Burvill and Puttman crowned F18 World Champions

Brett Burvill and Max Puttman are the 2026 F18 World Champions after a nerveless final day performance at Jervoise Bay, Western Australia.

The Australian duo sealed victory with a race win and a ninth, finishing eight points clear of fellow Aussies Matt Homan and Kris Bilston in second. With seven wins from 13 races, nobody could argue they hadn't earned it.

Meanwhile, Darren Bundock and Glenn Ashby – the latter fresh from his 'super-sub' appearance on Australia's F50, helping the Flying Roos take second in the Perth Sail Grand Prix – had looked poised to steal the crown. Yesterday the pair had turned a seven-point deficit into a ten-point lead heading into the final day.

Then it fell apart. A 16th and a DNF saw them tumble from first to third, a painful unravelling for two sailors who know exactly what it takes to win at the highest level.

For Burvill and Puttman, it was the culmination of a week where they rarely put a foot wrong. They'd dominated the opening races, weathered the mid-regatta challenge from Homan and Bilston, and kept their composure when Bundock and Ashby made their move.

The 75-boat fleet, ranging in age from 14 to 81, added depth to one of catamaran sailing’s most prestigious showdowns. The 'Freo Doctor' delivered its usual afternoon theatrics, and this time, Burvill and Puttman were the ones left standing.