Day 1 at the Moth Worlds

The girl at breakfast wasn't really concentrating, Even as I repeated myself it was clear she had that "am I bovvered" look written all over her, and at my third attempt of ordering she looked again uncomprehendingly at me and said " do you speak English?"

"I am fucking English" I replied without adding anything insulting.

It was then I knew I was in for an interesting day.



Me and Nathan downwind.... photo ThMartinez/Sea&Co http://www.thmartinez.com

It was great actually! When you're my size you have to work hard in this breeze. Today I was reminded that sailing requires lots of water, mainly perspiration. Anyway, always best to work while you have the light and I had a few good starts, decent beats and buggered up a few windward mark approaches. I had problems keeping the cams on and had two off at one stage on the run. Convinced that this was slow I actually gained a place.

Most intense moment was gybing and getting putting my tiller extension between the outhaul rope and clew on the sail. Extracating myself was fairly hard.


Bora gybing, photo ThMartinez/Sea&Co http://www.thmartinez.com

Putting the cam back on downwind was easier than I expected, because I expected to capsize and get my head stuck somewhere in the shrouds.

But it was close racing! And its hard not to just enjoy it, Christ, people dream of this and we are doing it, I'm counting my blessings and keeping things in perspective, Sometimes I find it quite spiritual out there, looking at the scenery before the start and stuff. I'm not really religious but I find it a damn site easier sitting in my Moth thinking about God than sitting in a church thinking about my Moth.

It was medium conditions, maybe 18 knots at the end and in the gusts. Nathan had the best of the day, Bora did well and so did Dalton. I'm lying fourth and Arnaud is fifth. Scott and I were royally fucked by the barge that came through, due to the wind shadow and wake, and where we should have crossed in 2nd and 3rd in the last race, we didn't. The races are only about 25 minutes long, but thats enough, this is tough racing, the games moved on.