2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships

[Stuart Streuli]

NATHAN OUTTERIDGE (AUS) WINS 2009 INTERNATIONAL
MOTH US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Windy, shift conditions challenge sailors & boats alike

By Michelle Slade

Competitors in the 2009 International Moth US National Championship were done racing and off the water by 1:30pm today, eager to either fix or prevent further breakages after a windy, shifty seven-race series sailed at Cascade Locks, Oregon (USA), over the past two days. The Australian contingent flanked the top of the fleet, with Nathan Outterridge (AUS) taking first place, with 14 points; Bora Gulari (USA), second with 17 points; Scott Babbage (AUS) third with 25 points; Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI), fourth with 33 points; Rohan Veal (AUS), fifth with 37 points, and Rob Gough (AUS) in 6th with 40 points.

American sailors capped out the top ten with Dalton Bergen taking 7th place, 46 points; Brad Funk in 8th, 60 points; Charlie McKee took 9th, 60 points; and George Peet tenth, 69 points.

Conditions both days saw breezes in the high teens, with gusts to 24 mph, heavy cloud overhead and cold, not the typical summer Gorge conditions anticipated by the fleet. For many of the sailors the regatta was an opportunity to shake out the kinks and get mentally prepared for the 2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships, which begin on Monday at the same venue. Capsizes and carnage marked the course, and a fair number of boats retired throughout the two days to deal with equipment repairs.

Outteridge is enjoying the advantage of having recently had plenty of top competition level sailing, winning the 49er Worlds in Italy last month. “I’ve been sailing well and haven’t broken anything all week and I think that’s probably one of the main reasons I’m in the top three,” he said. “What’s been working for me is sailing tactically. I’m used to sailing in shifty winds back home in Sydney and on Lake Macquarie, and I’ve been doing a fair bit of racing lately so I’ve got my head in the game of being on the shifts and not pushing the boat too hard. Even though I had plenty of swims during the week training, I think most of my game has been concentrating on my shifts.” Outteridge is racing a Bladerider VRX, with a CST Nanospar and North V8 sail.

Not far behind, and chasing the Aussie at every opportunity, Gulari admitted to feeling a little nervous heading into this week’s regatta, which put him off his starts. “I didn’t have good starts so didn’t have a good first part of the race but settled down and got back into the fleet which felt good but I’m glad it wasn’t the Worlds,” he said. “The most challenging aspect has been having good starts. I’ve just been out of position a few times and struggling trying to deal with boat issues versus focusing on the racecourse. It feel great to shake the cobwebs off and go racing. When I’m behind somehow I forget about everything and my boat handling becomes a lot better, I have a little fire and want to get back up there.”

Gulari, racing a Mach2, thought some competitors pulled up shy in the regatta because they were worried about “keeping their kit together”. He felt lucky that while he’s been pushing his gear pretty hard, he seems to have sorted out all his boat issues and looks forward to battling on the water with Outteridge next week, “It seemed like we were going round the race track constantly with each other. He’s a great guy and it’s fun to duke it out all the way around the track and I just want to keep pressuring him!”

Outtridge predicts that next week’s outcome during the Worlds will depend largely on competitor consistency and weather. “Bora’s going fast and when he sails well he’s always in the top three,” he said. “Scott (Babbage) is doing well, he had a few breakages but in every other race he was also in the top three. Rohan Veal won a few heats, so there’s a group that can win races. Any of the Americans here can also do well, it’s just a matter of how consistently they sail, and at the end of the day I think it’ll be someone who doesn’t make mistakes who will win the Worlds. If it’s windy it’ll probably be the same people at the front but if we get a light day or if it gets really shifty like it was today, anything can happen.”

2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships start Monday August 10, 2009. For schedule, competitors, and results visit: www.mothworlds2009.org

[Stuart Streuli]

Rest Day? Moth Sailors Take Up The Velocitek Speed Challenge
& North Sail’s Dash For Cash

By Michelle Slade

Taking a break between the McLube Harken US Nationals and the CST Composite 2009 Moth World Championship which starts Monday, the Moth fleet gathered at Cascade Locks Marine Park on Saturday afternoon to wind up their flying sailing machines with racing distractions that don’t count for points.

First off was the Velocitek Speed Challenge, and Velocitek units were handed out to those who wanted to participate. Unlike the past week, the breeze on the river at the Locks was relatively light, while further east it was hitting the high 20s. Some of the fleet headed down river with units, looking for the stronger breeze.

Bora Gulari (USA) took home the $1000 cash price in the speed challenge, recording the best ten second average with 25.3 kts (and a very long sail back upwind to the club). Nathan Outteridge (AUS), and Arnaud Psarafaghis (SUI) took second equal with 24.3 kts. In 4th equal was Brad Funk (USA) and Adam May (GBR) with 24.2 kts. Fast speeds in lighter air than these guys have sailed this past week shows there’s not too much between those at the top of the fleet. As Outteridge said Friday, come the Worlds, those who make the top 3 will be those who don’t make mistakes.

Meanwhile, onshore Rohan Veal (AUS) was on the mike as MC for the event, preferring to be out on the water but doing a great job educating the crowd on Moth sailing. Some 200 locals were gathered on the shores to watch these mystical sail craft spin their magic.

The North Sail's Dash for Cash slalom knockout event kicked off around 4pm. It took a while to get the flights sorted out and the wind was playing light and fickle. But in the last hour, a breeze of around 10-12 knots kicked in and racing began. Gulari again took first, followed by Rob Gough (AUS) in second, Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) in third, Scott Babbage (AUS) fourth, and Simon Payne (GBR) in fifth.

Some 20 boats across 4 heats sailed the short (160 m) course that included 3 jibe marks. Babbage later reported, “The finishes were really tight between Gough and myself in the semi finals, and between Bora and Arnaud in the repechage. It was very tight around the whole track and quite hectic going through the jibes when the breeze was up. We saw only about 16 knots around the track, and gusty at that.” Babbage noted that the starts weren’t too flash, including his own, and crashes by Gough, Psarofaghis and Payne.

Pics below of Saturday’s happy winner, Bora Gulari, below from Sean Trew, Pacific Fog (photo credit please):
http://www.pacificfog.net/photograph...b/B-2S2171.jpg
http://www.pacificfog.net/photograph...b/B-3A6998.jpg

Competitors and organizers would like to thank volunteers and sponsors of the McLube Harken US National event. Stay tuned for daily reports starting Monday August 10, from the CST Composite 2009 Moth World Championship.

For schedule, competitors, results, and images, visit: www.mothworlds2009.org.

[Stuart Streuli]

Nathan Outtridge Tops Fleet After Day 1, 2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships

By Michelle Slade

Working the shifts was today’s mantra for Day 1 of the CST Composites Moth Worlds, sailed at Cascade Locks, Oregon. The race committee got four races off in predominantly flat water but a shifting breeze that made for tough calls throughout the day. Racing started at noon in about 12 kts, and built to 15 with gusts to 20 at the bottom mark by late afternoon.

Racing was consistently tight at the top of the fleet with the top five finishers battling it out all day. Top ten finishers: Nathan Outteridge (AUS) 8 points, Bora Gulari (USA) 12 points, Dalton Bergan (USA) 13 points, Simon Payne (GBR) 16 points, Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) 18 points, Rohan Veal (AUS) 21 points, Kevin Hall (NZL) 33 points, Rob Gough (AUS) 41 points, Andrew McDougall (AUS) 44 points, and Charlie McKee (USA) 44 points.

Today’s lighter air played well for boats, with few disabling breakages. Scott Babbage caught a DNF on Race 2, after his mast exploded as it hit the water on an unspectacular maneuver between races – reaching for his water bottle, which was unfortunate as he sailed a solid first race, and finished in the top five for both races 3 and 4.

Likewise for Gulari, who had a couple of spectacular starts, and in Race 3 had a solid one hundred yard advantage over the entire fleet coming into the first top mark rounding only to blow it as he missed a puff coming out of the mark and capsized. But boat speed has been his close ally this past week and he put the pedal down to finish 3rd in this race, almost making it past Payne who just got Gulari across the line.


FOR MORE DETAILS CHECK OUT … NOTES FROM THE BOATS

Bora Gulari (USA)
My first race I was winning pretty handily and just kind of had a brain fart at the bottom and capsized early on top of the finish line and let five boats go by. The next race I had a good one, got a second, the next race I won, and then the last race, I had a good battle with Nathan going up the first beat, I got the last few shifts, I think I had about a one hundred yard lead. I went around the weather mark and I was so anxious just to get going down the run just to get out of there, I eased my controls off, a puff hit and I literally got blown over and crashed into the offset mark – my face was up against the offset mark just as Nathan flew by yelling, “Circle, circle,” just adding salt to the wound at that point. I had to laugh. I did my turn and got back to third though. Some competitors were actually asking me if I did my circle, and I did! You can’t win a regatta on Day 1, but you can definitely lose it. I must have been about 12th at one point there, and I almost got second – getting all the way back up there was a huge accomplishment.

Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI)
It’s really nice racing. I’ve had good starts and the boat is going really great. I’ve just made some mistakes – a bad tack one time when I was having a problem trimming. I just keeping doing stupid stuff. The racing’s really tight, all the guys are going fast, you just miss one shift and three or four boats pass you, so nice competition. The conditions are hard because it’s very shifty, the puff’s seem to come from nowhere. It’s hard.

Nathan Outteridge (AUS)
I’ve just been staying in the right spots at the right time. I didn’t have a massive speed advantage, just stayed in the right spot and sailed relatively conservatively. It was really shifty as, so sometimes you had to be really risky to sail conservatively. But if you sailed too conservatively you’d get passed, so you had to have a plan and just stick to it, and if people pass you, be confident that you’ll get them back. Bora’s definitely going fast at the moment, the last two starts today were really good and he just got out of the blocks and caught a couple of good shifts and once he was in the lead he was doing a good job of staying in between us and the next mark and getting in phase. In the second race he was leading and at the top mark capsized on the spacer mark and had to take a turn so he reckons I owe him a burger or something. It’s awesome racing with this many boats at such a high level. Scott (Babbage) and I were just saying that if we could do this all the time, it would be incredible. We sail around with three boats at home, and we think that’s fun, but a fleet this size and mixing it up, it’s cool.

Simon Payne (GBR)
I’ve had a couple of good races today but the last race was frustrating. There were about six of us coming into the finish, Nathan was just in front, and it was so close and I just got into third place when the barge came past so there was a wind shadow and massive waves, Scotty just nose-dived and that put me back. Sometimes in this game you’re the pigeon and sometimes you’re the statue, right? But it will all come back and it was all great racing. What am I doing right? Well, I’m a lot lighter than everyone else – 65kgs – so have to work for every foot, so I’m sailing well downwind, getting out of the start ok, and the boat’s carrying me a little bit. Ideally we’ll get a little bit of everything in this regatta and if it goes light, I’ll be on fire.

Dalton Bergan (USA)
It’s been pretty good. I crumbled a little bit this afternoon. I capsized after my first tack off the line – bad sailing on my part - and in the last race I had a pretty bad start. I got tangled up with a couple of guys who were out of control and it was tight. What seems to be working for me … I have a pretty cool sail, made by Dan Kessler in Seattle. It seems to be working well and that’s helped. And, I haven’t had any breakdowns. The course is great, so is the racing.

Scott Babbage (AUS)
Describing his crash between Race 1 and 2: I was just getting a drink bottle between races and I tipped the boat over and the mast just exploded as it hit the water. The first race I didn’t do too well, I had a poor start and got boxed out at the boat end so I didn’t have enough time to get up to speed by the time the gun went so I was probably about 20 seconds late, behind the guys who got off first. I had to go back to shore for a new mast and sail, and went straight back out…only to find that they had called a break. Good workout.

Kevin Hall (NZL)
My races were okay. I got horrible starts in the first two races. In the first I tried to start right to windward of Nathan and that was a big mistake. He’d just got going and it was a really light spot and I eased my foils and suddenly everyone was gone. I had a lot of catch up to do but made it into the top ten so I was happy with that. It turns out I’m going better downwind at the moment and not so well upwind. Go figure, as soon as I work it out I’ll let you know! The second race was solid but not great. But the racing’s great, it’s so much fun. My gear seems to be working fine, but that being said I’ve been working pretty much flat-out since I got here a week ago to make sure the boat holds together but that’s just part of it. I tuned up a little with Bora before the start and that’s a good benchmark obviously. Dalton sailed really well today, and Nathan’s pretty handy so he’s always going to be there too.

[Stuart Streuli]

Outteridge Holds Onto Close Lead Over Gulari
Day 2, 2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships

By Michelle Slade

Three races (Races 5-7), were sailed on Day 2 of the CST Composites Moth Worlds, underway at Cascade Locks, Oregon. Similar conditions to Day 1 prevailed - flat water, a shifty breeze, cloudy with slightly lighter air. Racing was postponed a short time due to light wind and the first race got underway about 11:30am in 8-10 knots, which built to 12-15 by the end of Race 7.

Today saw the 47-strong International Moth fleet fully settle into competition mode, demonstrating outstanding skill at working through the shifty conditions, offering up plenty of lead changes, and exciting action at the top mark to entertain the large spectator fleet that turned out to watch shore-side.

Day 2 Top Ten Finishers: Nathan Outteridge (AUS) 12 points, Bora Gulari (USA) 14 points, Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) 21 points, Simon Payne (GBR) 22 points, Dalton Bergan (USA) 23 points, Rohan Veal (AUS) 30 points, Scott Babbage (AUS) 31 points, Kevin Hall (NZL) 57 points, Brad Funk (USA) 60 points, and Andrew McDougall (AUS) 62 points. (Note: 7 races sailed to date, with one discard)

Racing was again tight at the top of the fleet, with Outteridge and Gulari going at each other at every opportunity, clearly having a great time. Gulari is finding his advantage downwind and making every effort not to pull any mistakes on the run that may benefit Outteridge who is sailing very tactically. The Aussie blew away the spectator crowd watching from a point above the top mark on the last rounding on Race 6. Approaching the top mark, others around Outteridge tacked onto port as Outteridge went another 50 meters and got a massive left-hander. He was coming in very fast to the top and pulled off a perfect foiling tack, which put himself between the mark and Gulari, and in the lead. Impressive.

“I just committed to it, got around and was a length ahead of Bora going downwind,” said Outteridge.

Gulari then got a good puff and got away from Outteridge on the last part of the run and won the race. Said Outteridge, “He just jibed through the pressure and put 50 meters on me and I could never get him back because he just stayed between me and the finish after that.”

Consistently finding a clear lane off the start was Arnaud Psarofaghis’ weapon today, as he sailed three solid races for a third place in each, good going for the young Swiss sailor.

“I had some pretty nice starts clear of the other boats, which was good for the first upwind legs,” said Psarofaghis. “I passed on some really nice tacks and I jibed on the right shifts, and was happy to get three thirds today. If I missed some shifts and tried to come back, it was always hard to catch up.”

Tomorrow, Wednesay August 12, is a lay-day for the fleet. Racing resumes Thursday August 12 and will continue through Saturday 15th.

NOTES FROM THE BOATS

Bora Gulari (USA)
My strategy is pretty easy. If I’m in touch with Nathan, I basically follow him around and wait until I can attack him downwind. We’re a pretty even pace upwind but he’s just so tactically savvy on the racecourse. I thought I’d pushed him past the layline once but we got headed going in and I looked over my shoulder and he went from 4th to first in just a 30 second period. It’s just amazing. As long as I can stay close and keep attacking, in the last regatta we sailed together it was the same thing. We’re always going back and forth. Today he even kept trying to throw jibes at me waiting for a mistake but I was just taking it easy.

Scott Babbage (AUS)
In the first race, I had a bad start as it took me about a minute and a half to foil. I picked my way through upwind and stayed in the right pressure and went the right way. I had a good lead at the top mark the first time and got Simon downwind then upwind. It was quite puffy so if you could tack into the pressure well, you could stay ahead. But I misjudged the finish and Simon got me by five seconds which I wasn’t too happy about. In the second race I went around the top mark in first place as well so I was happy with that. I was sitting on top of Nathan as he was tacking in my gusts the whole way up the track so I must have been going the right way! I rounded in front then just dropped back slowly. I think I started to get tired so my tacks started to fall apart.

Charlie McKee (USA)
If I get anything in the teens I’m totally happy. Today was a day when some of the mid-fleeters, if they had a good start could sort of stay with the front guys for a while but you’re seeing that the top ten is essentially the same every race. They’re just better in all conditions. It’s very impressive. It is pretty tactical because you don’t want to make too many tacks so the conflict is how many tacks do you make versus trying to sail on a good shift. In a normal boat you might make 3 or 4 more tacks than we make or the guys that are really good can make those couple of extra tacks and make it work, whereas most of us, if our tacks are a bit shaky, any extra tack could be twenty boat lengths and so it has to be a pretty big shift to make up for that. Downwind it’s pretty hard to know what’s going to happen. The hard thing is that the apparent wind is so far forward that you’re actually looking for the puffs on your beam instead of behind you. It’s a different way of thinking about downwind sailing, a lot more like catamaran sailing, ice-boating or any really high speed sailing.

The starts have generally been a little pin-end favored so if a guy really gets a great start at the pin sometimes he can tack and cross the fleet, or a couple of times a couple of people have been able to get across on port as well. Sometimes even if you don’t get across, you go behind a bunch of boats and you’re on port in clear air which isn’t a bad start either. Basically, about ten boats are able to get good starts on starboard, that’s about how much room there is, and everyone else fights for the rest (he laughs – a lot). Generally what we have is a start and then you’re sailing into lighter wind so it may be good for a minute or so, but pretty early on you’re looking to get onto port and get out into the river where the wind is a little more reliable.

Nathan Outteridge (AUS)
The first race was a shocker – it took me about a minute to cross the start line because I couldn’t get on the foils so I just watched everyone go and tried to be patient and sail back through the fleet. Lucky for me on the second beat I sailed every lift and everyone around me sailed every knock and I got back into 4th position. Bora’s sailing fast - he sails a different mode to me downwind, he sails higher and faster whereas I’ll sail lower and a bit slower. You have to work really hard just to get near him because I was back a bit up in the first race – at the top mark I was maybe 6th or so, and had to catch back up and put all that hard work in upwind just to lose it downwind. A bit frustrating but a second is a second and you have to be happy with that.

Andrew McDougall (AUS)
I’m in the top ten. I’m doing pretty well because I’m fast, probably because I’ve been doing it longer than anyone else and know how to make the boat go fast, that’s my job. The problem for me here is I do take some time to settle down, like it’ll take me 30 seconds to get sorted out because everything is changing all the time, having to tack through the wind changes etc. In a more settled environment I’ll just wind up and up, very fast because I’m not just thinking all the time where the next shift is or how I’m going to do the next tack or where the other guy is. The conditions aren’t difficult compared to where I sail in Australia, where I deal with big waves and wind, it’s just hard staying on it all the time. If I could nail every tack I could be in it …

Simon Payne (GBR)
I won the first race, which was good. I had enough energy for the first race then kind of died as the day went. I knackered my knee a bit yesterday and I’ve been really struggling to tack from port to starboard today which slowed me down a bit. I lacked a bit of confidence in the starts of the final two races as the breeze built so I could have done better but the first race was good. The standard is so high that everything is so close that it doesn’t take much before you lose or gain a place, which is why the racing is so great. I’m quite glad we have a lay day tomorrow.

You just have to be sure to pick up the shifts, the most dramatic ones on are either side of the river, and downwind as well, you really had to stay in the gusts, because downwind in these boats, is as important tactically as upwind, when you get to the windward mark it’s easy to be disheartened but when you put your back into it, you can get everything back and more downwind and that’s what I was having to rely on because I’m pretty light and when the breeze comes in I struggle a bit.

Dalton Bergan (USA)
Racing today was a little tighter for sure, the first start was challenging because it was so light and hard to get on the foils. Great racing. I was in the hunt but never pushed any good scores, but that’s ok, there’s still a lot of racing to go. The start lines are relatively small so that’s relatively challenging. I definitely had one really bad start and it’s amazing how far back you can get – one boat rolls you, then the next and it snowballs.

[Stuart Streuli]

Gulari Leads
Day 3, 2009 CST Composites Moth World Championships


By Michelle Slade

Three races (Races 8-10), were sailed on Day 3 of the CST Composites Moth Worlds, underway at Cascade Locks, Oregon. With winds forecasted in the high 20’s, the race committee shortened the course to avoid having the fleet sail into the deeper swells anticipated further east along the Columbia River as a result of the fresher breeze. While the first race started in 25 knots, it quickly dissipated and by early afternoon, conditions were similar to those of the previous two days.

With the heavier breeze in the first race, the strategy opted for by most was a more conservative approach, nonetheless, evidence that the fleet’s been pushing it pretty hard over the past few days was apparent with Hall, Outteridge, and Babbage retiring in Race 9 for repairs. Simon Payne retired from Race 10 with a knee injury that has been bothering him the past few days. It was a disappointing day for Scott Babbage, who handily won the first race then broke gear in a crash between races which he was unable to repair resulting in two DNFs, which puts him out of the running for any possible place. Bora Gulari and Arnaud Psarofaghis continued to consistently make the top four.

Day 3 Top Ten Finishers: Bora Gulari (USA) 15 points, Nathan Outteridge (AUS) 17 points, Arnaud Psarofaghis (SUI) 26 points, Dalton Bergan (USA) 29 points, Simon Payne (GBR) 39 points, Rohan Veal (AUS) 42 points, Rob Gough (AUS) 67 points, Brad Funk (USA) 68 points, Scott Babbage (AUS) 76 points, and Andrew McDougall (AUS) 77 points. (Note: 10 races sailed to date, with two discards)

The Americans are proving that they’re a serious force in this fleet, which has previously been the sanctum of the Aussies and Europeans, with Gulari and Dalton solid in the top four these past two days. Gulari continues to be Nathan Outteridge’s nemesis, and the next few days racing will be exciting to see how these two duke it out. Said Charlie McKee, “We’ve come a long way in little over a year working together in spirit and cooperation in the US fleet, with Bora’s willingness to share what he knows and help bring the group up, and to have someone like Dalton who is hugely talented and willing to work hard to try to get to the top. It makes the rest of us feel like we’re on the right track.”

For spectators, it’s a regular pit stop at the site of this international event, fascinating for on-lookers to watch how quickly competitors get ashore, replace and/or repair gear, and hit the water in no time. Said Kevin Hall, “That’s the price of flying and being on the cutting edge. If I just wanted to roll down to the water ten minutes before the start and sail my Laser, I could and I’d know that everything is going to be fine but then I’d be doing 5 knots all day…this however is just so much fun out there.”

NOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad Funk (USA)
I think the motto today for me was to just keep pushing. I definitely like it when the breeze is up. I kept it simple, got off the starting line, then tried to lead the group back to the right. I managed to two tack one time and the other guys had to do a couple more tacks so that was definitely in my favor. I’ve been just trying to keep it safe and stay in the pressure. I’m still wearing my hiking pants, my pads and I don’t think anyone else is wearing them and I think that definitely helps power up the boat a bit more when a puff comes on. It gives me an opportunity to take a higher lane. I’m trying to get better at my tacks – probably the biggest loss in the Moth fleet is having poor tacks. You can lose 50 to 100 meters if you stop so you need to keep it on the fly.

Scott Babbage (AUS)
The first race was quite windy but the next two quite light in about 15 knots, but really puffy with big holes. I got a first in the first race, then between races I bore away and pitch-poled and the boat exploded. The wing bar broke, the mast broke and wrecked the end of the boom. I’ve lost five races in the last two regattas with breakages. I’ve got another part to fix the wing bar so I’ll put it all back together. I’m onto my third mast and have another boom to use but with three DNFs, I’m officially out of the running, which is disappointing.

Nathan Outteridge (AUS)
I got a 6th, a DNC and a 1, so today’s first two races become my drops now. Hopefully I’ll just keep sailing in the top four and wont have to count either of them. In the first race, I just got out of phase on the first beat and it took me a while to get back into it. I finished 6th but I was about ten seconds off third – I had a chance for third and missed it. In the middle race, my mast poked through the top of the sail as the start gun went. I foiled upwind with everyone, then came in and changed it out for a spare sail I had ready to go for the last race where luckily I had a good start and basically sailed as hard as I could to try to get a win so I didn’t lose too many points from Bora. The starts have been pretty much the same, I was just trying to find a clear gap to get off the line – in the first race I was down toward the pin and had a bad tack and then had to duck through the fleet and find a lane. Bora went past me when I did the tack and he was going with the front group and I was still in about 15th, and it took me a while to catch back up. In the last start I started down by the pin again and just ducked through the pack and got out in a clear lane on the right side. As it goes lighter the boats tend to go similar speeds and as soon as you get more wind, those who are more physically fit and have their rigs set up a bit better can go quicker when it’s windier. Today was definitely windier than the past few days, but still not as windy as we had it in the Nationals last week.

Kevin Hall (NZL)
On the very first practice race when I first got here I lead around the top mark and since then I’ve been going backwards. Today was not a good day for me and I feel like I didn’t sail well at all. The first race was ok, it was a decent score on the board (7th place), and I did have a good first beat but my big goal is to just get a good start for once. I did have a good first beat, then there was this one big shift on the second beat that Brad Funk hit - I was well ahead of him but he had the guts to go for a little more right and I didn’t, and that put him in the top three. Still, I was happy to be up in that top group for a while. Arnaud had to pass me instead of leaving me in the dust at the start which was nice. The racing’s just so great that I’m enjoying it wherever I place. It’s great competition and the boats are fantastic, lots of challenges though. It’s big competition and these guys know what they are doing. I do need to work on the boat, I think my flap is letting go (the small piece off the back of the main foil that controls the altitude). It’s sort of insidious, you don’t really know it’s going until a little after you realize you’re slow and I’m pretty sure that’s what’s been happening today as well. It’s a little disappointing because I thought I was on top of it but I have a spare and I’m ready to go.

Lindsay Bergan (USA)
I don’t know if it was just a little too windy for me and I was too light, I did switch sails and didn’t do as well today. But it was fun to have more breeze and I hope we get more as it makes it’s exciting for sure. My mainsheet cover came off in the middle of the second race, which wasn’t fun but at least I could continue sailing. I didn’t have many expectations going into this competition until the Nationals, and I was hopeful to do a little better than I am. There are a lot of new Moth sailors in the Pacific Northwest so it’s been fun for us to learn together. (NB: 27-year old Lindsay’s the only woman in the fleet, and wife of Dalton Bergan. She’s sailed his Moth for about a 9 months, got her own 3 months ago and has since been sailing it regularly).

Rohan Veal (AUS)
Today was pretty average for me. Conditions were very very shifty, very gusty, and very patchy at the top which made it difficult. You could change position so quickly. You had to always be on the ball. I was using a compass just to try to make sure I’m on the right tacks all the time. But you have to have the boat speed and if you don’t, you can’t win. That’s why Nathan’s doing so well, he’s got the boat speed and good tactics, skills. I just can’t get the boat going, I think my mast is too soft and get enough power to go upwind. I’ve got a major leak problem in my boat and I’ve been taking in liters of water every race, and every race I seem to be getting slower and slower. I can’t seem to fix it. It’s killing me, there’s not much I can do now, it’s too late. I’m just going to try to sort some other things out and go out there and get one win in.

Charlie McKee (USA)
It was another day of fantastic racing here. I think everyone’s enjoying this venue partly because when it’s windy, it’s still very tactical. You still have to always look up the course and make decisions and so it’s not all just about boat speed. It’s about the ability to look up the track and make the next decision. On these boats, just looking up is hard! The other thing that jumps out at me is that now we’re seeing the US contingent be competitive at the world level, and the guys at the top – there are about seven guys at the top who are clearly much better than the rest of us but they’re not all from one place. There’s a couple of Europeans, a couple of Australians and now there’s two Americans, Bora and Dalton.