CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FLORIDA – The Notice of Race for the 2015 Zhik F18 Americas Championship has been posted. The international event, sponsored by high-performance sailing gear supplier Zhik, is scheduled for Oct. 17-25, 2015 at Port Charlotte Beach Park in Charlotte County, Fla. Five days of racing are scheduled for Oct. 19-23, 2015.
The event is expected to attract 60 boats from around the world to Charlotte Harbor and marks the second international sailing competition to be awarded to event organizer Charlotte Harbor Regatta, Inc. in recent years. The non-profit organization, which was formed in 2009 to promote sailing on Charlotte Harbor, also ran the 2012 International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championships.
“Zhik NA is proud to sponsor the F18 Americas event at Charlotte Harbor. Zhik gear is the choice of champions in the fastest classes, and we are happy to be able to give back to a group of sailors that has helped us get to where we are today!” said Mike Krantz, president of Zhik NA.
Registration is open and the NOR is posted at
www.usf18.com. About Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands
Located halfway between Tampa and Naples on the Southwest Florida Gulf Coast, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands is a charming collection of nine coastal communities surrounding the state’s second largest harbor. Florida’s premier year-round eco-tourism destination, the area offers a pristine unspoiled beauty. In 2014 Port Charlotte has been named the top U.S. Best Value Destination by trivago, the world’s largest online hotel search site, and the Charlotte Sports Park, spring training home of the Tampa Bay Rays, was voted “Best Spring Training Facility” by readers of USA TODAY. A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, Charlotte Harbor & the Gulf Islands has been named one of SAIL magazine’s “10 Greatest Places to Sail in the United States,” ranked by Golf Digest as “Third Best Place to Live and Play Golf in America,” and rated by MONEY magazine as one of the “Best Places to Live in the South.” Englewood was named second of the Top Ten emerging travel destinations in the U.S. by TripAdvisor.com. The area is served by five airports: The Punta Gorda Airport (PDG) with private and charter air service, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), Southwest Florida International Airport, Ft. Myers, (RSW), St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) and Tampa International Airport (TPA).
