International Moth UK National Championships at Hayling Island - Overall

Day 2 of the International Moth UK National Championships © Tom Gruitt / yachtsandyachting.com

Day 2 of the International Moth UK National Championships © Tom Gruitt / yachtsandyachting.com

The aim yesterday was to get three races in for the yellow and blue fleets. As it was, the PRO did a great job to manage 2 in the fluctuating breeze. The aim today was to make up for the lost race and then complete three more... sadly the breeze had other ideas.

The tide was ripping past Hayling Island Sailing Club and just getting to the start area was a slog. Some helms chose to just lift their boats and walk along the beach rather than battle the tide. As it was, at the 11am scheduled start time, there was only around 3 knots of breeze so the postponement flag was hoisted.

When the breeze did finally fill after midday, it was puffy 7-8 knots leading to marginal planing conditions. A good tack could lead to huge gains whilst a bad tack on the final approach was painful to say the least. Once again, the top sailors seemed to stay on the foils longer and nail more manoeuvres.

Yellow course finished as usual at the finish line but the blue fleet had a shortened course due to the dropping wind.

Mike Lennon in the Yellow fleet put in another solid performance with a first placing him top of the leader board, two points ahead of Scott Babbage who had a second. The Blue fleet was won by Christopher Rast which after a 15th and a DNC yesterday showed a marked improvement.

After a short deliberation, the AP over A appeared and everyone slowly went home.

The International Moth class is hugely grateful to the companies that are helping make this championship possible; Magic Marine, LV, Lennon Sails, CST Composites, Ronstan and Blueteq.

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The World Championships take place between 19-25 July.

Quotes:

Jason Belben: "Well the race today was pretty hard work - not physically, but mentally really because I was just trying to stay on the foils all the time because the pressure was so light.

"I came off the start line on the foils having circled one minute before on the foil. Unfortunately I hit some weed so came off the foil just after the start which was frustrating but managed to get back up again and round about 5th at the windward mark. I pretty much kept that position until the last beat when most people came off the foils when it became particularly light. Luckily I managed to pop it (get back foiling) just as I rounded the windward mark so I was one of the only ones apart from Mike (Lennon) who foiled downwind so I overtook them all on the last run but it was very hard work just keeping foiling all the time."

Scott Babbage: "It was definitely a marginal foiling day, so staying up was the top priority. A lot of boats started flying from the pin on port rather than risk the congested takeoff on starboard. However, the left hand side had more wind, so the port-tackers were not the first around the top mark.

"Staying left of the pack on the next downwind and upwind put me into the lead, which I unfortunately lost just before the line... a touchdown during a gybe cost me 100 metres or so and that was it."

Day 2 of the International Moth UK National Championships - photo © Tom Gruitt / yachtsandyachting.com

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Day 2 of the International Moth UK National Championships - photo © Tom Gruitt / yachtsandyachting.com