F18 Worlds 2021 @Gaeta, Italy: Mitch & Ruben Booth crowned Champs

All images by Gianluca Di Fazio / Circolo Nautico Capolese —

Last Day of racing at Gaeta F18 Worlds 2021, all to play. Mitch & Ruben Booth had a good lead but 3 more races were pending. The Sach brothers sailing the brand new Goodall Akurra still had chances. Conditions were steady 20knots and building.
The podium places were not defined, behind the Germans many crews were eager to secure their spot. Argies Cruz Gonzalez Smith & Mariano Heuser were 3rd trying to even their 2019 Worlds performance behind Bundy & the Greeks.

The Nacra future stars, Cedric & Laurent Bader had possibilities along and another Argie crew, Agustin Krevisky (6th Costa Brava 2019) & Nico Aragones.

With breeze On, it was all set for a perfect show.
Race #13 Mitch & Ruben didn’t speculated a bit, going straight forward to their 2nd bullet in the regatta to seal & close under 100 keys the World Title. Cruz & Mariano finished ahead of the Sachs to discount key points.
Agustin & Nico only chance to podium was to target wins, a 3rd was good but not enough although ahead of Bader who finished 15th.

Race 14# was an Argie Masterclass on speed, guts and drive to win under pressure. Both teams went to lead the race as if nothing else matters, literally. All or Nothing as Mariano told me the day before.
Superior speed above the entire fleet all through, the talented Argentinean crews went to Match Race each other till the very finish with boats almost colliding , shouts all over the place, they didn’t care s, a bullet meant a 2nd overall for one and a possible podium spot for the other.

Close definition with Cruz & Mariano winning that one by nothing.

Mitch & Ruben finished 4th and went directly to shore to rest a bit after a racing festival week with the Title secured.

Race #15
Both Argies crews went once more to charge in front, this time along breeze specialists Patrik Demesmaker & Giles Tas (Akurra / Goodall). The three boats shared last upwind with the Belgians reaching first at windward mark.
Downwind leg Patrik & Gilles led, Agustin & Nico let them gybe first, Argies wait patiently for the right layline and gybed as well, it was a key moment in the regatta as ARG 1 went to win that race, the final of the Worlds.
With their job done Krevisky & Aragones now needed to wait for Helge & Christian Sach, who finished 14th in that race, tying 3rd overall in 92pts. Only the two bullets Agustin & Nico managed to score during the regatta defined that podium place.

Legends Helge & Christian Sach
Tough close podium for the Germans, but if someone stood out in this regatta were them. The former World Champs showed the new generations how its done, with speed & style. Also took the new Goodall Akurra to a top performance level already in its first Worlds. The Akurra teams had a great regatta and had 3 on the top ten most of the event.
The German sailors gained once more high respect from the entire catsailing community on their sailing skills & talent few can achieve.

Nacra Teams
Cedric & Laurent Bader were close to podium with the new Nacra Evo, which also performed. Excellent regatta for the young French crew formed in the Hobie 16 fleet. Plenty left for them ahead.
Experienced & Nacra 17 sailor Allan Norregard & Janne Jarvinen were 6th and another young crew, Germans Manuel & Fabian Wunderle 7th with much to build upon the future

Raid Master now Course Racing Star
8th overall for Raid Master Frederick Karlsson & Rasmus Rosengren. First time I can identify the swede sailor performing on a Worlds, excellent performance including a bullet for them sailing Scorpion / 1D.

9th for long time F18 sailor (he was there on Worlds #1 Erquy 2000) the great Patrik Demesmaker & Giles Tas also putting the Goodall Akurra to some serious speeds!

10th for Jordi Booth & Sergio Mehl, they met in Gaeta for first time to sail together, they were 5th yesterday and were ready for more, coming from 30th, being light crew hurt their chances today a couldn’t continue their drive from previous days, same happened to Danny Paschalidis & youth Stefanos Pappas on their weight complicated the former World Champ for the high breeze, still good providing the kid with such experience.
The Greeks will return strong no doubt next year, Kostas went to Tokyo as coach, like Darren Bundock who also wanted to race this Worlds.

Gaeta
An excellent venue, delivering every wind conditions and plenty of breeze first and last day. Next year we hope to have Brett Burvill & Max Puttman (who raced at Gaeta with Estela Jentsch as reported this week) racing with the fleet again in their Edge, with a top 5th in 2019 and of course our mate Gavin Colby who was ready to attend and hungry to race! All eager for high wind days, it was sure an event for them to fight against the Argies, that also like the breeze as much as them as seen in this regatta.

For me and many others was a joy to follow the races in the live tracking gps, a feature that will be mandatory no doubt from now on for every venue / club that wants to organize a Worlds.
Along the hundreds of Top quality shots taken by Gianluca Di Fazio / Circolo Nautico Capolese. About the best set of Worlds photos we’ve seen. Go to CN Capolese fb for an eye’s Fest here.

Also congrats to Giannni Fantasia, Italian F18 Assoc and all its members for such a perfect event.

The press of the event was also excellent, managed by local Italian Assoc press guy Alessandro Pellicia, with pics, live video and reports in Fb & https://www.formula18.it/

Legend & Sons
On Mitch & Ruben, what have not been said already this week and through many years. Legend is not enough to define his status, once more if you don’t have the data, Mitch is the only rider of the Aussie Mighty Triad (Booth, Bundy, Ahsby) to have won a Worlds in Tornado, F18 & A-Class as helm. He also was fundamental in the Tornado Sport adoption (Scaled F18 rig with carbon mast for the 2004 Oympics), won Silver medal for Aus, was there for the Xtreme 40s, the firs AC45s and the list go on.

But one key aspect for me is how he dedicated last ten years to race with all his kids, many times close to win the title, 3rd 2011, 4th 2019 etc. He coached them too, Ruben & Rita who were crowned Nacra 15 World Champs, Jordi showed his skills in this event also, Taylor won Texel with dad if I remember well and the pinnacle of this process was today clinching the 2021 F18 Worlds with 20Yrs old Ruben, a veteran already of 5 F18 Worlds, and World Champ Cup holder now. Hats off for Ruben.

It was a slow and steady process but results were on today for the Legend & Sons as we label them back in 2015.

Mitch Booth is our North, at least mine, Cats & Family, such a legacy. Respect for you Mitch , winning with the Scorpion gives me such pride I will always remember.

-F18 Worlds Official web: https://www.f18world2021.org/en/

+500 High Quality Photos by Gianluca Di Fazio here

-Review Live GPS Metasail tracking at https://www.metasail.it/incoming/191/

Scorpion & Argie Power

I will leave for 2 mins the neutral view towards equipment I always tried to maintain since 2008 in this blog, praising all , promoting all others, to say the Scorpion F18 we designed & is built by Jakub Kopylowicz & company at Exploder , is the fastest F18 ever made to date, powered by Manu Boulogne Cirrus mast & Marton Balasz 1D sails the Scorpion has now managed to grab Four Consecutive Worlds Titles with 4 different crews. (2017,2018, 2019,2021) Plus Top 1,2,3 & 4 positions in 2019 and 1,2,3 this Worlds.

So that’s it, had to be written here cause you wont read it anywhere else.

Special mention to the Exploder yard guys Prod Boss Arek & builders, the great Kuba Zimny & his first class service who put the boats in Gaeta by June 27 for the Argies to train beforehand.

The pride I have for my Argentine friends on the podium today, and the way they have achieved it’s out of this World. Couldn’t sleep the whole week, and today’s last races almost got me calling medics…
We were preparing (I got the Arg Team brand new boats & Sails) this podium for months, and I had envisioned may times beforehand. In fact after all their demands, rightly done on equipment etc, I told them to better place podium or stay in Europe otherwise…!

Argentina along the Aussies are dominating the F18 Class now, pound per pound the Argie fleet is #1 World Class Worldwide. Podium / 3 Top tens in 2019 Worlds , and they repeat in 2021, 2 Podiums & Mehl 10th.

Cruz Gonzalez Smith & Mariano Heuser are veteran F18 sailors, members of the current F18 Elite by now, another podium abroad marking a path towards a Title in the future no doubt.
Agustín Krevisky? Tired of praising the guy, you all know his cv by now, add few F18 titles in the future for him too and Nico well, he is one of the best crews in the Planet, along being the coach of the Argie Youths that won Ncara 15 Worlds & Nacra Youth Olympic Gold.

These two teams above could not even win the Worlds held in Buenos Aires 2016… Crown went for locals Pablo Volker & Juan Martin ‘Tigre’ Benitez, imagine the level we have here, and more fast teams to spare for US 2022 Worlds.

Along the other 4 Argie teams in Gaeta, representing the local fleet, we are all proud on what they did and how it was achieved.

Till next Worlds in USA 2022, venue to be defined. Argies will be there and try to fill the entire podium this time.

Cheers, and keep Sailing.

Martín.

15 Races completed, Mitch & Ruben Booth are crowned 2021 World Champs. Argie Power fills the Podium. Full Report & Pics when available later on.

Results after 15 Races: