F18 Worlds 2026 – Jervoise Bay SC: Speed, Sun and Survival!

Here’s our Jean Hudson’s report on Day 5, the final day of the F18 Worlds 2026.

By 9am yesterday morning, crews were wheeling their catamarans to the beach at Jervoise Bay Sailing Club and lining them up at the water’s edge. Start boats and crews headed out to lay the course and by 10am, all the boats were on the water. The course was a long way offshore, so I couldn’t get close-up pictures.

After yesterday’s two races, making a total of 13 races over five days, competitors could apply two discards, resulting in the top positions finally looking like this.

• 1st – Brett Burvill & Max Puttman, JBSC, WA (AUS):

Their performance was nothing short of outstanding, with two bullets on the final day sealing their victory. Consistency throughout the regatta turned into championship gold, as they managed to hold off a strong challenge from the rest of the fleet. From the start these guys sailed brilliantly.

• 2nd – Matt Homan & Kris Bilston, RQYS, QLD (AUS):

This pair maintained a solid presence near the top of the rankings from start to finish. Although a late surge from Burvill and Puttman pushed them out of the lead, Homan and Bilston continued to sail smart and secure second place.

• 3rd – Darren Bundock & Glen Ashby Saratoga SC, NSW(AUS):

Rounding out the podium, Bundock and Ashby demonstrated their experience and resilience, cementing a clean sweep for Australia at the top of the leaderboard.

Congratulations to our local sailors Brett Burvill and Max Puttman.

From the first gun, it was clear the competition would be fierce. Mother Nature did her thing early on – blistering sun and strong winds pushed sailors to the limit. Sailors endured a gruelling 8-hour marathon on the water with temperatures of 35 degrees and strong 20 knot easterly winds that then faded away on Day 2.

Each day delivered varied and challenging wind conditions—ESE, haze from fires and SSW and The Freo Doctor SW wind did its thing too. But these World Champions loved it. This regatta wasn’t ‘champagne sailing’—it was day after day of tactical and aggressive racing. Halfway through the championship, the leaderboard looked like a game of musical chairs.

Imagine a fleet of over 70 F18s on the start line all jockeying for a good position and the chaotic scenes at the top mark—boats approaching from both port and starboard.

Tearing downwind looked amazing, when the wind hit 20-knots, bows came up, foils hummed and a fleet of colourful spinnakers filled Coburn Sound.

The fleet was mostly Australian with entries from America, Argentina, Great Britain, Nedlands, Sweden, Thailand, Hungary, Germany, Canada and Denmark. Sailors ranged in age from 14 to 81 and there was an all-female crew. The best team names had to be Numb Nuts and Crazy Chicken! There were collisions, with an American boat suffered hull damage in a T-bone incident.

Congratulations to everyone who survived the championships— they were a testament to sharp racing and classic West Australian conditions. The final leaderboard can be viewed on Sailres.com and here it is –

After all the racing, the 2026 F18 World Championships at Jervoise Bay Sailing Club delivered exactly what was promised: spectacular displays of elite racing, blistering speeds, spray, near misses and the rock star glamour of multihull sailing.

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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