Sailing stars for Moth Worlds

From January 9 to 16, 2015 the moths are going to descend on Melbourne for the Worlds and with them will come a plethora of sailing royalty from around the globe.

These lightweight foiling flyers weigh just 26kg, fly at about one metre above the water and travel at up to 30 knots (60km/h).

Based out of the iconic Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club, the 2015 McDougall + McConaghy Moth World Championship will be sailed on the southern stretches of Melbourne’s Port Phillip bay.

There are two sailors of note who are very much looking forward to the 2015 Moth Worlds. One is indelibly linked to the class and this championship, for his name appears in the sponsors’ title role and he’s racing in it. The other is a former, two-time Foiling Moth World Champion, and both call Melbourne home.

Andrew ‘A-Mac’ McDougall is the man most responsible for taking the moths on foils into the main game; well before the AC cats sailed above the water.

“(I am) definitely keen to see if I can get that elusive world title, but the body is creaking a lot these days, so I’m realistic as well,” he said.

“A top ten finish would make me very proud. I no longer have a serious speed advantage over the fleet, as they now all have the gear that I developed, so it is far more even out there now.”

Rohan Veal won the last Moth World Championship held on Port Phillip back in 2005, which was held out of the Black Rock Yacht Club, further up the Bay.

“This was the first time we had a decent number of Moths up on foils," Veal said. "There were around 10 of us and the rest were low-riders.

"I had been at foiling since 2003 and had been practicing a lot over the summer just prior to those championships. It must have worked, for I won every race in the series, which had not been done before in the Moth."

"I do remember winning one race by 17 minutes (over another Moth legend, Simon Payne) in light winds, as I stayed up on the foils."

Veal went on to win the 2007 World Championship as well.

"The talent pool for this regatta is going to make it super competitive,” he said. “It would have to be the most competitive ever for any dinghy class – simply unreal. Just count the world titles these people have won in Moths and other classes.

"Glenn Ashby has 12 alone, plus two Olympic medals. There are easily 30 titles and 12 medals in the group and then there are America’s Cup stars like James Spithill and Tom Slingsby."

The entry reads like a dream team of sailing. There are likely to be six from Emirates Team New Zealand, the same number from Team Oracle USA and Nathan Outteridge heads up a contingent from Artemis. The great Iain Percy, who at 100kg is a true heavyweight, is also set to be out there.

"It is pretty physical, especially if you go down a lot and have to right it several times, but you keep learning and getting better," Veal said.

"Sailing a Moth is not about being graceful, because there is just no mastering these beasts. If you’re worried about looking tragic, because it will happen, then choose something else!"

McDougall has just returned from coaching Emirates Team New Zealand and is now off to Lake Macquarie to conduct a training camp for Oracle Team USA.

"The boats have become more stable through better design, but more adjustable as well," he said. "There a lot of nuances you have to know about and then how they match various condition sets.

"On-water adjustment of every control is really the norm now. It is the one area I can bring a lot to the table for these America’s Cup (AC) teams, as well as years of experience.

"This will be by far the most contested World Championship we have ever had. So many AC and Olympic sailors are on their way to Sorrento. There are a lot of young guys in the fleet and they are much more agile than us experienced chaps.

"If it is a windy series it will suit the younger generation, whereas if is lighter it will favour the veteran crowd who will have a full suite of skills with all of those nuances we have just talked about. However, it can all be offset, just by missing one foiling tack, and you could find that you've blown your regatta right there!"

"The Moth is the only successful, open development class left because it so small. It is relatively cheap to use top-level technologies, as it does not place it in the hands of the world’s billionaires.

"However, no matter how much tech you have in the boat, you wont get a win from that alone. It is all about the user-friendliness of that technology and then how you sail it," McDougall concluded.

Before all the fun and spectacle of the Worlds, there is the Victorian Moth Grand Prix on November 1 and then the Australian Championship from January 6 to 8.

For more information, to enter or see the NOR go to: www.mothworlds.org