{"id":7848,"date":"2026-09-17T14:41:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T14:41:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.centrovelicopuntaala.it\/formula-18-the-battle-for-the-italian-title-in-punta-ala\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T15:20:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T15:20:04","slug":"formula-18-the-battle-for-the-italian-title-in-punta-ala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.centrovelicopuntaala.it\/en\/formula-18-the-battle-for-the-italian-title-in-punta-ala\/","title":{"rendered":"Formula 18: The Battle for the Italian Title in Punta Ala"},"content":{"rendered":"

From September 17 to 20, twenty crews will compete in the waters off Punta Ala: up to nine races are scheduled for the most important event of the national season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The countdown is over. This weekend, the Gulf of Follonica will host the Italian Formula 18 Championship, one of the most important and highly anticipated events of the Italian catamaran season. <\/p>\n

There are already 21 pre-registered teams, ready to compete for the title in what is the highlight of the national Formula 18 season. This decisive event will crown the new Italian champions and award points toward the national standings. <\/p>\n

The Punta Ala Sailing Center and the Formula 18 class share a long and well-established history. The 2026 regatta will be the nineteenth dedicated to F18 catamarans hosted by the Sailing Center, confirming the deep connection with a class that is particularly beloved and has always been central to the club\u2019s activities. <\/p>\n

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It was with the Formula 18 class, in 2004, that the Punta Ala Sailing Center made its debut as an organizing committee by hosting the World Championship. Numerous national and international events followed, including the Italian Championships in 2006, 2018, and 2023. This journey, built over more than twenty years in collaboration with the Formula 18 Italia Class and the International Formula 18 Class Association, has made Punta Ala one of the premier venues for these two-person catamarans. <\/p>\n

The event officially begins on September 17 with the welcome ceremony and final registration, but it is on Friday that the Championship will really get underway with the skippers\u2019 meeting at 10:30 a.m. and the first race scheduled for 12:00 p.m. From that moment on, three days of sailing will begin, with up to three races per day for a total of nine. <\/p>\n

The windward-leeward course will be set up in front of the beach at PuntAla Camp & Resort, in a stretch of water that is well-suited to the characteristics of the F18s. When the wind picks up, the catamarans accelerate, lift one hull out of the water, and turn starts, crossings, and mark roundings into a nonstop spectacle, where crew coordination and strategy make all the difference. <\/p>\n