Melbourne, Australia awarded 2018 Formula 16 Worlds

by David Staley on 23 Dec 2016 Royal Brighton Yacht Club, in conjunction with Elwood Sailing Club and the Australian F16 Class, will host the Formula 16 World Championships in January 2018.

The F16 classes are very active in Australia and there are strong fleets in Europe and around the globe. It is expected that the 2018 Worlds fleet will comprise approximately 65 entries including Viper, Taipan 4.9, Mosquito and other classes.

RBYC was selected to host venue for this important event for a variety of reasons. Brighton’s depth of experience with event and race management is further strengthened by partnering with their neighbouring catamaran club at Elwood.

“We are very excited to see the F16 Worlds held in Australia”, said F16 Australian President Simon Dubbin.

“There has already been strong interest from F16 sailors overseas and Melbourne is a great place to host the championship. Conditions in the racing area are typically perfect for the F16 and RBYC will be a great venue”, he said.

There is ample boat storage and a modern clubhouse with outstanding social facilities at Brighton. Substantial renovations are now underway, designed to make RBYC the perfect venue for major “off the beach” championship regattas.

Within a few minutes of the beach and marina, the sailing waters of Port Phillip are up there with the very best in the world. January has regular southerly sea breezes, with most days seeing light winds in the morning building to moderate to fresh in the afternoon. The race areas are clear of commercial shipping and there is minimal tide.

The club is located 12km from the Melbourne CBD and 5km from St Kilda where there are a wide variety of accommodation types available. Melbourne is one of the world’s most vibrant cities right and known as the Major Events Capital of Australia, hosting a range of sporting and cultural events. There is plenty to do and see in and around Melbourne, and wineries, Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas and Phillip Island are all within a day tour. The International Airport is just 36km away. Middle Brighton Station is a 1.5km walk.

For more information about the 2018 F16 Worlds, visit the event website.