18 HIGH TECH
Sent by Richard Werder -SUI
Sailing FAST in little Wind
Hope you enjoy!
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18HT is just that. Light and high tech cats and maybe one day we’ll all get tired of riding our F18 Panzers and migrate to the HT. Or maybe the F18 will lower its weights in the future?
Sailors: Andreas Lutz / Michael Huber
Boat: Eagle 18HT
Sails: Landenberger
If you call yourself HT a quality video like this is a must, good promo for the class.
Check main cunningham and outhaul setup in those light winds conditions.
About the F16 discussion going on, you can’t blame them for wanting light boats after seeing this.
The limit for these classes to grow will always be costs, but in the future these materials are going to be standard to built beachcats and there will be no need to have +30k for a full carbon machine (I hope..).
The transition for the F18 could be very simple, just change laminates on latest C2, Infusion, WC or Shockwave moulds and reduce some excess ballast on each hull…
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18 HT Class Data Sheet sent by Andi Lutz
“The 18HT class is a Formula class, like the F18 but with much more open rules.
Our basic rules in our class are:
Boat lenght 5.5m (18feets)
Boat width 2.5m (max trailer width in europe)
Max mast height 10.5m(!)
Max sail aera upwind 20sqm
Max sail aera gennaker 20sqm
Minimum weight 130kg(!)
No Materials restrictions.(!)
The 18HT is basically an A-Cat for two persons, with a gennaker for downwind sailing.
The class was found 15 years ago by Christian Favre (Ventilo) and Lalo Petrucci (Bimare).
Since then our boats and the class have evolved, adopting the latest technologies and matrials and new manufactures joined our class.
The Eagle 18HT in the video was designed by former A-Cat World champion Niels Bunkenburg.
The 18HT Ventilo, was designed by Dr. Martin Fischer.
Although carbon is used for building our boats and masts, the boats are still affordable and the price range for a new one is in the same frame or even lower than the F18 class.”
The current manufactures are:
Ventilo, Switzerland www.ventilo.ch
Eagle, Germany www.eagle-cat.com
Bimare, Italy www.bimare.net
Tomcat, France
Stealth, England
Class Site www.18ht.ch
Andi Lutz
www.cat-sailors.ch
There are no discussion on F16 weight. The class rules are very firm.
The "discussion" is just two or three non-F16 sailors who got some funny ideas and are unable to accept the class rules. Dont know why they bother.
18HT looks really cool!
ok ya we get it the HT is lighter…
The fact is that it isn't the weight that makes the boat popular, its the strength of the class and F18 is where its at. The HT is nowhere. Nice boat though, don't get me wrong.
Hi,
180 Kilos really are a lot. But this makes the boats robust and sets in a way a cost limit. Wildcat fully equipped is about 21.000 Euros in Germany. Way too much for many people and especially for younger sailors.
Bye, Uli