Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik - Made for Water

Be brave and send it!

by Mark Jardine for IMCAUK 17 Jun 2023 22:30 PDT 12-18 June 2023

We spoke to the talented group of female sailors competing at the 2023 Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth Worlds: Bermuda's Emily Nagel, Germany's Lisa Schweigert and Franzi Mäge, Great Britain's Josie Gliddon, Hattie Rogers and Bella Fellows and the USA's Helena Scutt.

They talked about their sailing backgrounds and route into the Moth, as well as ways you can get involved in the class.

Making your first move into the class can seem daunting, but they explain how Moth foiling camps work, and why now could be the best time ever to try one out and get involved. There are also some superb boats now available on the second-hand market at more accessible prices.

One of the most interesting sections of the discussion was on the mindset that is instilled into girls from an early age of having to 'be careful'. Breaking down this mindset and sailing a Moth is all about going for it, being brave and sending it. Things will break along the way on your journey to the full foiling fun that Moth sailing is.

The Moth class highlights skills on the water, regardless of gender, so they compete as equals with everyone on the race course. This is a must-watch discussion, highlighting important issues and explaining how sailing in the Moth class could be more achievable than you think.

There was no racing again on Saturday at the 2023 Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth World Championship. Sunday is the final day, and we're hoping we can get a bit more racing in.

Full results so far can be found here.

Related Articles

Inaugural X-Yachts Spanish Gold Cup
Palma provides the X-Factor for a fantastic event I've attended a couple of X-Yachts Gold Cups in Denmark, one in Aarhus and one in Haderslev, which has been the obvious location for the Danish boatyard to host events, but the yachts, and their sailors, have naturally ventured further afield. Posted on 17 Jun
Honoring the great Charlie Dalin
Honoring the great Charlie Dalin, Tasars, OK Dinghies, Musto Skiff, TP52, Bermuda Race I never had the chance to meet or interview the great Charlie Dalin, who passed away last Thursday at the age of 42, but his sailing career is the stuff of absolute legend. Posted on 16 Jun
Michaella McCloskey on SailGP's F50 licenses
A Q&A with Michaella McCloskey about SailGP's F50 licenses and demerit system SailGP offers some of the world's highest-performance on-the-water racing. Factor in more teams and the short racecourses and tight starting lines that the league has long used, and the objective risks are hard to ignore. Posted on 16 Jun
The Kings of the Lowriders
Well before SailGP, there was Grand Prix 18-Foot Skiff Sailing, so what links the two? Rob Brown OAM reached out to me but a few weeks ago. Dangerous thing that, for it got me to thinking. As I pondered this, and reviewed that, I reached out to another great pal in Bill Macartney, to assess what I had been pondering. Posted on 16 Jun
At the mercy of the elements?
Forecast fear, broadcast windows, and even mountains Possibly more than any other sport, sailing demands the right conditions to take place, specifically with the wind. Both too much and too little cause their own issues, but there are more factors at play... Posted on 10 Jun
A distinct injustice?
When is a RIB not RIB, nor dayboat, nor adventure craft? When it is an ADV from Highfield... You know, you would have to think so… Yes, they are dayboats. They're also adventure craft, which is why Highfield calls them the ADV7 and ADV9. Problem is, Highfield themselves call them RIBs, and as best as I can tell, they're actually not. Posted on 9 Jun
Jesse Wiegel on the 2026 R2AK
A Q&A with Jesse Wiegel about the 2026 R2AK Some sailboat races test starting-line acumen, boathandling skills, and tactics and strategy, while others are aimed at testing each teams' aptitude for adventure. The Race to Alaska falls in the latter category. Posted on 9 Jun
The New York Sail Grand Prix Start Collision
Video Analysis and Reaction On Sunday at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix there was a collision involving three teams in the final seconds before the Race 3 start. Posted on 2 Jun
SailGP, J/70s, Women's 2v2 Team Race
SailGP visits NYC, J/70 Corinthian Worlds, Women's 2v2 Team Race SailGP's foiling circus arrived in the Big Apple last weekend for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix (May 30-31), which was the only SailGP stopover that's set to unfurl on American waters this season. Posted on 2 Jun
The tech curve…
It just marches on. Slide rule and Hewlett Packard be damned, these vessels are a tour de force It just marches on. The latest launchings for solo/crewed, mono/multi masterpieces are a tour de force when it comes to material science, electronics, engineering, physics, especially hydro and aerodynamics. Slide rule and Hewlett Packard be damned. Posted on 2 Jun
Zhik - Made for Water