The Age of Steel in the Land of Rock
by Mark Jardine 3 Sep 21:27 BST
4-7 September 2025
Steel rudder vertical © Mark Jardine
The International Moth class is never standing still. If there's a better way of doing something it will be done. Be it lighter, stronger, more aerodynamic or hydrodynamic, changes are made continually. The latest shiny thing is discussed, while the previous thing becomes old news.
This week the Moths have gathered in Torquay at the Royal Torbay Yacht Club for the UK Championship, and the discussion is all about steel. A relative few in the fleet are currently sporting the latest foils, which are made of combinations of carbon and steel, and finish with a razor sharp trailing edge. Apparently the speed advantage is devastating, but that's what the foiling Moths do. They experiment, they innovate, trial and error has led them to this point and, just when you think the class is plateauing, they get faster still.
Alex Adams has seen it all in the Moths, having started in the lowrider days, and has described the new steel and carbon foils on his Maguire Aeroset Moth:
"The lower part of both foils are made of stainless steel, as you can make it a lot smaller than you could with carbon. The rudder is a solid billet, so there's no need to paint it, whereas the mainfoil has the pushrod down the foil, and you can't just drill down it, so the steel is made with a hollow section with a carbon fairing."
Does this render all previous Moths obsolete? Not at all. At the end of the day, the boat and its foils are only the limiting factor in a very few cases at the very, very top of the sport. A Moth with 'standard' carbon foils will test and thrill the vast majority of sailors, and that is why the class continues to attract new sailors and keep many of its stalwarts.
Being around Moth sailors is fun. One minute you're chatting with Jason Belben about his Blitz Mk.3 design and how he started racing Moths in 1982, the next you're listening to Alex Adams describe what it was like being part of the record-breaking SailRocket 2 project in Namibia, and then Matthew Lea and James Sainsbury describe the finer points of a truly dedicated campaign over a beer.
The Royal Torbay Yacht Club is a relaxed clubhouse with an outstanding view, the members love having guests in the club, and the opening night barbecue will have definitely helped any sailors who were feeling underweight ahead of a breezy day.
Eddie Bridle is back to defend his title, SailGP and America's Cup star Dylan Fletcher is here, and with a host of other top sailors in the fleet competition will be fierce.
Wetsuit Outlet are back as title sponsor of the event, with Allen, Noble Marine Insurance and Optimum Time also supporting the event.
We'll be bringing you daily reports, photos and videos from the event, and taking a closer look at all that's new in the boats. With a moderate to fresh forecast and the natural amphitheatre of Tor Bay, it's going to be spectacular, and the rock is the cheapest in the West Country!