Day 1 of the F18 Worlds

Local Sailors take Line Honours on Day 1 of Formula 18 Worlds, 2026.

The Formula 18 Worlds kicked off at Jervoise Bay Yacht Club yesterday, drawing a strong fleet of top sailors from across the globe. After a 9.30am briefing, 75 boats took to the water for three 45-minute races.

Day 1 saw varied racing conditions, with a light sea breeze of 8 knots to begin with, and by afternoon the fleet showcased their skills when the Fremantle Doctor kicked in. I got there just after racing had finished.

Congratulations to local sailors, Brett Burvill and Max Puttman from JBSC who scored two firsts and a second today, in their boat ‘Windrush Nextgen’, showcasing speed and local knowledge early in the regatta. These two sailors have very regular results in the top three of the fleet. Brett is an Edge Racing Cat designer, builder and world class catamaran racer. His company Windrush Yachts is in O’Connor. Max Pullman is a sailmaker, his company NextGen Sailmakers is also in O’Connor.

The regatta will continue for another three days, until Tuesday 3 February, with three to four racers each day. So, with several days of competition ahead, anticipation is building for close results and thrilling on-water action as the world’s best Formula 18 sailors battle it out for the championship title at Jervoise Bay. Racing runs between 10am and 2pm and strong winds are forecasted. Head on down and cheer for our local sailors.

F18 Nationals

In the lead up to the Worlds, 71 boats competed in last weekend’s 2026 Australian F18 National Championship at Jervoise Bay Yacht Club. The Liddell Brothers (Brin and Jacob) from Wangi Wangi Sailing Club, NSW claimed victory.

By Jean Hudson @jeansodyssey

Jean Hudson is our Shipping and Sailing Correspondent and also a regular feature writer, reviewer and photographer here on the Shipping News. You may also like to follow up her informative Places I Love stories, as well as other feature stories and Freo Today photographs, right here.

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