Team NZ sailors buy Bladerider Foiling Moths

by Andrew Brown on 25 Oct 2007
Andrew Brown reports on the Bladerider Interenational Foiling Moth Experience at Takapauna over Labour Weekend:

Fantastic long weekend here in Takapuna, Auckland. We had the re-launch of the International Moth over the weekend, and for the three people who had brought the BLADERIDER X8 we were very lucky to have Rohan Veal (current World Champion) from Bladerider come out and give us some help to get us on the right path with sailing our new craft.

The appeal the foiling moth has created here in New Zealand is already huge, from having the current Optimist World Champion Chris Steele out on the water having a go to Kevin Hall from Team New Zealand getting a boat and also getting Ray Davies to get a boat as well. The most exciting part for me was having Hal Wagstaff coming to the club to talk to us on and give us all the information of when he got the Moth here in New Zealand in 1965. He also wants to set the record for the oldest foiling helmsman at 77 years old, by having a go in 2 months time once he has recovered from an eye operation. Watch out for the news on that!

RSX vs. Bladerider 2-0 to the Moth!!! Yep Rohan was racing on Saturday, (the rest of us have a bit of practise time and also learning time by watching the master).

In the two races Rohan won by a long way although JP Tobin was closer in the second race than the first! So if you want to know the speeds these boats go, Rohan’s top speed was 23.6 knots in the racing and average of 22.3knots, + for those visual people way faster than the RSX board in 20 knots of wind.

For me the improvement was huge from the Friday to the Monday. On Friday we had a photo shoot with TVNZ and I was all over the place, but with some refinement of the wand, angle of attack of the foils and confidence of the sailor by Monday, I was getting the tacks more sorted and was very close to pulling off some foiling gybes as well.

The coolest thing was when I launched my new boat on Friday for the first time; I was up on the foils and blasting within 10 seconds of jumping in the boat – how awesome is that!

Look out on my website for the regattas I am attending, and we have Rohan coming back for our Nationals at Wakatere Boating Club in February if it works with his schedule.

Once again thank you to my major sponsor Kiwi Yachting Consultants www.kiwiyachting.co.nz (check out the website for all the products they are agents for), for their commitment to yachting in New Zealand; and for going out on a limb to help get this class up and going by supporting me. You will know my boat with the big Kiwi Yachting signage on the sail – the sail looks awesome!

Also thanks to TelstraClear for sponsoring my communications, Cathay Pacific for helping with the flights, and Oceanbridge Shipping for their continued support. Southern Spars are also going to be a major help in this project as they are going to be helping with the development of the boat and helping build the ideas I have!

BLADERIDER NZ have also come to the party to help the class off the ground here in New Zealand by being as helpful as possible.

Finally if you want to have a go, or need more information on the Bladerider contact Darren on 021 2888300.