International Moth National Championships – 26-29 January 2022
Wednesday 26 January was always going to be busy with Off The Beach (OTB) racing in the morning, Australia Day Ceremony, Jellis Craig Three Piers Race and then the Moths.
The OTB session was extended to use the last of the fading breeze and that pushed the Australia Day ceremony out. The breeze didn’t fill in until 4pm but we hit the water and snapped out two good Moth races.
Based on the forecast, Thursday was the lay-day and Friday was brought forward in anticipation of good conditions.
The fleet was sent out in foiling conditions but a storm cell in Bass Straight shut the breeze down and the boats returned ashore. After a few hours of soft conditions the severe thunderstorm warnings started popping up and continued until there was no hope of getting racing in.
Saturday was an ambitious goal of trying to do four races in the first morning session, come ashore, refuel and rest, and get some more good races in. Great effort by everyone! The Race Committee, sailors and coaches worked together and got the first session done, had a solid break ashore, and then went out and did another three quality races, while the Couta Boats sailed the demons of the tide off Portsea.
Sunday was set for an 11am warning signal, but once again, racing was delayed. On the water, it was still too patchy and unstable until it started to fill in at 3pm. The breeze stabilised and we snapped in one last good race before the Last Warning Signal time limit called an end to the regatta.
The results were:
1st: Josh Mcknight
2nd: Harry Price
3rd: Robert Greenhalgh
Conducted simultaneously was the Moth Victorian Championship which scored the Victorians in a separate series using the first races of the sailing sessions. Andrew McDougal took out the Victorian Championship, with Richard Jackson second and David Parker in third with just one point separating each of them.
Despite a reduced fleet due to restrictions around travel, the Club and the class held fast and persisted with the International Moth Australian Championships.
