International Moth 11th Hour Cup at Sail Newport - Overall
by US Moth Class 27 May 2014 16:08 BST
24-26 May 2014
Kotoun claims inaugural event
Inspired final-day sailing by Loughbrough lands him first-ever Moth Regatta podium place
The final day of International Moth racing for the inaugural 11th Hour Cup promised sportier conditions than the previous two, but after ten races in two days, the fleet was in far better form than when they began the regatta on Saturday. Racers sailed five more races in winds of 12-16 knots, with Anthony Kotoun closing out the event the way he began it; 4 more bullets out of five races. "It's always great to win an event, but I'm way more gratified to see the newcomers improve so much," said Kotoun, who spent much of the regatta sharing setup and go-fast tips with 26 year old M.I.T. grad student Brooks Reed. "It's hard to describe how helpful these guys have been," said Reed. "It's no wonder Moth sailors love the class so much."
Kotoun's speed advantage over a less-experienced fleet was clear, though US Class President Matt Knowles kept it tight, taking his third bullet of the regatta, the only sailor to beat Kotoun. Knowles was helped by solid boat handling and an inconsistent, puffy track in the lee of Fort Adams. Continuing its reputation for progress, the 11th Hour Cup courses integrated those so successfully used by the America's Cup last summer, with a high-speed reaching leg at the start and finish of every race. "It's more fun for spectators and way more fun for the moth sailors without lots of experience," said Kotoun, who also served as the event's organizer. A reaching start makes flying much easier, helping to keep backmarkers in the mix for much longer than a classic windward start, where much of the fleet can be stuck in low-riding mode at the start while the frontrunners sail away at 15 knots, according to Kotoun.
Both Newport Beach, California's Zack Maxam and Rhode Island resident Tommy Loughborough found their form on Monday, with Maxam nearly catching Reed for fourth place despite missing much of Saturday's racing for a marriage proposal. Maxam had blazing downwind speed, and but for a few boathandling mishaps, might have taken a race or two from Kotoun. "This is the best I've felt in a while; now all I need to do is practice for a few thousand hours," he said, half-joking. Loughborough also seemed to fire on all cylinders, scoring three 2nd and two 3rd place finishes on the day, cementing his first-ever podium finish in a Moth regatta after sailing the boat for less than a year. "I can honestly say I have never had more fun on the water than I did today," said Loughborough.
Race Officer Anderson Reggio said he was excited to see the Moths handle just about everything Newport had to throw at them. "We had winds from zero to fresh, currents from zero to plenty, and waves from zero to nasty, and the fleet handled it all despite the inexperience of many of them," said Reggio. "It's great to see growth and new faces in the Class, but it's equally important to see such the premier dinghy class in the world racing here in the sailing capital of the US."
Relive all the 11th Hour Cup racing with photos, videos, and interviews on the US Moth Class Facebook Page. Photos and videos of the racing can be found in the gallery here.
Overall Results: (top five)
1st Anthony Kotoun – Newport, RI – 8pts
2nd Matt Knowles – Newport, RI – 16pts
3rd Tom Loughborough – Newport, RI – 28pts
4th Brooks Read – Cambridge, MA - 28pts
5th Zach Maxam – Costa Mesa, CA - 35pts
11th Hour Racing US Moth Class Tenet Of The Day
As one of the world's elite, high-profile racing classes, the International Moth Class takes stewardship of the waterways seriously, working hard to emphasize the responsible use of energy and resources in the context of sailing. Working with 11th Hour Racing, a program of the Schmidt Family Foundation, the US Moth Class has come up with a number of initiatives to help sailing events improve the energy profile and performance of racing boats and increase the personal investment of sailors in the health of our waters. This week, we're focused on how to educate fellow sailors and event organizers on achievable ways to make a positive impact on our local marine environment, and our daily news stories will include an essential tenet of our educational philosophy.
Today's tenet: Lead By Example
Being on the front lines of sailing and conservation carries credibility and earns respect; use those sentiments to ensure that others repeat your successes. Had great results with a Clean Regatta program? Tell your area clubs and national governing body about it. Kept every disposable bottle off your venue's premises? Blog about it. Successfully ran a year's worth of racing without a single two-stroke support boat? Share it. And the bigger your accomplishments, the more people that need to hear about it. Be the answer to the question 'why should we bother with this?' or 'can we really change things?'.