I know we have a few sailors on here – has anybody sailed one of the Moths with foils (as just featured on Coast)? Just how difficult is it to sail one of those? 😯

There was one at Largs sailing club a few years back. Boat was amazing to watch when it worked, it’s pilot was a strong swimmer.

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It’s bloody difficult to sail one in no wind I can tell you that much!

Batshitmentally brilliant fun, but not easy to sail.

Thanks – much as I thought CFH. I’m assuming the chap sailing one on Coast (who appeared to be the designer/developer) was an incredibly, incredibly good sailor to make it look that straightforward – that or they had a lot of takes and a lot of editing!

Yes. They are very tough but quite a thrill.

You tube search will throw up some incredible videos. They are frankly bonkers.

This is my mate sailing his Moth. Unbelievable quick craft, in the right hands!

[/url]Camera Roll-61 by -N Paul Evans-[/img]

Like a lot of things in the right hands they are made to look easy to sail. I owned one for a year, eventually got it semi-foiling but overall it was a humbling experience. If I had one mid life crises purchase it was this, I had to give it a go. We had a fleet of 6 in Singapore, the world class president was coach to Singapore national team plus a few other near Olympic level sailors – they just screamed around effortlessly. When the boat is still its totally unstable, like trying to balance on a knife edge. When you get it moving it calms down for a bit but as the speed builds you have to be super agile and react to apparent wind which builds quickly and then moves forward fast. There is tons of cool photos and video of the boats, it’s an amazing class and it’s changed sailing forever. Hats off to the class for allowing the radical change to allow foils and for all those who experimented to get the boats to where they are today.

Just a comment on the photo, you have foils on the rudder and centre foil which provide the loft, they are high modulus carbon very stiff and also remarkably small – the lightness of the boat and the speed mean they provide enough lift. The wand on the bow is linked to an “elevator” on the rear of the centre foil it controls ride height when the boat is in the water it provides mac lift abut as the boat rises it changes the elevator angle to reduce lift to stop the boat literally taking of which used to happen with the early boats. The tiller usually has a twist grip which controls rudder foil angle to balance fire-aft trim. The sailor has to manage this whilst reacting to wind and all at 20+ knots. You are actaually going so fast you catch the wind up, in normal boats you look for wind coming towards you, in a moth you chase the wind. Amazing

Another note for those interested. The hull is paper thin, very easy to damage. Just getting into the boat is a project. When it’s on it’s side the rack is really quite high out of the water. You have to pull yourself up fast and pit one foot very delicately on the edge of the hulk (anywhere else and you’ll break it) then get one leg over the tramp and as the boat comes up you ha e to slide is fast and grab the mainsheet, without the main on the boat will just roll over onto of you. You actually start sailing without holding the tiller, there is no time. You have a few seconds to get sorted and grab tiller and then be ready to move from centre of boat out onto the rack, if your timing or position aren’t right it capsizes.

There are some shortcuts, with a rib you can put the boat level, get it moving with the rack over the rib hull then climb in and get mainsheet and tiller and the rib pulls away. This deals with instability when not moving. I also used to do water starts, with the help of a friend who lies on the tramp you slide in as the boat starts moving. This removes the need to do the climb above and you’ll have some speed as you get in.

My sailing club, HISC is and has been at the forefront of foiling Moths development and we currently have 52 redgd. We have world champions including Simon Payne who continue to develop and race these craft. We are holding the Moth Worlds in July and if you have a spare day, pop down.
Regarding sailing them, they’re a bit like a cross between windsurfing and Int14 in that they need momentum and sail apparent wind for the majority of the time. I have mates that have perfected the art of sailing them but have yet to perfect it to the point of winning, so it’s not as easy as Andy made out on Coast last night.
BTW I was sponsored by KA for 4 years, yay me!!
Moths aren’t cheap, £12k sees a new hull and stick and foils, then sails £1k thereabouts, of course you can get s/h where £4k will get you a 2yr old very competitive boat.

Before you take the leap, pop down to us 😀

Those things are bloody freaky when they sneak up behind you, absolutely silent & then they’re gone!

Indeed, we had some issues early on when adopting the class at HISC whereby they would not be heard, to the point of some Members asking if the Moth boys could fit bells!! 😆

Anarchy and the excellent Penalty Box Productions

[video]http://vimeo.com/78797056[/video]

^^ Ha!!

Excellent 8)