F18 Raid Worlds 2022 @Stockholm Archipelago: Title for Demesmaeker & Gagliani

All images by Henrik Trygg. Great idea to have an F18 Raid Worlds event, putting emphasis on the versatility of our Tanks. If there is a 4×4 sailing platform is the Formula 18, may not be the faster now vs Nacra 17 Foiling versions, but can surely do it all and without any gender… or age restriction.

Seems the Title definition was pretty close with Patrik Demesmaeker & Olivier Gagliani (Goodall Akurra) vs Jakob Lundqvist & Ramus Rosengren (Goodall C2),
Third place for former winners Karlsson-Nordblom (Scorpion/1D) had a DNS and saw their chances relegated.

Great regatta and better scenery, they also had all wind conditions through the 5 days of racing. Shots by Henrik Trygg.

Some weeks ago I was checking the first F18 Worlds, amazed how Patrik Demesmaeker continues to perform at top level every year, now he has his F18 Raid World Title, but the guy deserves the big one. Plenty power left for this Legend of the Formula 18 Class.

Read official report below for more details.

Additional photos at Sotckholm Archipelago Raid Fb here

Media and report by KSSS Royal Swedish Yacht Club media. Official web stockholmarchipelagoraid.com/news-2022/.

Top ten, complete list at here

Patrick Demesmaeker and Olivier Gagliani World Raid Champions

After five day of intense sailing, crisscrossing thru the Stockholm Archipelago the 29 F18 catamarns finally reached the finish In the middle of Stockholm, close to the famous Wasa Museum. It was a close fight all the way in, between Team Patrick Demesmaeker / Olivier Gagliani from Belgium and the Swedes Jakob Lundqvist / Rasmus Rosengren. Eventually tit was the belgiens who took the gold, leaving Jakob och Rasmus with the silver. Another Swedish team, Fredrik Karlsson och Niklas Nordblom took bronze.

– It was stressful in the beginning, we were very close with Jakob and Rasmus all the way, said Patrick after the finish. Not until we could pass them, about 10 minutes before the finish we could relax.

– Before the race we said that anything could happen today, commented Olivier Gagliani. And almost everything happened.

The first race of the last day started in very light winds and thru a part of the archipelago which is quite dense, wit narrow straits and high islands. There was to obvious routes, on longer and more open. One narrower and shorter. The field split with approximately half boats on each course. Coming int the finish at Grinda it showed that the narrower part had been a little better. Interesting was that the leader boats choosed to change from the one to the other and made a massive loss. So before the start oft the last race Demesmaeker / Gagliani had just one point more than Lundqvist / Rosengren. Now the wind picked up and it became a long upwind into Stockholm. It became something like a match race between the two top boats. And at the end Demesmaeker / Gagliani could pass the Swedes and bring home the Gold to Belgium.

– Of course a silver gives somewhat mixed feelings, said Jakob Lunqvist after the race. There are like just two kinds of persons, those who are world champions, and those who are not. But we couldn’t match their speed. But it is the first time we sail together so, we are happy with the silver.

The best finish however, was performed by the team Fredrik Karlsson and Niklas Nordblom. By hoisting the gennacker about 25 meters before the finish line they managed to pass one boat and gaining the single point more that they needed to get the bronze.
All and aa, it has been a fantastic World Championship, with very varied, but just conditions. Although there are plenty of daggerboards that will need some love before next sailing, there have been no serious incidents. And on the dock at Djurgården we saw a lot of happy faces.