International Moth 11th Hour Cup at Newport - Preview

The ideal Moth racer is part rubber, part steel, and all muscle, as Tommy Loughborough shows off in 11th Hour Cup racing © Meredith Block / US Moth Class

It's been a busy and exciting week at the Volvo Ocean Race Newport Stopover and sparks will fly when the US Moth Class heads out to race on the waters surrounding the Race Village at Fort Adams State Park for the 11th Hour Cup, from Friday May 15 to Sunday May 17.

An international fleet of about 15 Moth boats is expected to engage in Exhibition Races on a challenging mix of windward/leeward and slalom courses in the proximity of the Volvo Ocean Race 'stadium', where spectator crowds will have a prime viewing spot. The Moths will entertain while the Volvo Ocean Race teams prepare for the in-port race on Saturday, and bid farewell to the crowds on the start of their next leg towards Lisbon, Portugal, on Sunday May 17.

2015 marks the second edition of the 11th Hour Cup in Newport for the International Moth United States Class Association, presented by 11th Hour Racing. Matthew Knowles, Class President, commented: "A key aspect of this sponsorship is developing innovative strategies to reduce the environmental footprint of our sport. Sustainability has been an important value of the Moth Class for the past two years. By finding ways to make our sport greener, we help reinforce our message while ensuring the long-term future of sailing."

Jeremy Pochman, Co-Founder and Advisor of 11th Hour Racing, added: "We are proud to continue our successful collaboration with the Moth Class and we look forward to the combined action of the powerful ocean-going VOR 65 with the nimble International Moths. The Class is changing the approach to sailing, both literally and promoting sustainability as a feasible, successful and practical model."

For 2015, the International Moth United States Class Association has created a set of environmental guidelines for regatta organizers and sailors, outlining best practices and measuring sustainability performance targets in transportation, waste, and education.

Already the International Moth United States Class Association adopts standard practices such as prohibiting single-use plastic bottles and polystyrene on regatta venue premises, utilizing hose nozzles for boat wash-down, using non-toxic boat maintenance products, and promoting carpooling.

In order to facilitate the collaboration among competitors and event organizers, in 2015 the Class will designate an Environmental Officer at each regatta. The duties of the Environmental Officer will include: identifying local environmental regulations, coordinating environmental speakers, organizing beach clean-ups or other marine conservation activities, collecting spent batteries, managing Sustainability Plan data collection for regatta reporting, and briefing the competitors on expectations and locations of recycling facilities.

The International Moth United States Class Association will also network with boat manufactures to explore less toxic materials, create Moth "boxes" out of recycled materials and reduce packaging.

www.11thhourracing.org