Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 at the WPNSA Overall

While we all hoped that the wind on Friday was going to be a solid 15 knots, and all the forecasts suggested as much, Easterly winds on the south coast of the UK are notoriously unreliable.

After Thursday's jam-packed schedule of eight races, only three were possible on the final day of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship which, due to the racing being held in flights, meant that the final race for Yellow Fleet in the morning had to be scrubbed from the results to make sure everyone had done the same number of races.

Jacob Pye, the young Kiwi from Manly Sailing Club, managed to hold off the charge from Tom Burton and seal the event win by a single point, thanks to a second placed finish in Yellow Fleet race 5. While Burton won Blue Fleet's only race of the day, and won three races in total, it wasn't quite enough to overhaul Pye.

"I came here not expecting much, and to win this pre-Worlds regatta is a huge confidence booster," said Jacob after racing. "I really have to put it down to the group of guys I sail with; we're all putting in and we're all making each other go faster. We all had a good chance of winning or doing really well, and we've all come out pretty good."

Jacob Pye wins the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

One of the difficulties for the youth squad from Manly Sailing Club is lack of experience in big fleet racing, but the group is well supported as Jacob explains:

"We're really, really lucky because we've got a good mate of ours here, Alex Mitchell-Barker, and he's helping us out with keeping all the boats under control and making sure that all of our ropes and bolts and blocks are well maintained. He's a rigger so he knows what he's doing. He's looking out for all those little things.

"I also really have to thank Russell Coutts, who's brought us here, and has put in all this time, money and effort to help us get to where we are now. I put a lot of my result and my performance down to his coaching and help."

Jacob Pye, NZL 4841, on Day 1 of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

The afternoon racing for Blue Fleet was held in a faltering breeze, which made life difficult for the sailors and became a headache for the race management team.

Local sailor David Hivey, who finished seventh overall, filled us in with what was vital in these conditions:

"I think the most important thing in the Moth is just staying foiling, even if you're late for the start. I tried - on the start line - to get up as much as I could, but I was a bit too aggressive and ended up dropping off the foils; if I had started a minute late, I'd have probably been three minutes ahead of where I was by the time I got to the top mark. Basically, staying foiling is everything in that stuff.

"Today it was about starting late, at the starboard end and tacking immediately, getting over to the right-hand side where the pressure was, tacking your way up the right-hand side, trying not to drop off the foils again. Then round the windward mark and gybing immediately, heading straight out to that breeze."

David Hivey, GBR 4968, on Day 1 of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

As to what the experience is like when you do go into a light patch and drop off the foils, David explained what goes through your mind...

"It feels horrific! There's nothing you can do about it. And you've probably got to lowride, and you think that carrying on might see the wind get a little better, but it never does, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. I made that mistake yesterday - not to the point of dropping off - but went out too far; I just got pinned too far left all the time. I thought I was doing well... then tacked back and I wasn't winning, I was in tenth."

David has a lot of boatspeed at the moment, so I asked him if this gave him confidence going into the Worlds:

"Yes and no! I'm pretty happy with my speed. Certainly upwind I'm going pretty quick, but errors that I really shouldn't be making, I'm making too many times, both yesterday and today. But I'm still enjoying it - flying around in these things is amazing! Competing against these guys is unbelievable for an overweight physics teacher, so I love it!"

On the young New Zealand squad, David added:

"The Kiwis are sailing unbelievably well. I think they all live in Coutts' house, and they train pretty much every single day, but they absolutely love it. I've never seen anyone hike so hard in a Moth in my life! Jacob is impressive to watch. It's really impressive in the way they sail."

Kyle Stoneham, who has often put so much into organising Moth events, has been enjoying just competing this year, and finished ninth overall. He updated us on his sailing over the two days:

"Boatspeed has been getting me out of trouble actually. The starting has been a little bit difficult, especially yesterday. I'm not quite used to how the fleet approaches the start. It's been a while since I've really raced with more than ten or twelve boats. Luckily, those ten or twelve boats are very good that we sail with down here, the Portland Moth squad, so you have to be fast to even have a chance. I've managed to get my Exploder together and peak around about the right time... for a change."

Kyle Stoneham (GBR 5010) on Day 2 of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

On the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship, Kyle said:

"This event has been incredibly useful; it's an opportunity to get some of the basic mistakes out of the way, and to realise that you can get quite cold out there, even when it feels warm on shore. I've learned not to underestimate the wind shadow of the fleet, how easily it can bunch up and you just get locked up. So, I definitely will take a lot of what we've done in the last few days forward to the Worlds and, hopefully, not make the same mistakes again."

On the Antipodean sailors at the top of the event Kyle added:

"We've had some good training with them. They're doing all the basic things very well, which sounds obvious, but you must realise when you don't do the basics well, how much you are on the back foot. They're getting off the start line well, making their first tacks, second tacks, going the right way.... and they've got some pace as well."

Josie Gliddon and Emily Nagel on Day 3 of the 2022 Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Class Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

Bermudian sailor Emily Nagel has been sailing Moths for a number of years, and explained that while she is looking forward to the World Championship, and the battle for the ladies title will be intense, it's not her primary focus:

"It's going to be a brilliant fight for the Ladies trophy, but to be honest, I don't think any of us are that focussed on that title. The thing I love personally about the Moth fleet is that we are racing everyone - against the guys. I have a really good training squad here in Weymouth, and I'm just as keen to beat all of those boys as I am to compete for the Ladies title. There's some really good women here to race against, but that's not the focus for me."

On sailing Moths, and getting more female competitors in the fleet Emily added:

"Just get out there and try it! I know there are a lot of women who are put off by the fact that it is a weight-dependant class. It does help being heavier. If you are sub-70 kilos you have to hike a lot harder, but it's some of the best racing I've ever done. Regardless of whether you're at the front of the fleet, or mid-fleet, it's competitive all-round. You don't have to break the bank to be involved in racing. It's really good fun.

Emily Nagel, BER 4805, on Day 1 of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth UK Open Championship 2023 - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

"There are Exocets and plenty of Rockets on the market, and Mach2s that have been done up a bit. From £10k to £15k you can actually get a pretty decent boat out there, which makes it almost more affordable than a WASZP.

"The feeling of sailing a Moth is the reason I'm here every week. I'm just addicted to it! It's so much fun, and you don't really get fleets this big in anything else."

Emily Nagel on Day 3 of the 2022 Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Class Nationals at the WPNSA - photo © Mark Jardine / IMCA UK

This pretty much sums up why so many sailors are attracted to the Moth class, and why the Worlds will be such a huge event for everyone. At the end of next week there will be winners crowned, trophies presented, and those in the top ten will proudly present their single-digit sail number until the next Worlds, but every single one of the sailors will have that 'Moth smile'.

Overall Results: (+3 indicates tally penalty. Age shows zero for boats built in 2023.)