Aussie clean-sweep at Moth World Championships

by Alexandra Harris on 12 Jul 2008
Australian John Harris has sailed away with the 2008 title as World Champion in the Moth Class with one race to spare. With third being his worst result, he has come away the clear winner.

After having a go on fellow skiff crew member Scott Babbage's Foiler Moth 18 months ago, he decided he had to take it on. Thirteen months after purchasing his own boat, and competing at the 2007 Moth World Championships at Lake Garda, Italy, he has made it to the top of the foiling game.

John Harris is a past 18 Foot Skiff World Champion, and has secured numerous Australian Championships on Sydney Harbour.

Second and third places were also taken by fellow Australians Andrew McDougall and Mathew Belcher consecutively – making the Aussies easy winners in the Ashes series for 2008.

It was an Aussie white wash at the worlds with the Poms being annihilated in the Ashes series – particularly painful on the Brits home turf.

The final day of the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships featured the last 3 races of the series, in conditions similar to yesterday. The fleet were sent out in the morning for the first 2 races in conditions averaging 18 knots gusting to 27. After lunch, winds were stronger at an average of 20 knots.

Top 10 Final Series Places were as follows:

1st John Harris (AUS)
2nd Andrew McDougall (AUS)
3rd Mathew Belcher (AUS)
4th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
5th Scott Babbage (AUS)
6th Alex Knight (GBR)
7th Graham Vials (GBR)
8th Simon Payne (GBR)
9th Glenn Raphael (UAE)
10th Andrew Brown (NZL)

Full listing below


Top five places in each of today's races were as follows:

Race 1: 1st John Harris (AUS), 2nd Scott Babbage (AUS), 3rd Mathew Belcher (AUS), 4th Andrew Brown (NZL), 5th Alex Knight (GBR).

Race 2: 1st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2nd Bora Gulari (USA), 3rd John Harris (AUS), 4th Mathew Belcher (AUS), 5th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI).

Race 3: 1st Andrew McDougall (AUS), 2nd John Harris (AUS), 3rd Elco Boers (NED), 4th Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), 5th James Owen-Smith (AUS).

Top British spot was secured by Alex Knight who finished sixth – with no mention in any of the form guides he snuck in as a dark horse on his Bladerider. Second Brit was Graham Vials in seventh spot, also riding a Bladerider. Competition favourite Simon Payne finished eighth overall and ex-Olympian Adam May finished 14th in his new British made Velociraptor.

USA favourite Bora Gulari was unable to complete the series due to other sailing commitments, however, he thoroughly enjoyed his time here at the CST Composites 2008 Moth World Championships and secured 20th spot. He is particularly looking forward to sailing in home waters in at the 2009 Moth World Championships in The Gorge, Portland USA.

Sam England (AUS) dominated the female competition, coming 16th overall, giving many of the men a good run for their money. The other ladies in the fleet finished as follows: Florence Beal (SUI) 55th, Helen Rollinson (GBR) 64th, Clare Dallimore (GBR) 77th, Katherine Knight (GBR) 79th.

French celebrity Sebastian Josse (FRA) finished 23rd and is looking forward to the next World Championships in Portland, USA.

The Swiss contingent was led by Arnaud Psarofaghis, who had an impressive result of fourth overall. At just 19 years of age, Psarofaghis is showing strong potential for future events.

The Junior competition was strong with some fantastic talent coming up through the ranks. Sten-Mark Bachmann from Estonia finished 11th overall which is extremely impressive at just 16 years of age.

Other placing's in the event were as follows:

1st Masters title (over 45yrs) had Andrew McDougall (AUS)
1st Female sailor was Sam England (AUS)
1st Junior (18 years and younger as of 31 December 2008) – Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST)
1st Non-Foiler (Skiff, scow) – Russell Wheeler (GBR)

European Champions:

1st Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
2nd Alex Knight (GBR)
3rd Graham Vials (GBR)
4th Simon Payne (GBR)
5th Sten-Mark Bachmann (EST)

Moth Worlds - Final overall positions (provisional)

1st 3295 John Harris Australian 18 sailing League 11 pts
2nd 3128 Andrew Mcdougall Black Rock YC 18
3rd 3217 Mathew Belcher RQYS, SYC 22
4th 3252 Arnaud Psarofaghis Ste Nautique de Geneve 27
5th 3263 Scott Babbage WSC 33
6th 3239 Alex Knight GBR 43
7th 3158 Graham Vials Derwent Reservoir 54
8th 3259 Simon Payne Hayling Island SC 56
9th 3300 Glenn Raphael MSSC / DOSSC 58
10th 3230 Andrew Brown Takapana Boating Club 61
11th 3291 Sten-Mark Bachmann Rein Ottoson Sailing School 62
12th 3279 Martin Gravare GKSS 66
13th 9354 James Owen-Smith Davies Bay Yacht Club 68
14th 3373 Adam May WPNSA 71
15th 3270 Mark Robinson Singapore Sailing Federation 98
16th 3297 Samantha England Blairgowie Yacht Squadron 100
17th 3278 Christopher Graham JASC 106
18th 3215 Eelco Boers WSV 108
19th 3262 Ben Crocker Balmoral Sailing Club 112
20th 3281 Bora Gulari Bayview Yacht Club Michigan 122
21st 3360 Lochlin Byrne SYC 126
22nd 4090 Jason Belben Stokes Bay Sailing Club 128.5
23rd 3298 Sebastien Josse Yacht Club de Monaco 135
24th 3294 Sven Kloppenburg Ratzeburger Seglerverein 138.5
25th 3138 Peter Becker AYC & NYYC 153
26th 4102 Andrew Friend NPC/QMSC 157
27th 4095 Ian Forsdike Gragham Water 158
28th 3243 Michael Lennon Hayling Island SC 161
29th 3284 Nigel Oswold Friday Harbour Sailing Club 168
30th 3242 Christian Brandt BSC 169
31st 8 Ziegert Jean-Pierre SNG 190
32nd 4103 James Roche Weston SC 191
33rd 3261 Gary Ireson Hollowell SC 213
34th 3136 Paul Hignett LVSC 213
35th 4076 Tim Boon Hayling Island SC 222
36th 4073 Adrian Murphy QMSC 239
37th 3226 James Mckenzie St George 241
38th 4093 Anthony Chapman Rutland SC 251
39th 1058 Carlo Maege FSV 268
40th 4046 Russell Wheeler IOSSC 269
41st 3247 Mikis Psarofaghis CVSNG 274
42nd 3132 Nikolaus Liebscher YCW 285
43rd 3258 Andy Mills Jericho Sailing Centre 296
44th 3251 George Peet Bay View Yacht Club 300
45th 3467 Rod Harris Parkstone Yacht Club 306
46th 3335 Douglas Imrie ELYC 313
47th 4088 Jason Russell Hayling Island SC 345
48th 3277 David Edwards SCS 347
49th 3366 Alex Adams WPNSA 351
50th 25 Franco Ferluga STV 357
51st 3323 Tim Ollerenshaw Grafham Water SC 363
52nd 3202 Douglas Culnane SYBYC 381
53rd 4094 Ricky Tagg Hayling Island SC 393
54th 4096 Simon Propper GWSC 401
55th 3168 Beal Florence Club Nautique de Founex 417
56th 4085 Paul Hayden Gurnard SC 423
57th 3276 Jonathan Peats DOSC 427
58th 1022 Gerold Pauler SLVR 430
59th 4082 Alan Goddard BSC 432
60th 607 Patrick Ruf 437
61st 3152 Chris Anstead QMSC 438
62nd 3265 Giovanni Galeotti RYCB 448
63rd 3286 Wil Wargnier (Bladerider) Club Nautique de Founex 485
64th 4052 Helen Rollinson BCYC 500
65th 3151 Cyril Ducrot SNT 500
66th 4060 Daniel Hall WLYC 519
67th 3468 John Ilett MBSC 523
68th 3371 Mike Cooke B.C.Y.C 535
69th 4091 Alan Watson Bristol Corinthian Yacht Club 536
70th 3370 Martin Fear BCYC 537
71st 3172 Mike Owen 539
72nd 3267 Naomi Tachibana Hayama Moth Sailing Club 541
73rd 3372 Dave Chisolm Waldringfield Sailing Club 546
74th 4050 Robert Campbell GWSC 548
75th 3197 Joe Bousquet CMBA 550
76th 3377 David Hopper 551
77th 3374 Clare Dallimore CSCM 552
78th 3308 Lukas Schenk SVM 553
79th 1032 Nils Warnken KYC 576
79th 3192 Tom Whicher WSC 576
79th 4063 Toby Heppell RVA 576
79th 1060 Jens Schoenberg 576
79th 3206 Piers Thomas SVYC 576
79th 3933 Alan Campbell WGCSC 576
79th 3043 Doug Pybus Queen Mary Sailing Club 576
79th 3189 Ozren Blazina Sailing Club Opatija 576
79th 3375 BURKHARD STAABS 576
79th 3129 Boris Goetz Scuttle But 576
79th 2907 Stefan Schneider ASC 576
79th 9335 V Hostettler St Philibert 576
79th 3235 C Weber CCN 576
79th 2020 Jean Nivet Ascea-st Grenoble 576
79th 3368 Colin Newman Draycote Water SC 576
79th 3253 Michael Airey DWSC 576
79th 4098 Katherin