2016 North Sails US Moth Nationals - Brad Funk in action

by US Moth Class on 21 Mar 2016 2016 North Sails US Moth Nationals - Sunday was moving day. Brad Funk leaned on the gas and took the event win after five fantastic races. The biggest difference between yesterday and today was how tight the fleet sailed, an indicator people are getting closer to top speed upwind. It was also apparent sailors were more gutsy and aggressive on the starting line.

The breeze shifted a bit to the right and picked up from Saturday, 14-20 knots, making it more consistent. Downwind speeds depended on how much pressure was funneling down Buttonwood Sound and who set their sail controls perfectly and then stayed on the same jibe if they were ripping. Brad Funk owned it.

Closely behind Funk, Hawaii native Jonny Goldsberry took second, losing the tie-breaker to Brad. Brad's advice to Jonny today: 'tack like a ballerina, not a construction worker'. Patrick Wilson fell from first to third after an unfortunate crash at the start. He will come back hungry next event.

Each sailor progressed in their own way this week. Colin Leon, a new US Moth member, is on track for a steep learning curve. Nicknamed 'muscle dust' because of his protein powder diet, he used his strength to rocket downwind each race. All 100 pounds of Ainslie Thomson pushed her limits today as she fearlessly port tacked the fleet! Back at the beach everyone hustled to pack their race machines into 11 x 2 x 1.5' boxes over race stories and beer. It is extremely apparent how helpful fleet members are towards each other; for example, there is very little visibility when launching a moth so teamwork and communication is required just to splash the boat.