The Formula 18 class has long been one of the most dynamic and competitive catamaran fleets in the world, attracting top sailors and pushing the boundaries of performance and innovation. But what does the future hold for F18 sailing? How is the class evolving, and what role will new sail materials play in its development?
To get the inside perspective, we had the privilege of speaking with Monsieur Olivier Bovyn, the President of the F18 International Class Association. In this exclusive interview, he shares his thoughts on the current state of the class, the exciting testing process for new sail fabrics, and the vision for the future of F18 racing.
Read on to discover his insights, the challenges and opportunities facing the class, and what lies ahead for the world of Formula 18 sailing!
1D Sails: The Formula 18 class has been popular for many years. What do you think makes it so special?
Olivier Bovyn: The Formula has been designed to produce fast, stiff, and long lasting boats, with good marine behaviour, for long distance racing purpose.
On top, I do think F18 differs from so called “manufacturer” or “one design” classes registered by World Sailing, by permitting different brands and designs to compete on elapsed time, through a tight development control.
At the end of the day, we got the best cost/performance ratio, for the best sake of sailors/customers.
1D Sails: You’ve been leading the class for a while now. (You also played the key role in its founding.) What do you enjoy most about your role as President?
Olivier Bovyn: I would first like to say I am still pleasantly surprised by the success of the Formula, we designed more than 30 years ago together with Pierre Charles Barraud. It is more than likely F18 Box Rule was (and still is…) matching with sailors expectations…😉
Second, I really enjoy spotting the fleet on the beach or on the water : boats are looking great, and its a renewed pleasure to see smiling sailor faces enjoying sailing their F18 boat.
Third, it is always a pleasure to meet people coming from so many countries at every international event, in a nice mix of Olympians, World Champions, talented amateurs and young rookies, not forgetting the “Family teams” that we are particularly keen to reward.
1D Sails: There’s always something happening in the F18 world! What are the biggest challenges and opportunities for the class right now?
Olivier Bovyn: Like many other Classes, we have been badly impacted by Covid pandemic, but, fortunately enough, we did succeed in keeping membership numbers steady, what was not so obvious, and participation is now starting increasing again.
Challenge will be to keep fleet attractiveness so that we can recover pre pandemic numbers, paying special attention in welcoming new young sailors emerging from Youth Classes.
1D Sails: The class is currently testing new sail materials. Can you tell us why this is happening and how the process works?
Olivier Bovyn: One more Covid consequence… In fall 2023, it happened some sailmakers informed us they were facing Pentex delivery problems, at the same time some sailors faced mainsail ripping issues, when Dimension Polyant offered us to provide new fabric using aramid fibers, at a lower cost…
Hence the testing process, as there was no question for the Class of giving up its basic principles aiming to provide sailors with the best possible lasting quality, as well guaranteeing true affordability to anyone.
1D Sails: Sailors are always looking for updates—when can we expect to hear more about the results of the sail material testing?
Olivier Bovyn: As mentioned above, sail durability is a key issue. So we need to give time to the time, especially to measure UV resistance of these new fabrics. Testing is now under progress in close cooperation with our faithful sailmakers, and, by the way, thanks to 1D Sails who is taking its full part in the project.
Our goal is to have a first assessment by September end/early October to decide whether we go further in the testing process. Whatever the case, and as already published on Class website, no change, if any, will be made to Cloth List before 2026 Worlds being sailed in Australia.
1D Sails: Looking into the future, where do you see the Formula 18 class heading in the next five to ten years?
Olivier Bovyn: I am not a fortune-teller, but I am convinced the Class could keep its space on the multihull scene by preserving an attractive performance/cost/attendance ratio. Hope to still be there to check whether it’s true or not! 😉
Thank you, Mr. President!
As Olivier highlighted, the Formula 18 class continues to evolve while staying true to its core values—fair competition, accessibility, and high-performance sailing. The ongoing sail material testing is a great example of how the class balances innovation with careful decision-making to ensure a bright future for all sailors.
We appreciate Olivier for sharing his insights and taking the time to discuss the exciting developments within the class. One thing is certain: the F18 remains one of the most thrilling and forward-thinking catamaran fleets out there.
