s major sailing hubs and a key venue for the F18 fleet.

Act 3 – Dervio, Lake Como (Italy): 3–10 July – F18 European Championship 2026

Central event of the season and official F18 European Championship, gathering the strongest teams of the Tour.

Act 4 – Hellevoetsluis (Netherlands): 25–27 September

Final Act of the Tour in Hellevoetsluis, decisive for the overall ranking of the F18 European Tour 2026.

Voices behind the F18 European Tour 2026

Victorien Erussard, President of the French F18 Class and co-founder of the circuit, explains the vision behind the European Tour:

“The F18 remains one of the most exciting classes in terms of sensations, sporting level and accessibility. To continue to exist alongside new foiling platforms and increasingly crowded calendars, we need to structure our season and give crews a clear course to follow. The European Tour was born from this collective will: to unite rather than to fragment.”

For Patrick Demesmaeker, Belgian sailor and co-initiator of the project:

“We needed a European backbone: a circuit that’s easy to understand, reasonable in the number of events, and attractive enough to trigger a snowball effect. Numbers attract numbers: if we race in the right places at the right time, the fleet will naturally come back.”

The President of the International Class, Olivier Bovyn, welcomes this initiative driven by the sailors:

“The F18 has always been an open, international and unifying class. This Tour will provide a harmonised, ambitious and realistic framework to strengthen our presence in Europe and support the organising clubs that have kept the class alive for more than thirty years. I am convinced that a clear and attractive circuit like this will bring in new teams and encourage both former sailors and big names in the sport catamaran world to come back and race in F18.”

The organisers’ perspective

Carlos G. Motta, Sailing Events Manager at the Barcelona International Sailing Center (BISC), a world-class centre of excellence renowned for its Olympic-level infrastructure and top-end facilities:

“Barcelona is an exceptional playground for sport catamarans. The BISC was designed to host major international regattas, with modern infrastructure, direct access to the race area and ideal logistics. We are very pleased to open this new European chapter in a venue where the sea, performance and sporting innovation naturally come together.”

Florian Ribeiro, Managing Director of La Rochelle Nautique, highlights the advantage of Europe’s largest marina:

“The Port des Minimes offers outstanding facilities and a race area that is both technical and consistent. La Rochelle has a long tradition of hosting major international events: welcoming an Act of the F18 European Tour fits perfectly with this legacy. The teams will find here one of the best environments in Europe for both training and high-level racing.”

Antonella Maccari, President of the Consorzio Circoli Velici Lariani (Multilario), organiser of the European Championship on Lake Como:

“Lake Como offers a truly exceptional setting. Thermal winds, dramatic mountain scenery and the density of clubs around the lake create a unique environment. Hosting the central Act of the Tour will further boost participation in the European Championship and offer teams a venue that combines natural beauty with high sporting demands.”

Wik Becker, representing the Dutch F18 Class Association and coordinator with Hellecat in Hellevoetsluis:

“Hellevoetsluis boasts a protected and consistently reliable race area, perfectly suited for fast catamarans. The reliable conditions ensure a succession of thrilling, high-quality races. Featuring the European Tour final within the Dutch Open Championship is an exceptional chance to unite the best European teams in an environment that is both technically demanding and friendly.”

With this new format, the International Formula 18 Class Association aims to offer its community a structured, attractive and demanding circuit, designed to last and to re-establish the F18 as the benchmark European sports catamaran class accessible to all, from young teams to senior crews who have been racing for several decades.

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