  Optical (BVRI) photometry of the first three weeks of the 2016 outburst of
the recurrent Nova LMC 1968 is presented and discussed. The 2016 I-band
light-curve is an exact replica, even in the most minute details, of that for
the 2010 eruption. The maximum is inferred to have occurred on 2016 Jan 21.2 at
I=11.5 mag, corresponding to an absolute magnitude M(I)=-7.15. A ~1 day plateau
is present in all bands about six days past optical maximum, simultaneous with
the emergence of super-soft X-ray emission in Swift observations, signalling
the widespread ionization of the ejecta. The nova entered a much longer plateau
about 9 days past maximum, governed by the brightness of the white dwarf, now
directly visible and still nuclearly burning on its surface. An outburst
recurrence mean period of ~955 days (2.6 yrs) would fit both the OGLE
inter-season gaps and the observed intervals between previous outburts.
