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UK Intl Moth Nationals - Day 3 - Fletcher's perfect day in Paignton

by Mark Jardine / IMCAUK on 30 May 2017
Dylan Fletcher - Day 3 - UK International Moth National Championship 2017 Mark Jardine / IMCAUK
Early morning mist in the English Riviera allowed the Moth fleet to have a leisurely morning of boat bimbling and chatting in Paignton, before the sun broke through and the sea breeze filled in, allowing four great races to be held, bringing the event back on schedule.

Dylan Fletcher made the most of the conditions and completed a perfect day on the water with four races wins. His boat speed was impressive throughout and the troubles he'd had with his large foils on Sunday were a thing of the past.

'I had a few issues with my big foil yesterday and managed to fix them overnight. I put the foil on today and was a bit unsure as to what to expect, but it performed well. The first race was marginal and yesterday I really struggled in those conditions, so today to win it and have some good speed was a big confidence booster. Throughout the day I did what I needed to do, lowered the risk, and the boat speed sorted me out.' said Dylan.

At times Dylan didn't have the best of starts and had to pick his way through the fleet, as he explained: 'There were some times I got the wrong side of the shifts, but a lot of the time I was picking the course well and hitting my laylines, sailing nicely and that made the difference - especially in the earlier races when it was closer on speed.'



The start lines today provided some spectacular action, with many choosing to cross on port tack, leading to a game of chicken off the line. Angus Peel caught the second race from his drone, which showed just how close some of the crosses were...



We spoke to Josie Gliddon about encouraging more girls into the Moth fleet...

Mark: How did you first get into the Moth fleet?
Josie: Around 10 years ago I wanted a Moth and we then saved some money up, and last year my husband and I ditched the B14 and started Mothing!

Mark: How were your first experiences in the boat?
Josie: I was really surprised - the first day I went out I did a foiling gybe. I think it's a bit of a myth that it's really tricky to get up foiling and I was really pleased that I could sail it straight away.

Mark: You came from the B14 which itself is a fun boat. How would you rate the Moth in comparison?
Josie: You just have such a big smile on your face. The last race today I was thinking 'This is the best thing, it's just awesome'.

Mark: How do you find people in the fleet? Do you get advice from the other sailors, is there support or is it everybody for themselves?
Josie: It's definitely not everybody for themselves. Everybody's really helpful, designing and helping to move the class on. Certainly as a female you get a lot of support.

Mark: If somebody was coming into the class, what first steps would you advise them to take?
Josie: I think probably the best thing would be to talk to other Mothies. They're all over the country, go down to your local club where you know that they're sailing and go talk to them. We all really want everybody to come and join the class as we all think it's really great. They'll give you the tips as to what type of boat you can get, bearing in mind what your budget is as there is a huge difference in price. If you want to go sailing at your local club you can get quite an affordable Moth, it's not necessarily going to win you races at the Nationals, but it doesn't really matter whether you're at the front of the fleet or the back of the fleet because you just have such a big grin on your face.

Mark: Can you tell me about the smaller sail you are working on, which might help some of the sailors who are a bit lighter?
Josie: The big rig at the moment is currently 8.2 metres squared, and that's quite full on for me as I'm only 52 kilos and 5' 2' - I'm certainly at the smaller end of the spectrum! We're design a sail with North and CST, with a 30cm shorter mast and 7.2 metres squared. I'm really looking forward to getting that in the next couple of weeks and trying it out. I think it might be a winner and I think some of the boys might want it when it gets windy as well!

Mark: There must be so many preconceptions out there that 52 kilos is far too light to sail a foiling Moth, but you sail it fine.
Josie: You have to be good at your boat handling, but I get round the course. The last race today was pretty breezy but I got round without capsizing and it's ok. The good thing about Moth sailing is that we do Grand Prix finishes, so if you get lapped you don't have to go round again - you just go through the gate and you still get a finish, which I think is a really good incentive. I think if more girls came into the fleet then you'd be racing around with lots of other people of a similar standard and you'd keep on improving and improving.

Mark: So your advice is to get in, talk to the fleet, and get foiling in a Moth?
Josie: Take the plunge and actually get out there and do it. There are a lot of people who really want to join the fleet and I don't think there's any excuse as to why you can't.



Rio 2016 Olympian Ben Saxton has also joined the International Moth fleet. We spoke to him prior to racing today about his experiences in the Moth so far, why he's decided to sail the boat and about how fun is the most important thing for him in sailing.

Of particular note at this event is how welcoming the team at Paignton Sailing Club have been to the Moth fleet. Pasta after racing, delicious dinners served, volunteers helping in the dinghy park and socialising together with the sailors in the bar. Nick Ripley and his team run a fantastic club!






Moth Nationals - Day 3 Sailing from ProAction Creative on Vimeo.




Ben Saxton - Why I got into Moths from ProAction Creative on Vimeo.



Overall

Sailed: 9, Discards: 2, To count: 7, Entries: 49, Scoring system: Appendix A
Rank Moth Model Sail Number Sailing Club HelmName Year Built Age R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9 Total Nett
1st Rocket SSD 4480 WPNSA Dylan Fletcher 2016 28 (6.0) 1.0 1.0 1.0 (13.0) 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 26.0 7.0
2nd Exocet 4434 Datchet David Hivey 2016 36 1.0 2.0 2.0 3.0 2.0 (8.0) 4.0 2.0 (50.0 DNC) 74.0 16.0
3rd Excoet 4433 Stokes Bay Dan Ward 2016 33 3.0 3.0 5.0 4.0 3.0 (18.0) (8.0) 4.0 2.0 50.0 24.0
4th Exocet 4501 Yealm Yacht Club Dan Ellis 2017 28 (17.0) (12.0) 6.0 6.0 1.0 7.0 3.0 3.0 7.0 62.0 33.0
5th Rocket 4409 HISC Ross Harvey 2016 31 4.0 6.0 3.0 7.0 5.0 (16.0) (19.0) 10.0 3.0 73.0 38.0
6th Exocet 4509 Stokes Bay Sailing Club Jason Belben 2017 51 2.0 7.0 7.0 8.0 (9.0) (9.0) 5.0 5.0 5.0 57.0 39.0
7th Exocet 4180 C.v.Torbole Carlo De Paoli Ambrosi 2014 31 7.0 8.0 10.0 10.0 (11.0) 2.0 7.0 (11.0) 6.0 72.0 50.0
8th Exocet 4508 Stokes Bay Sailing Club Dan Vincent 2017 46 13.0 4.0 4.0 5.0 14.0 3.0 (27.0) 9.0 (50.0 DNC) 129.0 52.0
9th Exocet 4323 Sno nantes Benoit Marie 2016 30 8.0 9.0 11.0 11.0 (43.0) 4.0 (13.0) 8.0 4.0 111.0 55.0
10th Exocet 4442 TBYC Kyle Stoneham 2016 30 9.0 5.0 12.0 2.0 (26.0) 14.0 (22.0) 6.0 10.0 106.0 58.0
11th Exocet 4386 Rock Tom Offer 2015 41 12.0 11.0 9.0 (32.0) 8.0 5.0 6.0 (13.0) 9.0 105.0 60.0
12th Exocet 4309 Stokes Bay Jim McMillan 2015 27 (50.0 DNC) 13.0 13.0 (50.0 DNC) 10.0 13.0 2.0 7.0 26.0 184.0 84.0
13th Exocet 4499 Stokes Bay SC Dominic Hutton 2017 33 15.0 17.0 15.0 16.0 6.0 6.0 12.0 (34.0) (50.0 DNC) 171.0 87.0
14th Exocet 4278 Eastbourne Soverign SC Alex Koukourakis 2015 44 11.0 15.0 8.0 13.0 21.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 14.0 14.0 196.0 96.0
15th Rocket 4075 QMSC Doug Pybus 2013 42 14.0 (24.0) (20.0) 19.0 15.0 12.0 10.0 15.0 11.0 140.0 96.0
16th Mach 2 3959 Netley Sailing Club Paul Gliddon   38 16.0 16.0 (17.0) 12.0 12.0 (17.0) 11.0 16.0 13.0 130.0 96.0
17th Rocket 4347 Brightlingsea Eddie Bridle 2016 19 (50.0 DNC) 19.0 21.0 15.0 7.0 (50.0 DNC) 15.0 18.0 15.0 210.0 110.0
18th Mach 2 4311 Castle Cove Alex Adams   33 (20.0) 14.0 16.0 14.0 17.0 19.0 (21.0) 19.0 20.0 160.0 119.0
19th Mach 2 4336 Stokes Bay Sailing Club Jonathan Heathcote 2015 36 10.0 10.0 36.0 (50.0 DNC) 4.0 10.0 14.0 41.0 (50.0 DNC) 225.0 125.0
20th Exocet 4350 HISC David Smithwhite 2015 61 19.0 21.0 19.0 20.0 (25.0) (26.0) 24.0 17.0 16.0 187.0 136.0
21st Mach 2 4248 QMSC Neil Baker 2015 35 (50.0 DNC) (39.0) 14.0 22.0 16.0 20.0 16.0 20.0 31.0 228.0 139.0
22nd Exocet 434 Queen Mary Leigh Albrecht 2016 33 24.0 20.0 (32.0) 9.0 24.0 15.0 20.0 30.0 (32.0) 206.0 142.0
23rd Rocket V3 4346 Marconi Sailing Club Nick Miller 2015 29 25.0 27.0 24.0 (50.0 DNC) (30.0) 23.0 25.0 21.0 12.0 237.0 157.0
24th Exocet 4096 HISC Tim Penfold 2013 43 23.0 22.0 22.0 18.0 19.0 25.0 29.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 258.0 158.0
25th Exocet 4277 Stokes Bay Jeremy Hartley 2015 56 22.0 (40.0) (50.0 DNS) 25.0 23.0 24.0 23.0 24.0 18.0 249.0 159.0
26th Exocet 4492 Rutland Nic Streatfeild 2016 52 21.0 18.0 23.0 (50.0 DNC) 22.0 37.0 (50.0 DNC) 23.0 23.0 267.0 167.0
27th Mach 2 3975 Regatta Vereinigung Elbe Jacob Clasen   20 (35.0) 29.0 28.0 26.0 (36.0) 29.0 18.0 25.0 24.0 250.0 179.0
28th Rocket 4121 QMSC James Phare 2013 33 (50.0 DNC) 23.0 18.0 17.0 28.0 28.0 17.0 (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 281.0 181.0
29th Rocket 4208 Wilsonan Sailing Club Tom Lambert     18.0 28.0 26.0 (50.0 DNC) 27.0 34.0 30.0 (39.0) 22.0 274.0 185.0
30th LunarSea 4343 Grafham sc James Sainsbury 2015 32 (50.0 DNC) 25.0 25.0 23.0 35.0 (50.0 DNC) 35.0 26.0 17.0 286.0 186.0
31st Racoon 4483 Royal Thames YC Ben Saxton 2017 26 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 18.0 22.0 9.0 12.0 27.0 288.0 188.0
32nd Rocket 4072 ASN Quibenon Madey Ciret Le Cosquer   26 (36.0) 32.0 27.0 21.0 33.0 30.0 (34.0) 27.0 19.0 259.0 189.0
33rd Rocket V3 4438 Rutland Water Sailing Club Matthew Lea 2016 32 34.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 32.0 21.0 26.0 22.0 8.0 293.0 193.0
34th Chopper 4100 Restronguet SC Chris White 2013 30 26.0 31.0 29.0 27.0 (44.0) 35.0 (39.0) 31.0 21.0 283.0 200.0
35th Rocket 4122 Norfolk Punt Club Andrew friend 2014 32 28.0 30.0 30.0 24.0 (31.0) 31.0 28.0 29.0 (50.0 DNC) 281.0 200.0
36th Mach 2 3877 Netley Sailing club Josie Gliddon   37 32.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 28.0 34.0 33.0 31.0 37.0 28.0 323.0 223.0
37th Mach 2 4033 Hisc Adam Golding 2015 51 29.0 35.0 31.0 30.0 (41.0) 36.0 (40.0) 36.0 29.0 307.0 226.0
38th Exocet 4385 HISC Steve McLean 2016 55 27.0 38.0 34.0 33.0 (50.0 DNC) 38.0 (41.0) 33.0 25.0 319.0 228.0
39th Mach 2 4136 Brightlingsea SC Ed Redfearn 2014 29 (50.0 DNS) 34.0 35.0 29.0 40.0 27.0 38.0 35.0 (50.0 DNC) 338.0 238.0
40th Bladerider X8 3169 Birkenhead RS&PC Brad Gibson 2007 45 33.0 36.0 33.0 31.0 (42.0) 41.0 (43.0) 38.0 30.0 327.0 242.0
41st Mach 2 3281 RORC Mark Dicker   37 31.0 33.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 37.0 32.0 32.0 32.0 50.0 DNC 347.0 247.0
42nd Exocet 5 Lymington Ben Paton 2017 31 5.0 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 OCS 11.0 37.0 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 353.0 253.0
43rd Mach 2 3870 HISC Eddie Gatehouse 2011   30.0 37.0 38.0 34.0 (50.0 DNC) 40.0 42.0 40.0 (50.0 DNC) 361.0 261.0
44th Exocet 4036 Thorpe bay Chris Clarke 2012 33 (50.0 DNC) 26.0 37.0 (50.0 DNC) 29.0 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 392.0 292.0
45th Voodoo 4489 HISC Matthew Ponsford 2017 24 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 44.0 36.0 28.0 50.0 DNC 408.0 308.0
46th Rocket 4484 Grafham Water David Jessop 2017 28 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 38.0 42.0 33.0 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 413.0 313.0
47th Rocket 4345 WPNSA Richard Mason 2016 29 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 20.0 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 420.0 320.0
48th Mach 2 4049 ASN Quibenon Morgane Suquant   27 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 39.0 39.0 50.0 OCS 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 428.0 328.0
49th Voodoo 430 Atomik HQ Phil Oligario 2017 47 (50.0 DNC) (50.0 DNC) 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 43.0 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 50.0 DNC 443.0 343.0
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