2014 Moth Worlds preview

Nathan Outteridge, Chris Draper, Simon Hiscocks, Stevie Morrison and Annelise Murphy look forward to next week's racing

The Moth World Championship gets underway out of Hayling Island Sailing Club tomorrow (Saturday) with a record-sized fleet of 137 boats entered. This includes one of the strongest and most diverse line-ups of world class sailors seen recently in the UK, with America's Cup helms and crew, Volvo Ocean Race sailors and Olympic medallists taking part, from 18 countries as far afield as Japan, New Zealand and South Africa as well as a relatively small but powerful delegation from Australia.

Sadly defending champion Bora Gulari is not competing (booo....) due to his new found commitments to Luna Rossa, however the Italian America's Cup team’s helmsman, Britain's own son, Chris Draper is. Meanwhile Artemis Racing's helmsman and past Moth World Championhip Nathan Outteridge is one of the 10 strong Aussie contingent that includes another former World Champion, Josh McKnight, Scott Babbage, who was third at last year's Worlds in Hawaii, plus UK-based former Volvo Ocean Race sailor Luke Molloy and other top contenders such as Rob Gough and Bladerider/Mach 2 designer Andrew McDougall.

Former K-Challenge America's Cup helmsman, France’s Seb Col, has also recently taken to the Moth, but admits he is still getting to grips with the boat, campaigning with the help of sponsorship from Gurit. Also competing from France is winner of the last Mini Transat, Benoit Marie.

Col, was one of several at the World who used Foiling Week on Lake Garda to help get up to speed: "I now know it was a good decision going to Lake Garda and taking part to the Italian Moth Nationals: this was all about sailing, testing different configurations and tuning of the boat, generating more experience by spending hours on the race course, finding out about the right speeds upwind and downwind, and above all learning from the best. I made some great starts, but need to work on the speed to reach the same level as the other sailors who have been sailing those incredible flying machines for a while. I have observed them a lot, and also improved a lot obviously thanks to that during the past week. But I know I need to continue to work, it's no secret. I also need to work on my foils and their profiling; everybody does, this is key besides spending hours on the water.

"Now I recovered and I'm ready to go again, starting with some training today. My ideal target would be to finish the Worlds in the first half of the general ranking and to be the first French."

By far the largest national representation is of course from the UK with 75 boats, including some extremely strong entries. Long term foiling Mother campaign and sailmaker Mike Lennon, who regularly sails out of HISC, will be among the favourites having won yesterday's Nationals.

In the marginal foiling conditions yesterday there was some banter on the race course between Chris Draper and his former crew Simon Hiscocks, with whom he won 49er bronze in Athens, Draper able to foil while the larger Hiscocks was 'less' able to.

Three time Volvo Ocean Race sailor and former International 14 World Champion and JJ Giltinan Trophy winner Rob Greenhalgh has mounted a serious campaign for the Worlds, as has Beijing Laser gold medallist Paul Goodison (at work below). Other British Olympic sailors taking part include plus Chris Grube, Dylan Fletcher and Stevie Morrison.

Among the British line up are some 'old campaigners' such as Geoff Carveth and Ian Southworth.

Other Brits expected to do well are former National and European champion Chris Rashley, fellow coach Ben Paton, Ricky Tagg and another former Nationals winner, Jason Belben.

Ireland has five entries including its 49er sailors plus Laser Radial sailor Annalise Murphy, who came so close to podiuming at London 2012. She is joined by a fellow London 2012 Laser Radial sailor Wakako Tabata. Tabata is one of three Japanese sailors competing, including Kohei Kajimoto, who performed well at the Aussie Nationals earlier this year.

Among the Italian entry is Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup veteran Stefano Rizzi.

Switzerland has some strong competitors including RealTeam's Extreme 40 helm Arnaud Psarofaghis and Chris Rast, while the disappointingly small US turn-out includes former Laser Olympian (and now Mr Bryony Shaw), Brad Funk.

Racing sets sail tomorrow with the giant fleet split into yellow and blue fleets.

The Qualifying series will take place over Saturday until Monday with three races each day. Tuesday (22nd July) is a reserve day with the Final Series taking place over Wednesday until Friday, again with three races each day.

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