F18 Nationals Wide Open at Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week

7:31 AM Fri 2 Sep 2011 GMT

'Team Magic Marine in F18 Class' Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week Media Click Here to view large photo

It's going to be a hard-fought battle in the Fantasea F18 Australian Championships at the 2011 Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week. The Australian Championships is the qualifying event for the World Titles to be held at California USA next year, so it's a major event in this year's regatta.

Australian F18 President James Ogilvie said that interest in the F18's has grown since the last America's Cup.

'We have had a great deal of interest globally from the America's Cup. The F18 class in Australia is actually doing strongly. Both Sydney and Queensland have good, strong fleets of F18 sailors and we seem to be poaching a few of the 18ft skiff sailors and the 49er sailors, which has been good,' he said.

Over the last 12 months there have been many Australian sailors competing in the class on the international scene, including brother and sister duo James Spithill and Katie Spithill (Pellew), who is flying in from a match racing regatta in the USA to compete in tomorrow's race with her husband Grant Pellew in the boat, Team Harken.

24 boats will be lining up on Saturday morning on Nelly Bay and it's expected to be a tough competition with many strong sailors in contention to take out the top honours.

'Unfortunately Greg Goodall, who's our reigning national champion, couldn't make it up for this regatta, but Adam Beattie and Jamie Leitner are probable podium finishers. They've been campaigning in Europe for the past two to three years as part of the Nacra race team. So they will be very hard guys to beat,' Oglive explained.

Durepox Paints F18 Class - Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week Media Click Here to view large photo

'Jason Waterhouse and Josh McKnight are competitive and they have just spent the past four months in Europe racing with Hobie and their Wild Cat. Mick Guinea is always strong, and obviously Katie Spithill will be up there with husband Grant.'

Ogilvie commented that Dale Mitchell from Airlie Beach, sailing on Ullman Sails, will also be a strong competitor. 'His experience on the 505s and in other dinghy classes has proven to be pretty good for him, so he knows his way around and I'd put him up there.'

Ogilvie also hopes to see himself in the leading group. 'I'm sailing with Kez Stevens and we've gone from sailing the C2 for Greg Goodall through to . we just had to be here for all the fun,' he said.

Ogilvie also explained the optimum weight in the F18 Class is 150 kilograms. 'The F18's - you're looking at 150. In Europe a lot of guys are sailing at about 140 and carrying corrector weights, just because of the lighter airs and the light air sailing that they're doing. The lighter ones tend to perform better. Obviously at the heavier regattas, the heavier guys you get there struggle,' he said.

Katie Spithill agrees. 'Grant and I need light weather, we are well underweight with my Olympic class training driving my weight down further than usual, so the fresh weather forecast is not to our liking.'

Magnetic Island and Cleveland Bay provide the perfect conditions for the event according to Ogilvie.

'It's a great venue, first time up here for the class and I think what we're trying to do is build the strength of the class by joining in with bigger regattas.'

'Coming in with Magnetic Island Race Week is linking us into bigger fleets with a professional outcome and race management, which is where we need to be with the class,' Ogilvie said.

Stewart (Jock) Ross, the Race Officer for the Fantasea F18 Australian Championship says 'Looking forward to at least 12 great races - the sailors are very keen, it's going to be exciting out there.'

For more information, go to the Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week website, www.magneticislandraceweek.com.au