Thank you for the music

Wow what an event! I'm home and I am offsetting the jet lag by spending long periods of time staring at the trophy I just won. Largely in disbelief.

It's history tells a story, one that on this particular piece of silver goes back to 1963, It's a story of change, a story of winners (and by definition losers) and of winners again, and of course travel to places others don't get to see. It's the story of the greatest racing class in the world.

There is however only one thing that's different now than back then, and that's that I get to replay the event over and over, not in my head, but on my computer. The media did a fantastic job and the scale of awareness they have brought to our class over the last couple of weeks was and is unprecedented. We must consider them friends and family and give them priority status if they are willing to row to the windward mark rather than motor.

Anyway I feel hugely proud and humble to have won the Puma Moth Worlds in Dubai but the thing that excites me about these events isn't necessarily the thought of winning, although I do dream about it before hand, but its the energy I get from seeing my friends again and meeting new people. The guys in Dubai did a wonderful job and the atmosphere was incredible. At almost every other sailing event I can't wait to leave the area after sailing, but in Dubai I just wanted to hang around..

However one of the best things for me was seeing the improvement in the British fleet. Ricky Tagg achieved his goals by coming 13th in his first ever Moth Worlds, Adam was 10th and Mike Lennon did really well (although he wont admit it) to get to wear GBR 8 on his sail.

A couple of apologies from me. One to my mom for swearing on TV and the other to my mate Bora for being unnecessarily aggressive after the slalom when we exchanged a little skin.

So now its back to looking at my trophy. Thank you to everyone for your help, support and best wishes, you've made me feel great for a few days, but particularly to Andrea, who makes me feel great all of the time anyway.

Over and out
Si

Highway to the danger zone

Holy shit its Viper! Thats what I was thinking when Bora and I exchanged a little skin at the slalom yesterday. A bare knuckle moth fight where normal rules dont apply and the winner takes all. Bora and I had a frank an honest discussion after the race, I finished 2nd and he was 3rd, and in hindsight perhaps we both should have kept our butts above the hardeck. Rob Gough, won moving on from his second place last year. He's the current slalom king.
Today in Fightertone the mood is relaxed. The sailing club looks like a call centre with computers open and sailors trying to keep busy. Two hours to go until we go ballistic. There is no wind but we may get 10 knots by the start.
Last night Puma hosted a cool little party and I found myself thinking how lucky I was to be at a place like this and today with "Chasing Cars" in my headphones the feeling is no different. I guess I'll soon find out whether I'm still capable of soaring with the top boys or only good enough to fly rubber dog shit out of Hong Kong.
S

Now thats what I call music..

Its gonna be light for the next few days, and whilst the sea breeze may come, its certainly changed the form guide. Yesterday showed that if you got it right you got it very right but if you got it wrong? Well..
The first race yesterday in marginal foiling conditions I went round the first mark second behind Mike Lennon, with Scotty on my tail and Ricky Tagg up there too. We low rode down the run until the breeze filled in from behind and Bora screemed down the left side corner. With a third of the run to go I was in the lead but kinda messed up the final approach up to take 5th. Mike Lennon grabbed a gust and won.

The next race I nailed the first beat and won the two lapper by a few minutes but finished with a cracking headache and Chris kindly gave me some more water but I didnt do the last race. Maybe I should wear sunglasses too.

So the UAE nationals were won by Chris Graham in his Mach 2 who tellingly put together a 3,2,2 yesterday. He now jumps to the front of the form guide if the conditions stay like this all week, he seems to have a slight edge on the rest of us and is sailing well.

We have the slalom today which will be fun as always, although with Scotty, Rob Gough and Amac in my group its a toughy to get through to the next round.

For the Worlds, I feel good about my speed on the foils but there is a certain randomness to these conditions which I think has most of the top lot worried. Oh well, its not raining and if only we can change the dinghy park music to something better than "Now thats what I call music 8" then it wont be a bad place to be..

Plenty of discussion on pumping, ooching and how we should take the class forward for light wind sailing but for now, for this event, you cant change it. Rules are rules. Better just get on with it.

Arabian Knights

Today is the first day of racing at the Moth Worlds in Dubai. Actually its the UAE nationals for two days, then Sunday is a layday before we race for real on Monday. Todays it blowing and err a little rainy but the club is in full swing and the atmothsphere is good.

Yesterday we had some inpromptu short windward/leewards in an unstable wind that was shifting through maybe 15 degrees. Scotty is going well. Arnaud was back on the pace after a sail change and Bora is looking good. I'm going OK too but with many sailors yet to show there stuff its hard to know the form yet.

Its a funny wind that feels strong and we're certainly cranking upwind but if you tack its really hard to get back on the foils. But when it blows, like its doing now, the waves are fierce and just getting downhill will be the biggest test. Next week is looking lighter but we'll see...

Gear wise I'm pleased with the new softer Mach 2 Mast on the KA MSL10B. It seems I can hang with the big boys in a breeze. If it gets lighter I will put my new Southern Spars Carbon rod rigging on and possibly go up a stiffness on the mast. Thierry Martinez arrived last night so you will be sure to see some good pictures on his site here

Spanish Armada

Last weekend we were at Alan Hillman's excellent Pro Vela sailing school in Murcia, Spain and the venue for the "Mothfest" in May. It was a chance for me to do some tacking/gybing practice and also to meet Alan, who had just taken delivery of his new Mach 2. It was cold actually but I could see how nice it will be in May.

Andrea borrowed one of Alans Bladerider RX's and Simon (Si Fi) Fisher and Pablo Arandia brought their Mach 2's along. We had some good time on the water and with some short sharp windward/leeward races everyone improved a lot!

Foiler girl. Andrea won a race!

Yachting great Ian Walker was also down and had his first go in a Moth doing really well as you'd expect, but declaring "I've never been so terrified" ..

Over a few beers we talked about that elusive Channel crossing... Si Fi and I are keen to do it. If anyone knows of a south coast based fast boat that can be used to pull us out if it all goes wrong.. please let me know!

Anyway IMCA Spain has been born with Pablo/Si Fi and Alan heading up the class association. And with flights fifty quid from Bournemouth its tempting to become a "country member"

I enjoyed my time in Alan's boat and proved my tacking is OK from starboard to port but the other way round is still a little tricky.. See below for the good bit.

Next weekend its off to the worlds. Gulp!

Week need

Tomorrow we go to Pro Vela to see Alan Hillman and to meet the other Spanish Moth sailors to sail in a place that's currently 14 degree's. That is 14 degree's warmer than here but its been a bloody long winter and it doesn't seem to get better. I really need a break. I thought the America's Cup would lead me out of this depression but like scared heavyweight boxers they've run for the skirting boards at the slightest sign of danger. I spoke with Alan Block today and he thinks the cup should be melted down, and I agree. It's time is up. It should be used as the new Moth Mr Universe trophy. If nothing else we have the guts they lack. Sailors like my hero Admiral Lord Nelson would laugh at them. "So the nasty nasty swelly man might get you? Oh come here poppet!"

My boat is in a box now, ready and waiting to go to Dubai. I guess I am too and I will surely be one of the favorites if the ambient air temperature is less than 5 degrees. It has not been higher in the all the training I've done, which isn't much, and when I did sail, I would probably have only scored 5 out of 10. Still we'll see. England expects, but they can expect it of the other English this time can't they lads?

But what of all this talk of pumping onto the foils and stuff. Well let me tell you the rule is academic 'cos you can't get a Moth onto the foils with two pumps. Full stop, or err.. Period. Anyway I dont mind either way, I just think the class has a good track record of managing change and the processes in place to discuss this. Every member has a vote no? We must put the class first.

But I like the Worlds, my greatest friends I see there, I get to meet new people, customers and competitors, and I see ego's made and ego's broken. Who the fuck knows what will happen, but as Nelson once said, "No Captain can do very wrong if he places his ship alongside his enemy"

Bertarelli and Ellison would do well to remember that.

My Worlds Form Guide

Here is my form guide for the Worlds coming up in Dubai.

1st place, Scott Babbage. Australia. I truly think Scott will win. Apparently the organisers will play the "Top Gun" soundtrack in the dinghy park. Of course the first spoken words in Top Gun are "Morning Scott". To me that's a sign. Weakness is that he's hard on boats. Scott hasn't actually sunk yet but there was probably a Babbage on the Titanic.

2nd Place, Arnaud Psarofaghis. Switzerland. Slow starter and needs to be up there from race one if he's to do well. Well prepared with frequent visits to St Tropez to train. On/off Facebook relationship status updates indicate an active winter. Will probably fly if we can get enough fluids back into him in time.

3rd Place, Bora Gulari. USA Prosperous Professional and seemingly comes with his own news desk. Will the current World Champion go from good to great? Its been a fabulous year for Bora, now an American Idol. Get him to sing "I dreamed the dream".. and it could be Susan Boyle...

4th Place, Dalton Bergan USA, Evidently been working hard. Keeps himself to himself. Being beaten by Bora at events although pedigree would suggest otherwise. Good bloke.

5th Place, Jean Pierre Ziegert Switzerland. JP's gonna be quick! Fast in the light, and like Arnaud training on the French Riveria. Prone to excitement. Can resemble a foilborne version of one of Spielberg's gremlins.. at its most agitated.

6th Place, Andrew McDougall. Australia. Does age poison us, or do we poison age? Seemingly the latter. 2nd at Sydney International and winner of the Australian Nationals. Faster this year. Will he cope with nature's juggernauts? Those Dubai waves...

7th Place, Rob Gough Tasmania. The Tasmanian Devil is the size of a small dog, and like Rob stocky and muscular. Will fight hard for his place and one to watch.

8th Place, Adam May UK. Got an optimist on foils and frankly this result is as optimistic. Only just unpacked from the last Worlds, but he is very good. If its light he could be top three. That Olympic pedigree will come shinning through and you will be looking at his transom.

9th Place, Tomaz Copi. Slovenian 470 star and paragliding champion. Getting his second Mach 2 delivered to the event. 65kg light and could finish much higher up. A real unknown, but the Slovenian for "well done mate" is err.."Dobro mate". Better get used to saying it.

10th Place Mike Lennon UK. Pathological boat bimbler and serial Moth Sailor. Been sailing hard at "Ice Station Zebra" this winter, or Hayling Island SC as we call it in the summer. Done his time and deserves a result. Moderate conditions could put him much higher up.



So there we have it.