Sailing stars set for Foil Town and the Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Nationals
by Mark Jardine / IMCA UK 14 Aug 2020 02:30 PDT
5-11 September 2020
Close racing on the final day of the 2019 Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Nationals at Castle Cove SC © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK
The hopes of holding the Moth Worlds in 2020 were dashed by Covid-19, but the Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Nationals, taking place 7th-11th September at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, is set to be a huge event! Five full days of racing with some of the UK's top sailors in 'Foil Town'.
Amongst the sailing superstars entered are defending champion, Olympian and past 49er World Champion Dylan Fletcher. Currently a few kilos under his Moth optimum weight, Dylan is looking to how he can depower his rig more efficiently while still hitting the amazing speeds he has in training.
The foiling Moths are going faster than ever, thanks to refinements to the deck sweeper sails and the constant evolution of sailing technique.
49er Olympic medallist, World Champion and America's Cup star Chris Draper will be another name to watch throughout the event, alongside a host of other sailing stars such as Jason Belben, Stu Bithell, Simon Hiscocks, Mike Lennon and the man who does so much organisation for the class, Kyle Stoneham.
A few international sailors are adding a bit of flavour to the event, including Brad Funk who pushed Dylan all the way at the 2019 Nationals, with the pair finishing on equal points and Dylan taking the title courtesy of a greater number of wins.
Reigning Laser World Champion Philipp Buhl is travelling from Germany and with his sailing pedigree could give Dylan and Brad a good run for their money.
Top Irish sailor David Kenefick is making his way across from Ireland and regularly finishes in the top ten in major events and will be accompanied by fellow Irish sailor Scott Flanigan. Also, Menno Berens will be making the trip across from The Netherlands.
The heart of the Moth class is made up of the weekend warriors who get up on their foils whenever they can at their local clubs, regularly seen bimbling and Dremeling in the boat park. There are the fantastic characters who add so much colour to the class and the racing.
Post-race pasta and beer will be provided for all competitors and daily coverage, including video from on and off the water, in-depth reports and plenty of photos will keep sailors and everyone 'loyal to the foil' around the world updated with all the news and insights from the event.
The entry has been capped at 100 boats so that social distancing can be maintained, with the huge WPNSA rigging area and wide slipways providing the ideal setting to host an event of this scale. With 66 entries already confirmed get your entry in quickly to avoid disappointment. It may not be the World Championship we were all hoping for, but in this crazy year it's undoubtably the UK sailing event of 2020.
Event Sponsors:
- Wetsuit Outlet - title sponsor for 2nd year in a row, they are experiencing a record year partly due to the huge amount of stock they hold on-site ready for next day delivery.
- Noble Marine - continued support has allowed IMCA to subsidise entry fees for this year's championship, the support we receive is directly linked to the policies they provide Moth sailors with a discount for class members.
- Blueteq - as well as hosting the online entry system, they are sponsoring an evening meal during the event.
- Allen - over the past few seasons have become the preferred manufacturer for many high load applications, they have their finger on the pulse with the Moth and continue to support our nationals for the 3rd successive year.
- Maguire Boats - Simon and the team will be on site for the whole week providing support for their four-time World Championship winning boats.
The class encourage Moth sailors to support our sponsors wherever possible, since they are so good at supporting us.
There are still some sponsorship opportunities available, so please get in touch with Kyle Stoneham if your company would like to be involved.
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