Zhik Moth World Championships 2011- 115+ Moths on Belmont Bay

by Vicki Engert on 2 Jan 2011 Zhik World Moth Championships 2010 - at the Belmont 16ft Sailing Club, part of a series of back to back regattas starting from the 28th December with the 29ers and Arrow National Championships running consecutively, and the Flying 11 Nationals.

The Moth Class Worlds were last on Lake Macquarie in 1995. That event at South Lake Macquarie ASC was a great success with about 95 entries from UK, Japan, NZ and Aust, And now they’re back…...This time on Belmont Bay

The International Moth is an eleven foot long, high performance, single handed racing dinghy. The moth is one of the few development classes left in the world and have very few design rules including no weight limit. They encourage innovation just as much as they encourage sailing skill. They are known for their wacky designs, and almost as importantly, they welcome unconventional sailors with open arms. The moth unlike any other sailing craft balances on 'hydrofoils' they rise above the surface of the water and skate across the waves at break neck speed. This year will be another jump in innovation with the US team carrying a solid wing in place of the usual fabric sail.

The phenomenal growth in the class internationally in recent years has seen an increase in countries involved in Mothing, and consequently the numbers at Belmont have exceeded expectations with 120 boats travelling from Denmark, Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, USA and Australia.

The Zhik 2011 International Moth World Championships will feature some of the World’s best sailors on their home turf. Included in the high calibre fleet will be 3-time Laser World Champion Tom Slingsby and current Moth European Champion Nathan Outteridge. Born and bred on Lake Macquarie, Outteridge will be keen to claim the Moth World Championship to add to his swag of titles. However, he will not go unchallenged, 'To some extent I feel I have home waters advantage, I’ve spent my life sailing on the lake... It’s a great place to sail. There are many people who could win the worlds... there will be a number of past world champs in the fleet and no doubt there will be a handful of other top sailors who are new to the class like Tom Slingsby. I think it will be a close fought regatta and I am really looking forward to it.'

Fellow Australian and 2008 World Champion, John Harris, will be another serious contender for the World Title. Having put aside his 18ft Skiff aspirations, Harris has put it all on the line in the quest for his second Moth World Championship. 'Whilst the competition will be tougher... the ingredients to be successful are the same – a fast and reliable boat, excellent boat-handling, sound race tactics and good physical fitness and recovery. I will be doing my best to be as strong as I can be in all of those areas!'

While they may claim home court advantage, the Australians will not have it all their own way. 2009 World Champion Bora Gulari is making the trek down under, along with reigning World Champion Simon Payne.

This regatta, will be one of the premiere events in the world of competitive sailing, and has attracted top level sailors from across the globe who will test their skills out of Belmont 16s on beautiful Lake Macquarie. The Pre Worlds will be held from fourth to 5th January with the Worlds following to 14th January.

1		Tom Anderson	AUS 3633	WSC
2		Peder Arvefors	SWE 3792	brass
3		Emma Aspington	TBA	KSSS
4		Scott Babbage	AUS 7	WSC
5		Peter Barton	TBA	Royal Lymington
6		Adam Beashel	AUS 3638	SLMASC
7		Scott  Beeby	AUS 3676	NCYC
8		Dalton Bergan	USA 5	Seattle YC
9		Lindsay Bergan	USA 3592	Seattle YC
10		Andrew Budgen	GBR 3769	WSC
11		Peter Burling	NZL 3773	Tauranga
12		Lochlin Byrne	AUS 3379	BRYC
13		James Cole	SIN 3711	Changi Sailing Club
14		Andrew Coxall	AUS 3316	St George SC
15		Ben Crocker	AUS 3777	WSC
16		Matt Crockett	AUS 3582	LMYC
17		Nicholas Dallen	AUS 3209	CYCA
18		Ned Dally	AUS 9365	Adelaide Sailing Club
19		Luka Damic	AUS 3656	St George S.C.
20		Matt Day	AUS 3610	WSC
21		Christopher Dey	AUS 3574	Abbotsford 12' Flying Squadron
22		Chris Dixon	AUS 3779	St George SC
23		Stephen Donovan	AUS 3260	St George SC
24		Leigh Dunstan	AUS 3288	Mornington Yacht Club
25		Jon Emonson	AUS 3652	Merricks Yacht Club
26		Samantha  England	AUS 3775	BYS, MYC
27		Nick Flutter	AUS 9260	Rqys
28		Brent Frankcombe	AUS 3685	Mornington
29		Fabien Froesch	SUI 3622	SNG
30		Brad Funk	USA 3
31		Bruce Gault	3089	St Geroge
32		John Genders	AUS 3580	RYCT
33		Alan Goddard	AUS 3655	Balmoral Sailing Club
34		Hiroki Goto	JPN 3707	Hayama YC
35		Rob Gough	AUS 3731	RYCT
36		Magnus Gravare	TBA	GKSS
37		Martin Gravare	SWE 3666	GKSS
38		Robert Green	AUS 3689	Darling Point Sailing Squadron
39		Bora Gulari	USA 6	Bayview Yacht Club
40		John Harris	AUS 3634	A18L, WSC
41		Richard Heritage	AUS 9277	SoPYC
42		Mark Hughes	AUS 9336	Southport Yacht Club
43		John Ilett	AUS 3841	SoPYC
44		Richard Jackson	AUS 3271	Mount Martha
45		Iain Jensen	AUS 3709	belmont 16ft skiff SC
46		Martin Johnson	TBA	Woollahra SC
47		Philip Käsermann	SUI 3729	SNG
48		Ryan Kelly	AUS 3128	Adelaide Sailing Club, Wallaroo Sailing Club,
49		Matt Knowles	USA 3596	Ida Lewis Yacht Club
50		Hiromitsu Kunimi	JPN 3706	Keio Med. Sailing Team
51		Phil Kurts	AUS 3719	Woollahra Sailing Club
52		Michael Lennon	GBR 8	Hayling Island SC
53		Simon Liddington	AUS 3767	Woollahra Sailing CLub
54		David Lister	AUS 3657	St George
55		Will Logan	AUS 3781	RYCT
56		Adam Lowry	USA 3733	St Francis Yacht Club
57		James Mackenzie	TBA	St Geroge
58		Shigemi Matsumoto	AUS 3173	St. George Sailing Club
59		John McAteer	AUS 9233	SMSC / NSC
60		Andrew McDougall	AUS 2	Black Rock YC
61		Charlie McKee	USA 3787	Coronado Yacht Club
62		Joshua Mcknight	AUS 3776	Manly 16ft skiff club
63		Bruce McLeod	AUS 3178	St. George Sailing Club
64		Euan Mcnicol	AUS 3641	Aust 18' League
65		Ben Newling	AUS 3784	WSC
66		Michael O'Shea	IRL 3771	WSC
67		Glen Oldfield	AUS 3579	South of Perth YC
68		Bill Olsen	AUS 3654	stgeorge
69		Haylee Outteridge	AUS 3315	Belmont 16ft Sailing Club
70		Nathan Outteridge	AUS 3750	Belmont 16's, RSYS, WSC
71		James Owen-Smith	AUS 3464	DBYC
72		Ben Paton	GBR 3757	Royal Lymington YC
73		Gerold Pauler	GER 3578	SLRV
74		Simon Payne	GBR 1	Hayling Island
75		Brent  PEARSON	AUS 3420	Keppel Bay Sailing Club
76		Robert  PEARSON	AUS 3520	Keppel Bay Sailing Club
77		George  Peet	USA 3615	Bayview Yacht Club
78		James Phare	GBR 3713	Queen Mary Sailing Club
79		Stuart Pollard	AUS 9360	wsc/rsys
80		Arnaud Psarofaghis	SUI 4	SNG
81		Mikis Psarofaghis	SUI 3623	SNG
82		Angus Rankin	AUS 3572	RQYS
83		Benjamin  Rankine	AUS 3772	Tinaroo Sailing Club
84		Christopher Rast	USA 3803	SWYC/RCO/TYC
85		Mark Robinson	AUS 3700	CYCA
86		Kyle Ross	TBA	McCrae YC
87		Patrick Ruf	SUI 3797	YCA
88		Jason Russell	GBR 3715	Hayling Island Sailing Club
89		Julian Salter	AUS 3232	Royal Yacht club of Tasmania
90		Rob Sangster	AUS 3738	WSC
91		Warren Sare	AUS 3783	Woollahra Sailing Club
92		Philipe Schiller	TBA
93		Jens Schoenberg	GER 3295	SCR
94		Jack Sherring	AUS 3717	Southport Yacht Club
95		Steven Sherring	AUS 3636	Southport Yacht Club
96		Andrew Sim	AUS 8851	BSC/NSC
97		Ian Sim	AUS 9256	BSC/NSC
98		Graham Simmonds	GBR 3605	Hayling Island Sailing Club
99		Lea Sitja	TBA	Woollahra Sailing Club
100		Tom  Slingsby	AUS 3786	Gosford sailing club
101		Phil Smith	AUS 3687	S.of P.Y.C.
102		Kerstin Sommer	AUS 3300	South of Perth Yacht Club
103		Colin Spence	AUS 3573	South of Perth Yacht Club
104		Emma  Spiers	AUS 3770	Woollahra Sailing Club
105		Andrew Stevenson	AUS 9332	St George
106		Phil Stevenson	AUS 3653	StGeorge SC
107		Les Thorpe	AUS 9318	BYRA
108		Joe  Turner	AUS 3639	Manly 16ft Skiff
109		Matt Vincent	NZL 3774	Auckland Sailing Club
110		Tatsuya Wakinaga	JPN 3735	Hayama Fleet
111		Clive Watts	AUS 3658	St Geo
112		Dirk Weiblen	CHN 3637	Shanghai BYC
113		Toby Whittle	AUS 3584	South Lake Maquarie A S C
114		Jeremy Wilmot	AUS 3800	Middle Harbour 16ft's, SMCMSA
115		Greg Wise	AUS 9346	Adelaide Sailing Club