Everybody must get stoned - International Moth Lowrider Nationals 2025 will be at Stone Sailing Club
by Dougal Henshall 30 Apr 2025 15:30 BST
16-18 May 2025
As an advert for the 'accessibility' of the Lowrider fleet, they don't get much better than this - Lowrider International Moth UK National Championship day 2 © Dougal Henshall
The Golden Era of dinghy sailing was certainly heating up in the 1960s, nowhere more so than in the International Moth fleet where boats were developing at a pace - and so were the sailors attracted to them. One could even draw a connection between the Moths and the youth led 'counterculture', but it would be Bob Dylan who got it so right when he sang, "Everybody must get stoned".
Now this would be a track that would give the BBC a fit of the vapours (ask your gran!) but in truth the song wasn't about drugs, but was a metaphor for people who, in Dylan's own words, want to do their own thing even if it means going against the tide of popular opinion - a perfect description for the Moth fleet back then.
However, the Lowrider Moths are bringing the idea of 'Everybody must get Stoned' bang up to date by hosting their National Championship on the waters of St Lawrence Bay - the posh description of Stone Sailing Club on the Blackwater Estuary - over three days in May.
After the superb Nationals that were hosted at the W&PNSA in 2024, both class and club have a lot to live up to, but Stone SC have a wonderful reputation of running great events along with an even bigger backstory of events ashore (it used to be a popular venue for the Hornets, so say no more).
Fleet-wise, since those sun-soaked days on the waters of Portland Harbour a lot has been happening inside the Lowrider scene: more boats have been found squirreled away, rebuilds have taken place, and all-new versions of old boats have been built.
As well as three days of intense sailing, there will be a lot to discuss in the dinghy park, with the prospect of a production line of high-quality Magnum 6 hulls coming on stream, some new scows and the lure of a possible trip down to Australia late in 2026. The mainstream foiling Moths will be hosting their World Championship in Perth, and the talk is that there will be an undercard event running in parallel for the lowriders.
Bringing the lowriders from around the world together will also be an important step towards 2028 when the Moths will be celebrating their centenary. Clearly, this is a 'happening' fleet that people are wanting to be a part of, not least because it might well be that the lowriders offer the best value bang for your buck to be had out afloat.
That's not to say though that the lowriders of today are all about the ultimate in non-foiling performance, as the class is also one of the broadest of churches. The boats will range from the super skinny, high-tech flyers, the Axemen and Hungry Tigers that were the final pre-foilers, through decades of development that include the iconic Magnum family to the Moths that looked like little dinghies - the Skols (and an all GRP attempt to go one design), the Shelleys and Duflos: nor should we forget the almost rectangular scows, for when the wind picks up these really hit the spot if it is fun that you're looking for.
Because there is such a wide range of capabilities and speed, going for 'first past the post' only tells a fraction of the story. Instead, the Moths are thick sliced into three sub-genres: the early boats, without wings, then you have the transitional boats that are getting narrower and now have wings, then the final minimalist hulls that take narrow beam to the extreme.
Each boat is given a PY that reflects not only the design but the set-up, as it was long recognised that a narrow hull with a heavy aluminium Needlespar mast might well have been the single most difficult of all boats to sail (the same hull rigged with a carbon mast is a whole lot easier).
This handicap-led approach worked well at the last two Nationals (Burton and Weymouth) and other lowrider events, as the fleet really does allow every dog to have its day. If the conditions are light and fluky, the older boats - with near semi-circular hull sections - are difficult to beat; the Magnums, being in the middle do well whatever the conditions, and the Hungry Tigers and Axemen fly in any breeze.
Last year Martin Harrison in his Axeman was the man to beat, taking not only Division 1 but the overall title on PY.
Behind him in the full standings would be the two Magnum 6s of Ian Marshall and Lyndon Beasley, that had spent three days joined at the hip whilst dominating Division 2, whilst just another place down behind them in fifth was the best Division 3 boat, a foreign entry: David Balkwill in what was probably the oldest boat Moth at the event, an all original Duflos.
Had the sea breeze not filled in with a vengeance on the Saturday afternoon David could well have been higher up the overall rankings as the tricky to sail Duflos was certainly rolling back the years in the light stuff.
And so on to Stone, where the ability to read the tide whilst playing the handicap game will as much a part of success as going quick (and, with these being Moths, following Elvström's advice and keeping the rig pointing to the sky).
Some nasty out of season injuries will keep some top names away, others meanwhile are following the 1970s tradition of working on the boats whilst the RO is doing the pre-race briefing.
It will just be like old times and with a bit of Dylan on the eight track, maybe we can all sing along that everyone is going to get Stoned!
Got a Moth? Come along to Stone Sailing Club, 16th-18th May