Please select your home edition
Edition

Noble Allen 2018 International Moth UK Championship at Thorpe Bay - Day 1

by Mark Jardine 11 Jul 2018 18:55 UTC 11-14 July 2018

A day of snakes and ladders... but mostly snakes

Wednesday was hard going for the 36-strong UK Moth Nationals fleet in Thorpe Bay. A very shifty and patchy wind from the North, combined with pockets of weed strewn across the race course, made staying on the foils difficult to say the least.

The first race set the tone for the day, with Mike Lennon leading around the top mark, extending to nearly a leg ahead when approaching the leeward mark of the second lap, only to drop off the foils and watch his advantage evaporate.

Another top sailor who was caught out on multiple occasions was Simon Hiscocks, who commented, "It was tricky as the wind was pretty unstable and added to the wind was a lot of weed, to give an extra dimension to the randomness of the day. It was challenging!

"I found my way from the front to the pack on several occasions, but there were some people putting consistent results in like Jason Belben, Jim McMillan and David Kenefick."

When asked what it was that was making the difference and how the leaders were missing the weed, Simon replied, "Luck!" with a laugh.

Consistency was the key, and Jason Belben was the one to make the best of the conditions and the day, notching up a 2,3,1 score-line, where only five sailors managed three top ten results. Jason commented, "I was sailing for the pressure all the time, trying to keep my head in the right place. It was up and down like snakes and ladders, so when the wind was down you just had to try and keep going and hope it came good for you at the end, which most of the time it seemed to today. There was also a bit of luck involved I would have thought.

"I was changing controls all the time, trying to keep the power on. When it went light, and I came off the foils, I was then just searching for the next bit of breeze to get up and going again."

On the psychology involved when huge leads are gained and lost inside a leg Jason said, "You've just got to put it out of your mind and keep going as anything can happen. It was very stressful, so I think I need a lie down now to be honest!"

"It's definitely an event where the consistency will count. I think Dave (Kenefick) did particularly well as he's quite a big guy, whereas I'm quite small so good in these conditions anyway."

Some big names struggled in the conditions, including last year's runner-up David Hivey who seemed to find every patch of weed on the race course, purposefully capsizing nine times on a single run to clear his foils.

A weary bunch of Moth sailors are now enjoying the hospitality of Thorpe Bay Yacht Club, watching the tennis as a warm-up for the England vs. Croatia football semi-final.

The forecast for Thursday is promising with sunshine and a good chance of a sea breeze.

A huge thank you to the sponsors of the event – title sponsors Allen Sailing and Noble Marine as well as WetsuitOutlet.co.uk, Maguire Boats and ShockSailing.com who have provided support for the daily pasta and beer for sailors coming off the water.

Results after Day 1:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3Pts
14509Jason Belben2316
24533Jim McMillan41510
34148Dave Kenefick19212
44409Ross Harvey82414
54525Ben Clegg57315
64501Dan Ellis115622
74584Mike Lennon3111024
84386Simon Hiscocks134825
94149Eddie Bridle1212933
104136Ed Redfearn6141434
113980Alex Adams16101137
124534Jason Russell1881743
134544Mathew Lea10211344
144492Nic Streatfeild7182045
154541Jeremy Hartley14161545
164442Kyle Stoneham21151248
178Dan Ward96DNC52
1843Alistair Kissane15132957
194542David Hivey17172862
204208Tom Lambert24201862
213799Max Stelzl22251663
224101Andrew Sim27191965
234139Neil O'Toole20232366
244104George Boussoulas23222469
254328Alex Ringstadt25282174
264484David Jassop28242274
274036Chris Clarke19273177
284548Tom OfferDNCDNC781
293169Brad Gibson29262782
303870Eddie Gatehouse31322588
314479Adrian Coatsworth32302688
323995Charlie Coulborn30313394
334096Mark DickerDNC293096
344554David Smithwhite2635DNC98
353629Thomas Mehew33333298
364241Ian Keely343434102

Related Articles

Affordable Precision: How Atto Changes the Game
Weighing just 75g and capable of measuring 250 kg working load Digitalisation has changed sailing. Technologies once reserved for Grand-Prix are permeating every level of the sport, giving sailors the ability to adopt elite racing and training practices - elevating the game across the board. Posted on 4 Nov
Entries open for Foiling Week Pensacola 2025
Bringing the excitement of cutting-edge foiling technology and thrilling watersports With four months to go, entries are now open for Foiling Week Pensacola 2025, the multi-class "World Sailing Special Event" to be held in Florida. Posted on 24 Oct
Nicolai Jacobsen is a Champion!
RHKYC member wins International Moth European Championship 2024 Huge congratulations to RHKYC member Nicolai Jacobsen on winning the 2024 Moth European Championship. Posted on 25 Sep
Moth and Switch GP at Weymouth
Difficulty with wind, but never with having fun An impressive turnout of 32 boats arrived in Portland for the final Grand Prix of the season. The pre event build up was all about the three separate fleets within this event and this proved to be a great success. Posted on 11 Sep
Moth and Switch GP at the WPNSA Preview
Set to be a special event for a number of reasons The final Moth Grand Prix of the season takes place this weekend, 7th and 8th September, hosted by the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. The weekend is set to be a special event for a number of reasons. Posted on 5 Sep
Trickle Down Technology from the America's Cup
The ultimate proving ground often shape the future of the sport The America's Cup has always been about more than just what happens on the water - it's a catalyst for technological innovation that pushes the boundaries of what's possible. Posted on 2 Sep
Big names coming to Manly for Moth Worlds
Top America's Cup crews commit to coming to Manly for Moth Worlds Iain Jensen (AUS), a two time medallist in the Moth Worlds and wing trimmer for INEOS Britannia, Phil Robertson (NZL) Sail GP skipper, and Luca Calabrese, Riley Gibbs and Ben Rosenberg all American Magic crew members are entered. Posted on 26 Aug
Lowrider Moth UK Nationals day 3
What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours When the Lowrider Moths finally hauled themselves back up the beat to the entrance of the Olympic Centre Marina, there was a full 25kt down on the harbour wall away to the east. Posted on 28 Jul
Lowrider Moth UK Nationals day 2
Tripping the light fantastic! Saturday morning saw a change to the start sequence, now it would be the Bytes who started first, followed 8 minutes later by the Moths. Once again Portland and Weymouth had delivered, with glorious sunshine and more breeze. Posted on 27 Jul
Lowrider Moth UK Nationals day 1
The new Ian Ridge Magnum 6 hull looks superb If anyone wanted to see a measure of just how far the Lowrider Moth scene has progressed since those long-ago days of a few restored barn finds, then a visit to the Weymouth and Portland NSA today would certainly have given them food for thought. Posted on 26 Jul