The Wetsuit Outlet UK Moth Nationals at the WPNSA - Day 4
by Mark Jardine / IMCA UK 10 Sep 18:00 BST
5-11 September 2020
The forecast for Thursday was always a bit sketchy, with a North Easterly swinging round to North Westerly and a very light period during the scheduled race time. A couple of postponements led to the inevitable abandonment for the day.
When not on the water, Moth sailors take to boat bimbling, and they're always up to something. It's easy to see the big changes, such as the deck-sweeping sails, diminishing hull sizes and smaller foils, but there are a host of little changes going on which are less easy to spot.
Here are a few of the smaller innovations we found in the boat park...
Tacking Wands
James Sainsbury needs no introduction to those who follow the homebuild Moth scene, and has regularly blogged about Valkyrie's construction and alterations.
His latest modification is a tacking wand, which allows the wand to drop either side of the hull. Why is this important you ask?
"What this does is ensure that the spray off the wand isn't going on to the foils, keeping the wand at the leeward side. When we're risking it a bit and foiling a bit higher, it reduces the risk of the foils ventilating."
Gearing Springs
Moving back from the wand, the ride height is controlled by the flap on the back of the main foil. This connects at deck level via a gearing arm.
With the introduction of deck-sweeper mainsails, the mechanism was catching on the sail, meaning a lower profile solution was needed. Simon Hiscocks of Shock Sailing shows how this can be solved with a simple stainless-steel spring.
Interchangeable foil tips
We documented Brad Gibson's modernisation of a Bladerider Moth a couple of years ago, and the model yachting guru hasn't stopped there. His latest plan is having interchangeable tips on his foils, so that separate sets of foils for light and strong winds aren't needed, and it will be possible to switch while on the water.
"I've made some some carbon wing tips on my old Rocket main foil, held in place with a pair of grub screws and they simply slot in. My idea is that I've cut the foil length down to the same size as everybody's small foil, and then I can add in the wing tips for lighter winds. It needs a clarification in the class rules, but my thoughts are it could save on costs and hassle as you could just tip the boat over and jam in the wing tips when needed. The way the rules are at the moment you need to come back to the shore and change your complete fin. It'll probably take someone smarter than me to make it work, but I'm sure it can be done."
The wind is looking good for Friday, so Race Officer David Campbell-James has brought forward the start time to 10am and scheduled up to four races for the final day. It's looking like a superb conclusion to a great event.
IMCA UK would like to say a massive thank-you to the event sponsors, who have been so good to the Moth class, especially during these times.
- Wetsuit Outlet - title sponsor for the second year in a row, they are experiencing a record year partly due to the huge amount of stock they hold on-site ready for next day delivery.
- Noble Marine - continued support has allowed IMCA to subsidise entry fees for this year's championship, the support we receive is directly linked to the policies they provide Moth sailors with a discount for class members.
- Blueteq - as well as hosting the online entry system, they are sponsoring an evening meal during the event.
- Allen - over the past few seasons have become the preferred manufacturer for many high load applications, they have their finger on the pulse with the Moth and continue to support our nationals for the third successive year.
- Maguire Boats - Simon and the team will be on site for the whole week providing support for their four-time World Championship winning boats.
- Provela - the home of winter foiling in Mar Menor are putting on #FoilFest weekends throughout the off season, together with transport arrangements for your boat.
The class encourages Moth sailors to support our sponsors wherever possible, since they are so good at supporting us.
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