After the America's Cup, the Moth World Championship on Lake Garda is the event of the year for many sailors. More than 200 participants make the world title fights a sailing spectacle. The only small flaw of the super regatta is its timing: it takes place almost at the same time as the European Championships of the three fastest Olympic disciplines (Nacra 17, 49er, 49erFX) in Kiel. Quite a few top performers would have liked to take part in both regattas.
Nevertheless, the fleet on Lake Garda is peppered with stars: America's Cup winner Peter Burling is at the start, as is his permanent rival and Artemis helmsman Nathan Outteridge. Both have already won world championship titles in the "flying" Moth. BMW Oracle Racing's tactician Tom Slingsby (Australia) finished second behind British Laser Olympic champion and defending champion Paul Goodison in Thursday's qualifying, which was shortened due to light winds. With Robert Greenhalgh (Great Britain) and the Australian 49er Olympic champion Iain Jensen, two other "heavyweights" of the Moth class were in third and fourth place after the four qualifying races. High-flyer Peter Burling initially had to settle for 15th place, with Outteridge in 35th place.
Aerial shots of the moths at their world championship on Lake Garda
The best German sailors after four races were Fabian Gielen from Lindauer Segel-Club (36th) ahead of Jacob Clasen (RVE, 68th) and Andreas John (Blankeneser Segel-Club) in 74th place. Gielen and Clasen had previously been tipped as the best German Moth helmsmen by Laser vice world champion Philipp Buhl, who was right on the first two days of racing. The Olympic sailor himself is competing in a Moth regatta for the first time and has chosen this field for it. With 93rd place, the Sonthofener from the Alpsee Immenstadt Sailing Club was able to place in the top half of the fleet straight away. However, because he received some material too late and had to struggle technically, "I have only now reached the level after four races that I actually wanted before the World Championships". The newly defined goal is a top ten placing in the silver fleet. Together, the German Laser group wants to soak up as much knowledge as possible at the World Championships and pass it on at home. "Tom Slingsby says that Moth sailing is definitely a good investment in the future of foiling," says Buhl, who "really enjoys handling the little speedsters". And this despite the fact that "I must have been hammered backwards onto the surface of the water a dozen times today in 25 knots".
How quickly it can catapult a sailor out of the motto...
A glance at the list of results reveals the attraction of this technically orientated class with its various foils, and not just for the young "foiling generation". Star boat ace and Oracle coach Philipp Presti is also taking part, as is America's Cup helmsman Seb Col from France. The World Championship ends on 30 June with the final races and the award ceremony. If you want to experience the Moth spectacle in Germany, the Immac Moth German Open on Lake Wittensee from 18 to 20 August is the place to be.
The duel scene between Laser Olympic champion Goodison and 49er Olympic champion Outteridge shows how important boat speed and the right foils are for success in the Moth class
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
