f18 catamaran specs

• Nacra F18 Evolution

Measurements

Length 5m (16’4″)

Width 2.50m (8′2″)

Mast length 8.53m (28’)

Boat weight 127kg (280 lbs)

General use

Class Racing Sport

Standard Configuration

1:16 Cunningham system 1:4 jib Cunningham system 1:10 mainsheet system 2 person trapeze system Fully Harken® equipped Fixed aluminium tiller extension Standing rigging including turnbuckles Kick-up rudder system

Fully battened Decksweeper mainsail and jib Radial panel layout for optimal load distribution High quality Pentex ® cloth for mainsail and jib Aluminium curved Decksweeper boom

Made by Performance Sails Large window Radial panel layout for optimal load distribution Fully battened Polyester scrim laminated cloth with white stitches and black batten pockets Fibre foam tapered battens

Made by Performance Sails Large window Radial panel layout for superb load distribution Fully battened Polyester scrim laminated cloth with white stitching and Fully tapered battens

Made by Performance Sails Radial panel layout for superb load distribution Nylon cloth (optional in polyester) Available in 3 colours (red, white & blue) Snuffer patches in spinnaker Hardware Composite snufferring Snufferbag Aluminium bowsprit High quality ropes      Harken ® running blocks and cleats

Glass foam sandwich FRP epoxy resin Pro-grip deck pads Integrated beam bedding Aluminium front & rear crossbar Inspection hatches High quality stainless steel rudder gudgeons Foot straps (optional)

Made by Performance Sails Grey UV resistant mesh Integrated storage bag Outkickers (optional)

Other hardware

Fully equipped with Harken ® running blocks and cleats Low stretch stainless standing rigging with special teardrop terminals High quality ropes  Nacra kick up rudder system        Carbon reinforced high aspect rudder blades      Carbon reinforced straight daggerboards      Aluminium rudder castings with precision bearings      Rudder covers Aluminium rotating mast      Specially designed wing section       Spinlock ® Cunningham blocks      Waterproof      Rotating mainsail hoist connection for better performance      Mast cover

Accessories (optional)

Road trailer Full boat cover Stern supports Beachwheel ® launch trailer  Country code with sails

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Home » Nacra F18 Evolution

Nacra F18 Evolution

The Nacra F18 Evolution is a racing catamaran built with advanced technology, sophisticated design tools and 45 years of experience. The primary ambition of the new Formula 18 design was to build upon the Nacra F18 Infusion’s unique pedigree as the best all-around performing F18, over the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor.

Winner of the F18 Europeans, F18 Worlds & The Worrell 1000 Race!

Most notable on this F18 Evolution: the hull shape design. It has an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine running back into the transom. This design delivers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. The optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add extra sleekness to this design. The updated longitudinal beam position optimizes the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sail plan and appendages.

Sail the Nacra F18 Evolution

Come sail the Nacra F18 Evolution at our Test Center in the Outer Banks of NC.  Our program, “Try it before you buy it” is a great way to try a a new boat to make sure it is a good fit.  Our test center is located at our partner business  Nor ‘Banks Sailing and Watersports in Duck, NC . Appointments  are required for boat testing and we charge a demo fee for the test. Demo fees vary by boat.  The demo fee will be reimbursed to you if you purchase a boat.  Test sails are offered April through October and are weather dependent.  To make a appointment for a test sail please Contact us to set it up.   

The F18 class is founded in 1993 by Pierre Charles Barraud and Olivier Bovyn. The F18 class aims to provide fair racing for crews of various weights. With the use of two different sail sizes of jibs and spinnakers, crews can weigh from 115 to over 150 kg. Competition between the manufacturers keep the costs at the lowest level. Allowing mixed and female crews to compete on an equal basis in large male fleets made entering in the class more accessible for every sailor. The Formula 18 class keeps offering popular, exciting, safe and fair racing, and also keeps on growing and evolving.

International Formula 18 Class Association

Standard Configuration

• Designer: Nacra/Morrelli & Melvin
• Glass foam sandwich FRP epoxy resin
• Carbon daggerboard
• Carbon kick up rudders
• 1:10 main sheet system
• 1:16 Cunningham
• 1:4 Jib Cunningham
• Harken hardware
• Tapered Spin Halyard
• Nylon spinnaker
• Pentex sails
• Jib Self Tacker
• Wing trampoline with out kickers
• Fixed Carbon tiller extension
• Shroud and forestay with adjustable turnbuckle
• Foot straps
• Deck sweeper sail
• Adjustable trapeze system
• Full boat cover and mast cover

Option/add on

• Chicken Line System

SPECIFICATIONS

Pricing Does not include shipping.  Shipping available upon request

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East Coast Sailboats, Inc: 104 Shores Avenue, Point Harbor, NC 27964

Tel: 252-489-3491

Nacra F18 Infusion

Sailboat specifications.

• Last update: 20th March 2020

Nacra F18 Infusion's main features

Nacra f18 infusion's main dimensions, nacra f18 infusion's rig and sails, nacra f18 infusion's performances, nacra f18 infusion's auxiliary engine, nacra f18 infusion's accommodations and layout.

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Published on September 23rd, 2019 | by Editor

Formula 18 Class: Evolve or Die

Published on September 23rd, 2019 by Editor -->

The success of one design racing rests largely on critical mass. There may be a lot of boats of a type, but if they are not in close proximity, convenient one design racing can’t occur. And if it isn’t convenient, it won’t thrive.

But what if different boat types, with similar characteristics, could come together and race on equal terms? The Formula 18 Class had that objective when the parameters were developed in 1993 to offer popular, exciting, safe, and fair racing in 18-foot catamarans.

The class’ further objective was to keep development under control, keeping it a non-foiler, and maintaining a good balance between cost and performance. By being open to any manufacturer, the competition keeps costs to sailors to a minimum… right?

While right in general, any class organization that has some degree of “openness” becomes open to efforts that try to build a better mousetrap, err, 18-foot catamaran. And once that happens, the effort to offer a level playing field tilts toward those spending money for the better boat.

This all came to mind with the pending launch of the newly developed Nacra F18 Evolution, which according to Nacra Sailing, hopes to improve on their previous boat – the Nacra F18 Infusion – to be the best all-around performing F18, over the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor.

Why do it otherwise, right? When there were no Nacras in the top 20 at the 2019 F18 Worlds , and the Exploder Scorpion dominated with 8 boats in the top 12, it’s time to evolve or die.

Here’s the background on this new boat:

The design program of the Nacra F18 Evolution started at the 2018 F18 World Championship in Sarasota, USA. Morrelli & Melvin Naval Architects Ferdinand van West (2 time F18 World Champion) and Pete Melvin (Olympic sailor) teamed up to sail the Nacra F18 Infusion.

With Nacra Sailing owner and technical director Peter Vink’s coaching, the duo finished their first event in 6th place. Inspired by this experience, they brought back a wealth of data from the event which they applied directly to the drawing board. This is how Nacra Sailing teamed up again with their long-time development partner Morrelli & Melvin to set its goals in this ambitious project. These parties have a long history together, having done many successful projects such as the Nacra F18 Infusion which was launched in 2006.

This relationship also includes the development of the Olympic Nacra 17 which has changed the face of sailing by becoming the first Olympic sailing class to introduce hydrofoiling.

The hydrodynamic characteristics of the Nacra F18 Evolution’s hull shape are completely revised and benefit from the latest design tools used by America’s Cup teams, analyzing the performance of dozens of hull shape iterations in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations.

Since their involvement in the last three America’s Cups, Morrelli & Melvin have invested in using NUMECA’s FINE/Marine CFD software for design optimization. Utilizing high performance computing resources and advanced performance prediction simulators to add fidelity to race model analysis.

Most notable, the Nacra F18 Evolution’s hull shape design, has an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine running back into the transom.

This elegant solution cleverly distributes the volume and contour curvatures desired for each dynamic condition and delivers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. The optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add extra sleekness to this design.

There was a careful focus on the platform configuration, which features an updated longitudinal beam position to optimize the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sailplan and the appendages. This has been further enhanced by a new high aspect ratio rudder design, refining wetted area, and updates to the hydrofoil sectional shape to the latest developments.

Close collaboration with the aerodynamic sail design of Performance Sails has ensured an optimized sailplan which features the regatta proven deck sweeper mainsail and an optimized jib design tailored to the new mainsail.

The Nacra F18 Evolution will make its F18 Worlds debut at the 2020 Formula 18 World Championship in Formia, Italy, and is available for order with first deliveries starting in February 2020.

Tags: F18 , F18 Worlds , Formula 18 , Formula 18 World Championship , Nacra Sailing

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F18 Evolution

The Nacra F18 Evolution is a racing catamaran built with advanced technology, sophisticated design tools and 45 years of experience.

The primary ambition of the new Formula 18 design was to build upon the Nacra F18 Infusion’s unique pedigree as the best all-around performing F18, over the full range of sailing conditions for every sailor.

Most notable on this F18 Evolution: the hull shape design. It has an aggressively styled raked wave-piercing bow with a horizontal hull chine running back into the transom. This design delivers a unique compromise for both sailing upwind and downwind at different speeds. The optimized foredeck in front of the main beam and embedded beams into the hull add extra sleekness to this design. The updated longitudinal beam position optimizes the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic balance between the sail plan and appendages.

The F18 class is founded in 1993 by Pierre Charles Barraud and Olivier Bovyn. The F18 class aims to provide fair racing for crews of various weights. With the use of two different sail sizes of jibs and spinnakers, crews can weigh from 115 to over 150 kg. Competition between the manufacturers keep the costs at the lowest level. Allowing mixed and female crews to compete on an equal basis in large male fleets made entering in the class more accessible for every sailor. The Formula 18 class keeps offering popular, exciting, safe and fair racing, and also keeps on growing and evolving.

Please get in contact with us for details of all options and accessories.

Nacra F18 Evolution

Specifications.

NACRA snuffer system

Carbon dagger board foils

NACRA kick-up rudder system

1:10 mainsheet system

Adjustable trapeze system 

Rudder & daggerboard cover set

Full boat & mast cover set

Photo Gallery

Sailboat-Data

SCHRS Small Catamaran Handicap Rating System: rating introduced by ISAF in 1992 to allow to different catamarans to race together.

• Maximum length 5.52 m
• Maximum beam 2.60 m
• Minimum weight of platform 130 kg
• Minimum weight boat ready to sail 180 kg
• Maximum mast height of 9.10 m
• Spars of constant section
• 2 sets of trapeze

The F18 is recognized in France by ISAF since 1996 and worldwide since 2002.

There are 5 "Formula 18" sailboats on Sailboat-Data.

• Sat. Mar 16th, 2024

US F18 Catamaran Class Assn., Inc.

While Formula 18s have enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent years, the state of the class today is the result of growth and development since the class’s founding in 1985. F18s are sailed by a very broad spectrum of people of all ages, from professionals to club racers and recreational weekend sailors.

Today’s F18 is a fast, sophisticated race boat. It is also a very stable platform—one that is every bit as fast as other high-performance small boats, yet much more forgiving to drive and much more amenable to the time and budget limits that face the vast majority of sailors. With a minimum of sail controls, together with the self-tacking jib, crews can focus more on driving, boat handling, and tactical options instead of the subtle nuances of coaxing an extra tenth of a knot of boat speed from a spaghetti pile of control lines.

The F18 is not a strict one-design class, but it is a class where innovations in design are subject to strict constraints. In addition to setting a minimum all-up weight and limiting length, beam, and sail area, the class rules lay out the following conditions:

• hulls cannot include carbon or other exotic materials
• all spars must be of aluminum and may not be tapered
• daggerboards must be symmetrical (no curved daggerboards) with a maximum length
• crossbeams, rudder stocks, tillers, and the tiller crossbar must be aluminum
• apart from some fittings, carbon is permitted only in daggerboards, rudder blades, and the tiller extension
• standing rigging must be stainless steel
• sail area is measured by combining the surface area of the wing mast with the square footage of the sail fabric itself (mast sections with longer chord lengths must support sails with less cloth)
• differences in crew weight are equalized via requirements that lightweight crews (less than 330 lbs. combined) use corrector weights

The Formula 18 rule has proven highly successful at building the kind of class it intended. Over time the F18 class has shown itself capable of carrying out the critical balancing act of, on the one hand, fostering design innovation and, on the other, ensuring the competitive longevity of the boats. Today’s stock factory boats from any of the major builders benefit from the expertise of some of the world’s most talented yacht designers. They incorporate levels of technical innovation that are often well beyond those of larger, slower, and much costlier monohull classes. Nonetheless, older F18s have shown time and again that they can successfully compete with the latest designs. Dr. Martin Fischer, who designed Hobie’s F18, the Wild Cat, put it this way : Especially in an up and down regatta with lots of participants the skill of the sailors plays a very important role. This becomes even more important in strong winds, when boat handling becomes an issue. In the F18 the speed difference between a fast boat and an average boat is of the order of a few percent. This relatively small advantage is not sufficient for an average crew to beat a top crew.

Boat Specification:

• maximum length: 5.52 meters (18.11 feet)
• maximum width: 2.6 meters (8.53 feet)
• minimum weight (ready to sail): 180 kg (396 lbs)
• maximum mast height: 9.15 meters (30 feet)
• maximum mainsail + mast area: 17 m² (183 sq ft)
• maximum jib area: 4.3 m² (46.3 sq ft)
• maximum spinnaker area: 21 m² (226 sq ft)
• Crew: 1 skipper and 1 crew with minimum combined weight: 115 kg (253 lbs)
• Teams weighing less than 150 kg (330 lbs) combined shall carry extra weight equal to half the difference between their actual weight and 150 kg (330 lbs).

The most up to date class rules can be found on World Sailing’s website.

There is also a great article in Wikipedia describing the history of the class in more detail.

In case you missed it

2023 annual general meeting, seesaw battle at north american championships, q&a with ravi parent, f18 world champion is yachtsman of the year.

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Formula 18 Catamaran

Formula18 catamaran

Formula 18 Catamarans are fast, exciting, colorful, spinnaker-driven catamarans which are built to a rule which allows all manufacturers to design a boat which competes on an even footing. In essence, the rule encourages one-design racing between the classes. The Formula 18 can reach the extraordinary speed of 25/30 knots (60 km/h). It is a challenging boat to sail !.

You can adjust almost everything and small changes can have big effects, so good tuning can let you win the race. Technical adjustments are improving constantly and different boat builders want their boats to win the race. Many World Champions and Olympic medal winners choose F18 because the competition is tough.

• Specification
• Related Links

Length : 5.5m Beam : 2.6m Weight : 95kg Sail Area : 21.15m sq

British F18 Association

International Formula 18 Catamaran Association

International Formula 18 Class Association

Official website for the International Formula 18 Class Association.

Class Rules

Always go to the dedicated F18 page on World Sailing website to get the latest info. Please note that Cloth List is now published as Appendix D in the Class Rules.

Revision History

@media screen and (min-width: 70em){.css-1c47y9x{color:var(--chakra-colors-blue\.brand);}} Formula 18 buy/sell second hands, ads and prices

The "Formula 18" defines an 18-foot sport catamaran class with 2 crew members. These are rather regatta-oriented, powerful boats which require experienced and rather heavy crews. The F18 is also a coastal raider or a touring boat for older models like the Tiger.

the last Formula 18 ads at the best price

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Formula 18 presentation

The model Formula 18 has 11 differents versions : Alado 18 , Capricorn , Cirrus F18 , Dart Hawk , Diam , C2 , Hobie Cat Tiger , Hobie Cat WildCat , Nacra 18 , Shockwave , Phantom F18 .

Formula 18, the sports catamaran for development

Formula 18 (or F18) is a class of sport catamarans defined in a "boxing rule". This rule sets eligibility criteria (max/min) such as width, length, weight, sail area, mast height and materials to be used .

The class measurement certificates for the boats in the class can be consulted online at www.f18.fr, they allow everyone to check that the material offered conforms to the description given by the class. This approval, a sort of quality control for the practitioner, is carried out by a national network of measurers who ensure the certification of new equipment whether it comes from a shipyard or an amateur builder.

Formula 18, sale and second-hand market

There are second-hand Formula 18s for every budget, from the thrill ride to the superb opportunities to tease the podiums. Main brands and models on the market: Nacra, Goodall, Hobie Wild Cat, Cirrus (BCM), Bimare, Mattia, Diam, Alado, Shockwave...

Some figures of the Formula 18 catamaran  :

Min price  :

Max price  :

Average price  :

Median price  :

Available boats  :

Launch year  :

Used Formula 18 price table