From F18 European Tour Press Release
After Thursday’s opening day was cancelled due to excessive wind conditions, Act 2 of the F18 European Tour 2026 finally got underway on Friday with a particularly intense and complete day for the entire fleet. No fewer than five races were completed in extremely varied conditions, offering the 28 competing teams a true showcase of Atlantic sailing.
A Day in Two Acts
Principal Race Officer Olivier Bovyn wanted to make full use of Friday to recover the racing time lost the day before. The first three races were sailed in unstable northerly winds ranging between 5 and 10 knots, with highly challenging conditions created by constant shifts in both strength and direction — forcing crews to remain focused on positioning and racecourse reading throughout.
Later in the afternoon, the breeze progressively built to a solid 20 knots during the final two races, completely changing the character of the championship and putting both crews and equipment under significant pressure.
From shifty 5-knot breezes to 20-knot Atlantic pressure — all in a single day. Five races completed, a full Atlantic education delivered.
Provisional Top 5 — After 5 Races
| Pos | Helm / Crew | Nation | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bader, Cédric / Peters, Yves | 🇫🇷 FRA | 11 |
| 2 | Demesmaeker, Patrick / Tas, Gilles | 🇧🇪 BEL | 11 |
| 3 | Smith Cruz Gonzalez / Heuser, Mariano | 🇦🇷 ARG | 17 |
| 4 | Silen, Victor / Muikku, Anssi | 🇫🇮 FIN | 17 |
| 5 | Boulogne, Emmanuel / Boulogne, Jean | 🇫🇷 FRA | 19 |
Already second and third respectively during Act 1 in Barcelona, Bader/Peters and Demesmaeker/Tas are once again confirming their strong form at the beginning of the European season. The Argentinean crew Smith Cruz Gonzalez / Heuser delivered an excellent day on their Tour debut, while the Finnish team Silen / Muikku remain firmly in contention. The standings are extremely tight heading into the final two days.
Tomorrow — Fort Boyard Coastal Raid
Saturday’s programme includes several windward-leeward races and a coastal raid around Fort Boyard and Île d’Aix before returning to La Rochelle — a format that perfectly illustrates the versatile spirit the F18 European Tour aims to promote, combining classic technical racecourses with the historic long-distance traditions of Formula 18 sailing.
For more info
Provisional results after 5 races
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