2026 Australian International Moth Open National Championships at McCrae Yacht Club - Overall
by Shane Baker 10 Jan 14:11 GMT
5-10 January 2026
The final days of the 2026 Australian Moth Open Championships were dominated by extreme and thoroughly testing conditions, ultimately forcing the abandonment of racing and delivering a regatta conclusion firmly dictated by Mother Nature — who, it must be said, was in a particularly uncompromising mood.
Racing scheduled for the previous day had already been postponed following a gale-force warning, with temperatures climbing to a sizzling 43 degreesC and a lingering smoke haze drifting across Port Phillip Bay from nearby bushfires. Despite what appeared to be a pleasant NE breeze of around 15 knots, competitors were grounded onshore due to safety restrictions. Boats stayed parked, sailors stayed hydrated, and sunscreen stocks reached critical levels.
A two-hour onshore postponement followed, during which sailors waited patiently (some more patiently than others) while the canteen did a roaring trade. The question on everyone's lips remained: will they race?
The boats waited. The sailors waited. The coffees kept flowing.
As the sun dipped low, the sky lit up in a spectacular red glow — "Red sky at night, shepherd's delight" — a hopeful omen that, sadly, turned out to be more poetic than prophetic.
Weather wins the final call
If anyone was still optimistic, the final day removed all doubt. A WNW wind peaking at 42 knots hammered McCrae Beach, paired with a 1.5-metre swell that delivered conditions far better suited to windsurfing, kitesurfing, or auditioning for a surf movie than racing Moths.
Race management made the prudent — and universally respected — decision to abandon racing entirely, putting sailor safety first. While disappointing, the call underlined the reality of competing at the very sharp edge of high-performance sailing: sometimes the smartest move is knowing when not to launch.
A celebration of the Moth Class
Despite the weather's best efforts, the regatta was a resounding celebration of the International Moth class in all its glory. From beautifully preserved boats dating back to the 1960s to modern, no-expense-spared, carbon-fibre foiling rockets, the event quite literally resembled a floating Moth museum — just with more sunscreen and fewer velvet ropes.
A standout highlight was the continued success of the Nikki class, introduced by Jim and David French. The Nikki has firmly established itself as an ideal development platform for youth sailors aspiring to progress into the senior foiling Moth fleet.
The enthusiasm of the young sailors said it all. Pro foilers Jack Ferguson and Sam Street spent over 90 minutes engaging with the Nikki sailors, sharing insights into performance, foiling mechanics, and how the skills learned through sailing (and a bit of applied physics) translate into broader sporting — and life — pursuits. Equal parts inspiration, education, and future world championship planning.
Presentation and results
The late-afternoon presentation delivered plenty of entertainment and camaraderie, capped off with an impressive collection of high-quality and historic trophies celebrating both performance and tradition — and mercifully held in conditions that did not require survival gear.
Final Placings
Foilers
- Jack Ferguson
- Scott Babbage
- Sam Street
Low Riders
- Nigel Ferguson
- Brian Walker
- Ian Claize
More detailed lowrider positions are in the results link.
Nikki Class
- Finley Gleeson
- Josh Bacon
- Liam Dixon
- Bibi Stigter
A Huge Thank You
A massive shout-out to McCrae Yacht Club, IMCA, race management, rescue boat crews, and the many volunteers who contributed their time, energy, and expertise — you all absolutely rock (even when the wind does its best to relocate the rocks).
Special thanks to Katrina and her catering team, who kept sailors and their entourages exceptionally well fed with breakfasts, lunches, and those outstanding dinners — fuelling both performance and post-race storytelling.
And of course, thank you to all competitors who travelled from far and wide to be part of this championship. Your commitment, resilience, and good humour (mostly) were a credit to the class.
Finally, heartfelt thanks to Mark, Roellen, Scott, Simon, Dave, and Phil for orchestrating the entire event. Your energy, dedication, and passion were evident throughout — even when the forecast clearly hadn't read the Notice of Race.
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