Raid des Corsaires 2013: Gurvan Bontemps & Benjamin Amiot Champs

Image Pierrick Contin / pierrickcontin.fr .The French Rising Stars, Gurvan Bontemps & Benjamin Amiot have been slowly gaining ground in the F18, winning several raids & regattas, and peaking at Grossetto Worlds were they led the championship. Sadly a Black Flag in the Finals hurt their chances for the Title and Podium but they are my top choice for Ireland 2014.
They race the Cirrus R, one the most radical designs in the F18 that we’ve analyzed many times here in CSN. Specially when TNZ platform was revealed. It was a case of Trickle-up on the Cirrus negative rocker sections fore & aft. Will post a render later on this.

Guess what? An scaled TNZ hull to the F18 dimensions
gives an almost perfect if not equal rocker line than the Cirrus R, and of course the big volume hull concept is there for both, though the R has a extreme flat cross section and bigger transom.
In theory giving some away handicap due to adde drag in the lowest wind range we race in the F18: 4-5knots, just like the Phantom. But Backes-Vandame won a title in LA with an initial & final day with 4-5knot and Bontemps-Gurvan scored a bullet in the final day at Grosseto  with 4-5knots too, so your Title chances wont be hurt that much in that lower range with both boats that much….. if you are as good as these guys of course! and you avoid Black Flags..

No F18 has ever won a Title by design alone yet to my knowledge… The good thing as always is chosing the right boat for you. And people working hard in the catamaran industry are the ones to thanks for supporting the sport and provinding several alternatives to sailors.

Raid Corsaires Full Results ffvoile.net/ffv/sportif/calendrier/Fiche_Resultat.aspx?id=64797
Full Gallery Image by Pierrick Contin at CSN FB.

On other news Hobie is rumoured to launch a new F18 ….