PRESS RELEASE – F18 EUROPEAN TOUR 2026
Dervio, Lake Como (Italy), 10 July 2026
Belgium and Sweden on top of Europe
The 2026 Formula 18 European Championship concluded today in Dervio, on the legendary waters of Lake Como, with the crowning of Henri Demesmaeker and Rasmus Rosengren (BEL 3) as the new European Champions. This third act of the F18 European Tour 2026 brought together 109 teams from 17 nations and four continents: the largest fleet of the season and an exceptionally deep European field, from the front of the fleet right through its heart.
Eleven races despite a capricious lake
The week did not spare the competitors. Two full days were lost to a complete lack of wind, a rare occurrence on waters famous for the reliability of their thermal breezes. The race committee nevertheless managed to complete eleven races, seven in the qualifying series followed by four on the final day for both Gold and Silver fleets, preserving the full sporting value of the championship.
A masterclass from start to finish
In control from day one, the Belgian-Swedish pairing Demesmaeker/Rosengren delivered remarkable consistency to take the title with 27 points, 11 clear of their closest pursuers. In front of their home crowd, brothers Matteo and Andrea Viganò (ITA 303) set the shores of the lake alight, stringing together race wins to claim a superb second place. Maurizio Stella and Giacomo Galbiati (ITA 2) completed the podium with four race wins of their own, a performance made all the more remarkable by the fact that it was achieved on a previous-generation Goodall C2: proof that in the Formula 18, talent still counts for more than the age of the platform. A message that should resonate with young crews: on the second-hand market, boats capable of racing at the front can now be found at very accessible prices, and the class is ready to welcome them.
« The level was very high this week and nothing was decided until the very last races. With Rasmus, we focused on consistency above all: on this lake, every race tells a different story and the slightest mistake costs you dearly. Sharing this week with my father, who is fighting at the top of the Tour, makes this title even more special. »
Henri Demesmaeker, 2026 F18 European Champion
« Welcoming 109 teams from 17 nations to Dervio is an immense source of pride for our six clubs and our volunteers. Despite two days without wind, we delivered eleven races of great sporting quality. This week confirms Lake Como’s place among the world’s great sailing venues, and we hope to see the F18 fleet back on our waters one day. »
Antonella Maccari, President of Consorzio Multilario
The stories of the week
Emeric Dary and David Fanouillère (FRA 7) finished as the best French team, just off the podium, after a solid final day. Argentinians Smith Cruz Gonzalez and Mariano Heuser (ARG 11) took 5th place on the recent Cirrus R3 built by EB Concept, whose performances keep improving regatta after regatta. Augustin Krevisky and Juan Martin Benitez (ARG 4) were firmly in the podium fight until a UFD in the first race of the final day; even a win in the very last race of the championship was not enough to repair the damage. In the Silver fleet, Raphaël Presle and Vincent Blin (FRA 18) dominated the final day with three race wins to secure the Silver title. At the front of the fleet, Goodall designs filled nine of the top ten places, led by the Akurra: a strong performance that reflects Goodall’s new momentum under the new leadership of Francis Ferrari.
European Championship: the final podium
- 🇧🇪 Henri Demesmaeker / Rasmus Rosengren (BEL 3), 27 pts
- 🇮🇹 Matteo Viganò / Andrea Viganò (ITA 303), 38 pts
- 🇮🇹 Maurizio Stella / Giacomo Galbiati (ITA 2), 52 pts
Full results (109 boats, continuous Gold + Silver ranking)
Special prizes that tell the story of the class
The prize-giving ceremony also celebrated the diversity that makes the Formula 18 so strong:
- Silver Fleet winners: Raphaël Presle / Vincent Blin (FRA 18)
- Best Female Helm: Lilian Tanhuanpää / Veikka Viitala (FIN 100)
- First Mixed Team: Mikko and Kirsikka Räisänen (FIN 5)
- Masters (over 50): Smith Cruz Gonzalez / Mariano Heuser (ARG 11), 5th overall
- Youth Team (born after 2000): Kwinten and Sander Borghijs (BEL 95)
- Family Team: Matteo and Andrea Viganò (ITA 303), European vice-champions
- Farthest Travelled Team: Pablo Gallyas / Isidora Urrutia (CHI 11), Chile
Masters in the top 5, two brothers as European vice-champions, a Finnish mixed crew, young Belgians and a duo from Chile: the Formula 18 in all its diversity, where amateur crews, families and title contenders share the same start line.
A trophy steeped in history
The most moving moment of the ceremony was not on the programme. Olivier Bovyn, President of the International F18 Class, had a surprise in store for Pierre-Charles Barraud, his long-time companion and co-inventor of the class more than thirty years ago: a perpetual trophy now bearing his name, the Pierre-Charles Barraud Family Trophy, to be awarded every year to the best family crew. A tribute to a man who has given so much to the F18, and a powerful symbol for a class where sailing runs in the family, generation after generation. The Viganò brothers are its first winners.
A decisive stage for the European Tour
With maximum points at stake, this European Championship was the pivotal event of the F18 European Tour 2026, and it has reshuffled the overall standings. Patrick Demesmaeker (father of winner Henri) and Gilles Tas (BEL 1) retain the lead, but the battle behind them has tightened: fewer than 19 points now separate the top four.
Overall Tour Standing after Act 3 (provisional)
- 🇧🇪 Demesmaeker / Tas (BEL 1), 343.07 pts
- 🇫🇷 Bader / Peters (FRA 1), 333.94 pts
- 🇫🇷 Dary / Fanouillère (FRA 7), 328.12 pts
- 🇫🇷 Erussard / Moreau (FRA 5), 324.16 pts
- 🇫🇷 Boulogne / Marfaing (FRA 901), 307.62 pts
Under the Tour rules, each team retains its three best results from the four Acts: teams having competed in all four events will discard their lowest score after the final, promising a completely open finale.
Next stop: Hellevoetsluis
The F18 European Tour 2026 will conclude in Hellevoetsluis, The Netherlands, from 25 to 27 September 2026, on the waters of the Haringvliet, where the first F18 European Tour champion will be crowned.
Circuit organisation Email: contact@f18europeantour.com ·
Website: www.f18europeantour.com
Press contact Email: presse@f18europeantour.com
International F18 Class Website: www.f18-international.org
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