Brits have Veal for dinner

...well, in one race. Adam May updates us from day four of the Moth Europeans on Portland Harbour

Another amazingly tight day of racing signified day four of the Moth Europeans.

With perfect foiling conditions of around 12 knots, the hydrofoil-equipped boats leaped out of the start and into a commanding lead. Adam May led round the first mark from Rohan Veal and Simon Payne. Veal ground May down to sneak ahead of him by the short run at the bottom of the P course. Payne got through on the run and all three boats rounded the leeward mark together. Payne got clear on the beat and moved into first with Veal and May battling for second. Veal got ahead of May down a reach, but May got him back on the run and held him off until the finish. With never more than 10 lengths between the two boats it was a great battle for two rounds.

Such was the speed of the hydrofoil boats in these conditions that they managed four laps of the P course to the conventional boat's three!

A British 1, 2 in the race was encouraging for the guys that are still learning loads about how to sail these boats!

Rohan Veal stamped his authority back on the fleet with a win in the next race though. Starting in around 10 knots of breeze the foilers got clear of the fleet early on again, with Mark Robinson leading around the top mark, from Veal, Payne, Vials and May.

Robinson had a 'flying out of the water and crash back down moment' allowing Veal to take the lead from Payne and May who was up to third after Robinson and Vials lost distance due to leaps out of the water! May made a gain on the leaders through foiling for a fraction longer up the beat, but the wind dropped to around 6 / 7 knots for the reaches, and the foilers sat in the water dragging their large foils with them, looking around to wondering when they would be caught by the conventional boats...

May got a little gust on the second reach to get foiling and get into the lead briefly. In trying to stay on foils though down the run he sailed extra distance and all three boats went round the leeward mark together. Rohan managed the 'hull down' beat best and led round the windward mark, with May second and Payne third.

Payne took May at the gybe mark and all three boats finished in close order. In the dying wind the conventional moths began to eat into the foilers lead. Mark Robinson and Graham Vials were caught by Ian Forsdyke and Martin Weatherstone who finished fourth and fifth.

Sailing these boats is superb, but the racing has been closer than any of us could have imagined.

On a personal note this is the most fun racing I've done, really close, fast, and tactical. Hydrofoil racing is the future!

Race 1 results
1st Simon Payne GBR
2nd Adam May GBR
3rd Rohan Veal AUS
4th Mark Robinson AUS
5th Graham Vails GBR


Race 2 results
1st Rohan Veal AUS
2nd Simon Payne GBR
3rd Adam May GBR
4th Ian Fosduke GBR
5th Martin Weatherstone GBR