Puma makes an impressive debut at Moth Worlds 2009

by Puma Ocean Racing Media on 20 Aug 2009
Puma Ocean Racing Ambassador, Brad Funk of Florida made an impressive debut at the Moth Worlds 2009 on The Gorge in Cascade Locks, Oregon USA, sailing a Puma Bladerider Moth. Well known for his Laser sailing, Funk placed in the top ten in the overall competition. Puma had two branded Moths at The Gorge.

Starting out in the Moth is no simple task and the class includes some of the best dinghy sailors in the world. Many of the sailors who are in the top half of the fleet have been sailing the Moth for at least two years. That’s the normal amount of time it takes for a sailor to get comfortable and really proficient at sailing this highly technical boat. But Brad, who has been sailing the Moth on and off for a year and never in a competitive situation, has found the boat to be exciting and challenging. Judging from his eighth place finish at Moth Worlds, he’s catching on quickly.

What makes his eighth place even more impressive is that Brad is still training full time in his Laser, working on a campaign for the 2012 Olympics. Immediately after hitting the beach on Saturday, Brad jumped a flight headed to Halifax, Nova Scotia for Laser Worlds.

'I’m really happy to have finished in the top ten at Moth Worlds. My goal going into the event was to try and hang with the top guys. I’m still learning about the boat and there are still things that I need to work on, but I’m making progress.'

'This boat requires a lot more attention to detail than Laser sailing. There is always boat work to be done and little tweaks to be made. At first I found this really frustrating because I just wanted to get out there and sail, but I’m learning that the extra time you spend working on the boat really does make a difference out on the water.'

'Now it’s time to put the Moth sailing to the side for bit and focus on sailing my Laser. But I’ll be back on the Moth soon- it’s nice to be able to switch up my routine once in a while. The Moth class has great potential to give our sport some new excitement. It will be interesting to see what’s possible as the level of talent and boats progress, and it will be fun to see what a company like Puma can bring to the class.'

Brad first joined the Puma family during the Volvo Ocean Race stopover in Boston. He, along with wife and Olympic gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe sailed the Puma Moths and served as Puma Sailing Ambassadors. Brad and Anna help coach a Puma Moth clinic, inviting local college sailors to try the Moths on Boston Harbor. Over the course of six days, the coaches introduced approximately thirty college sailors to the Moth and Puma Sailing. Brad and Anna also joined the Puma Ocean Racing crew 'il mostro' for a day of training prior to the start of Leg 6 in the Volvo Ocean Race.

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