International Moth World Championship - Pre-Event

by GJN/SW on 24 Jun 2007
The Moth Worlds get under way with a 'pre-event' today, Sunday. Three races to get everyone use to the idea of 70+ Moths in close proximity as well as the race organisation coping with the P course the class use.

The event press report for the Saturday practice race commented:

The Regatta Committee gave start at 2.30 pm but the first leg was already too hard for many skippers. The Moth is really light (only 30 kg) and does not like strong winds. The race was soon abandoned. Some boats had to be helped, but there was no difficulty to come back to the port.

'I succeded to arrive at the first mark - said the local sailor Raimondo Tonelli - and it was not that easy. It was really hard not to capsize with that wind!' Beside him Rohan Veal, 2005 World Champion, affirms: 'the problem was not the speed of the wind, but the waves. May be we had to wait for a lighter wind, because Moth cannot have good performance when wind is over 10 mt/sec.'

Ernesto Santuliana a member of the Race Committee, which is directed by Claudio Alessandrello: 'The wind has broken the anchorage of the Committee boat - said while drinking a glass of mineral water - you can imagine how much was the 'Ora' today. I believe that in that moment it was at least 14 mt/sec (25 knots).

In the practice time over the last week it seems that the strong Lake Garda wind and the awkward wave state has taken its toll of some of the more fragile foils, and plenty of last minute reinforcing taking place.

Scott Babbage has reported on his blog earlier in the week;

'That as expected, the Bladerider being quicker upwind, and the Prowler being faster down but team Bladerider has suffered five broken main foils (2 for Amac, 2 for Rohan and 1 for John).'

Rohn Veal reports in his Blog (Mothies are great bloggers) that after a chaotic and finally abandoned practice race on Saturday:

'On a brighter note, none of the Bladerider's (or many other boats for that matter) suffered any damage at all. However Adam May (GBR) did launch straight into his front wing tubes and broke them clean off and Per Eskilson (HT/SWE) sheared his mast off at the base. So it was a very eventful day and hope it won't be repeated again for the duration of the regatta.

The International Moth World Championship is taking place at Torbole, Lake Garda, Italy with the first race Monday 25 June.

Scott Babbage Blog: http://scott.projectsomewhere.com/

Rohn Veal Blog: http://scott.projectsomewhere.com/