The Nacra F18 Infusion was announced in 2006 and launched in January 2007 as a

one design One-design racing is a racing method which may be adopted in sports using complex equipment, whereby all vehicles have identical or very similar designs or models, avoiding the need for a handicap system. Motorsport One-make racing series (also ...

racing

catamaran A catamaran () (informally, a "cat") is a watercraft with two parallel hull (watercraft), hulls of equal size. The wide distance between a catamaran's hulls imparts stability through resistance to rolling and overturning; no ballast is requi ...

conforming to the

Formula 18 The Formula 18 (F18) class is a non-foiling, restricted development, formula-design sport catamaran class. It was started in the early 1990s and quickly grew getting class recognition by World Sailing, with large racing fleets all over the globe ...

class rules. It quickly developed into a class in its own right. The principle design team was

Morrelli & Melvin Pete Melvin (born January 11, 1962) is an American sailor. He competed in the Tornado event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. Melvin is also a noted yacht designer with his partner Gino Morrelli as Morrelli and Melvin. Biography Melvin was born in ...

but also included significant input from Peter Vink (Performance Sails) and Gunnar Larsen (Nacra). The design takes its name from the vacuum infusion process used in its hull construction. The Nacra F18 Infusion has been a recognized

World Sailing World Sailing is the international sports governing body for sailing (sport), sailing; it is recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). History The creation of the International Yac ...

as an international competition class since November 2010. The Nacra F18 Infusion design was later developed into the F18 Evolution and the NACRA F20 Carbon.

Design

NACRA F18 Infusion Formula 18 catamaran sailboat 4224

The Nacra F18 Infusion is a racing

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminology ...

, built to the

Class Rules and its own One Design construction manual. These rules dictate that it is a fractional sloop rig with

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

spars. The boat has a sandwich construction with

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...

skins made using

vinylester Vinyl ester resin, or often just vinyl ester, is a resin produced by the esterification of an epoxy resin with acrylic or methacrylic acids. The "vinyl" groups refer to these ester substituents, which are prone to polymerize and thus an inhibitor ...

resin over a foam core. The Mk3 version uses

epoxy resin Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also co ...

rather than vinylester resin which, due to revised Formula 18 class rules, is permitted to use.

Variants

The Nacra infusion is the third generation of Nacra

. It started in 1996 with the launch of the Nacra Inter 18 designed by Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin. This was followed in 2001 by the Nacra Inter 18 designed by Alain Comyn. ;Nacra F18 Infusion Mk1 :Announced in 2006, the design began production in 2007. ;Nacra F18 Infusion Mk2 :Launched in 2011, the boat was upgraded with new foils and several other updates. ;Nacra F18 Infusion Mk2.5 :Launched in 2014, the main update was a completely new sail design. The rudder system was also significantly updated, along with other small improvements. ;Nacra F18 Infusion Mk3 :Launched in 2018, the boat has epoxy construction and several upgrades. ;Nacra F18 Infusion Mk3 with FCS (Flight Control System) :Launched in 2018, the FCS option was also made available alongside the standard boat. It has updated daggerboard cases and rudder fixing to allow the installation of optional hydrofoils. These changes took the boat out of the class, but like the Nacra 20 FCS, it was still a fully foiling design. It utilises L-shaped

hydrofoil A hydrofoil is a lifting surface, or foil, that operates in water. They are similar in appearance and purpose to aerofoils used by aeroplanes. Boats that use hydrofoil technology are also simply termed hydrofoils. As a hydrofoil craft gains sp ...

rudders and Z-shaped carbon fibre daggerboards. :With the introduction of the Evolution in 2019, the Infusion Mk3 made the modification standard in 2021. ;Nacra F18 Evolution :This model was announced in 2019 and is a new design equipped only for the Formula 18 class. The biggest change is the new hull design incorporating reverse

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

s, horizontal chines, a revised longitudinal connecting beam design and deck sweeping mainsail option. It won the

Formula 18 World Championship The Formula 18 World Championship and the Formula 18 Raid World Championship also known as the F18 World Championship and Raid F18 Worlds is an annual international sailing regatta for Formula 18, organized by the host club on behalf of the Inte ...

in its second attempt, finishing in the top 10 in 2021 and then winning the 2022.

Operational history

The Nacra infusion has won the Formula 18 World Championships five times 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015. In addition the class has held a One Design World Championships.

References

External links

Nacra F18 Infusion and Nacra F18 Infusion FCS official webpage

Nacra F18 Evolution official webpage

Video: Nacra F18 Infusion

Video: 2016/17 Nacra F18 Infusion Nationals
{{Sailing dinghies and skiffs Dinghies Catamarans 2000s sailboat type designs 2010s sailboat type designs Sailboat type designs by Gino Morrelli Sailboat type designs by Pete Melvin Sailboat types built by Nacra Sailing

Design

Variants

Operational history

See also

References

External links