Comments on: A word from our new UK president http://www.internationalmoth.co.uk/moth-news/a-word-from-our-new-uk-president/ Formula 1 on water Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:17:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Colin Newman http://www.internationalmoth.co.uk/moth-news/a-word-from-our-new-uk-president/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Colin Newman Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:58:18 +0000 http://www.internationalmoth.co.uk/?p=621#comment-203 It is great to see how the arrival of hydrofoils has so rejuvenated the class. Long gone are the days in 2002 when I arrived at the RYA Dinghy Show to discover the Fixtures Secretary had changed class and nothing had been booked for the year ahead. Having recently retired, I was prevailed upon as someone with the time to rescue the situation. So I set about getting a circuit organised and at the last moment Saundersfoot Sailing Club stepped in to host the Nationals for us. Just 19 competitors attended. Some were writing the class off as moribund. Happily, Rohan Veal brought the first hydrofoil Moth to sail in the Worlds in France in 2003 amid considerable controversy about the development, particularly back in his home country Australia. We have all passed a lot of water under the bridge since then! Look at the class now, up and flying in big numbers and looking to the future with the confidence reflected in Mike's comments above. Over the years I have sailed at about 70 venues in the UK and another 10 or so abroad. I have to agree with Mike, Portland Harbour is the best location for a Moth event anywhere in the UK. Other venues I have sailed at like Pwllheli which was to be the venue for the sailing had Manchester won its bid to host the Olympic Games some years ago, ticks most of the boxes. You launch from a wide sandy beach into a lagoon, then sail out into the open water. The downside, as with Abersoch further down the same coast is that in a blow you can get some very difficult, short, steep waves. Other places like we saw in Saundersfoot can be difficult for launching from an exposed beach. I have not sailed at Restronguet but it sounds great. The Fireballs are holding their Nationals there this year. The travelling distance to deepest Cornwall and some of the excellent and most welcoming venues in Scotland do however mitigate against a big turn out. Portland Harbour does indeed tick all the boxes. My first Moth Nationals (and first Nationals in any boat) was in 1992 at Saundersfoot when 45 competitors attended (Jason Belbin finished third) so the class is almost back to its heyday in terms of numbers. Pick a popular venue and the class could easily make the 50+ Club, possibly for the first time? Colin Newman It is great to see how the arrival of hydrofoils has so rejuvenated the class. Long gone are the days in 2002 when I arrived at the RYA Dinghy Show to discover the Fixtures Secretary had changed class and nothing had been booked for the year ahead. Having recently retired, I was prevailed upon as someone with the time to rescue the situation. So I set about getting a circuit organised and at the last moment Saundersfoot Sailing Club stepped in to host the Nationals for us. Just 19 competitors attended. Some were writing the class off as moribund. Happily, Rohan Veal brought the first hydrofoil Moth to sail in the Worlds in France in 2003 amid considerable controversy about the development, particularly back in his home country Australia. We have all passed a lot of water under the bridge since then! Look at the class now, up and flying in big numbers and looking to the future with the confidence reflected in Mike’s comments above.

Over the years I have sailed at about 70 venues in the UK and another 10 or so abroad. I have to agree with Mike, Portland Harbour is the best location for a Moth event anywhere in the UK. Other venues I have sailed at like Pwllheli which was to be the venue for the sailing had Manchester won its bid to host the Olympic Games some years ago, ticks most of the boxes. You launch from a wide sandy beach into a lagoon, then sail out into the open water. The downside, as with Abersoch further down the same coast is that in a blow you can get some very difficult, short, steep waves. Other places like we saw in Saundersfoot can be difficult for launching from an exposed beach. I have not sailed at Restronguet but it sounds great. The Fireballs are holding their Nationals there this year. The travelling distance to deepest Cornwall and some of the excellent and most welcoming venues in Scotland do however mitigate against a big turn out. Portland Harbour does indeed tick all the boxes. My first Moth Nationals (and first Nationals in any boat) was in 1992 at Saundersfoot when 45 competitors attended (Jason Belbin finished third) so the class is almost back to its heyday in terms of numbers. Pick a popular venue and the class could easily make the 50+ Club, possibly for the first time?

Colin Newman

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