Best Moth Trailer in the World pt 2: Does my Ass Look Big with this Trailer

OK, 6ft by 10ft by 36" turned out to be massive. See pic 1! Quick re think and the use of the grinder and its now down to 18" high, see pic 2. Looks much better and still has awesome storage, now I won't be towing someting the size of a family caravan around behind me. Vic has made a really sweet mounting system on the lid as well so all cool. Will be a few more weeks before it's finished.

Even better news my foil and push rod have arrived so I'm back in business for this weekends Skiff Fest in Santa Barbara so no more tangential posts. Normal service will be resumed!

The Best Moth Trailer in the World

As I sit here patiently waiting for my new front horizontal and push rod (more later), I thought I'd share my new trailer design with y'all Mothistas.

Genesis of this has been Marty's trailer back in Sydney, but the real catalyst was the weight of the dolly on the new Mach 2. Currently Liz and I lift boat onto roof rack of our Honda Element. Easy with the Bladerider but much much harder with the Mach 2. Much complaining from Liz and a few idle hours on a flight and the design was born! Took me a few weeks to find Vic at Bear Trailer Sports who was willing to take on the challenge of fabricating this for me. Many many conversations and photos later, especially trying to explain what a Moth was, and the trailer is part complete. Key specs are 6ft by 10ft by 24ins deep. Top opening with ability to open lid with Moth on already. It will also have the ability to add on a "double decker" so I can take 2 Moths. The boat goes for a fitting on Monday morning before trailer goes for powder coat. Pics Monday where I get to see if what I designed on paper comes to reality.

Back to the sailing front, was nice to take a few weekends off after a very busy 4 months, but now I am pinning for the boat. Talked to Amac last week and foil and push rod have left Melbourne on Tuesday for Sydney where my Nano 4 will be added to package and the whole lot shipped to LA. I really really hope this all arrives before the Santa Barbara skiff fest next weekend. I have a bodge for the broken foil and push rod just in case but it really won't be pretty! Hopefully I won't be posting pics of it!

Liz is complaining about how many rigs I now have, as I attempt to do a Bora / George multi sail spar combo thing. There's a North V8 and Southern Spars mast for sale :)

Exit All directions

Final photo from the sequence above..... good times!

That Start. Junior goes Down Town

There's been some real enthusiasm for Port tack starts recently. Need to get to the right hand side of course? Tacking a Moth is risky and slow unless you really have your foiling tacks dialled in. What better than fire it up on port with 30 secs to go, blast down the line and look for the gap, be first to the favoured side, especially in Long Beach. What could be better right? Well if your timing is slightly off, and in Moths we are talking by say 2 - 5 seconds, and the starboard tack foilers are pushing the pin equally aggressively you get the above sequence.... Awesome to watch if not a bit scary. Closing speeds on opposite tacks would be around 25ish knots. One touch and we would be picking a million carbon pieces out of the ocean. Full marks to Junior for giving it a go, but kudos to Adam who really pulls it off (BR in shot s2, 3 and 4).

8 sutures and a nice cup of tea

"Let's just pop out for a quick mountain bike". Guess Thursday night was going to be prophetic. Arrived late, rode further than we anticipated, and it was butt a** cold. At the top of the last long descent with the sun setting, Liz took a dive over the handlebars. Nice puncture wound from the brake lever (I thought they weren't supposed to do that) in her thigh. Now its getting dark and we still have 5 miles to go. Fortunately we had a trained paramedic with us. Cut the shorts, take a quick look, wow that's really deep, tell her it's just a scratch. pad, and tap it all together some how, ride back and drive to hospital. 8 stitches later, (she freaked when she knew how deep it was :)) and we realise this ain't the NHS. Doctor did the suturing, everyone seemed to care, and we were in and out in 2 hours. Pic is of my smokin' hot wife's lily whites with the cut pre suture!

Once I get my foil back from Amac, in about 10 days I hope, normal service will be resumed and we'll be back on Moths. Till then you'll have to put up with what ever adventure we're currently on.

Thursday Grind: Bora perfects "no hands" gybe

Now he has perfected the "no hands" gybe, Bora is rumored to be getting rid of the tiller assembly.

Asked for comments Bora stated "its intuitive".

Remember you heard it hear first

EPIC

Long Beach saved the best to last. Day started off pretty light, marginal foiling. Half the fleet went to the wrong mark, yes the further one. Zack called it right (why didnt I listen) and aced it. The breeze switched off for about 30 mins then built and built, coming in pretty steady at 20++ for last race. The bear away at the top mark was of epic proportions, especialy as we had to dodge the Cal 20 fleet to get down range. The Velocitek was nailed at 25 knots the whole way, very bumpy but the boat held on. Nailed the gybe, don't know how and seeent it for the finish gate! Slight misunderstanding with the coach boat and I lost 2 inch off the tip of my foil, plus the push rod. Tried to sail in, and no you cant sail a Moth with out a flap. Really happy with the regatta, club loved it as did the Moth class. Came 7th and very happy with my light wind speed, still needs work higher up the range but it will come.

Consumate performance and new Cal State Champion Bora Gulari with a very polished performance in all conditions.

Man of the match, Charlie McKee. Leaves his boat with Committee boat, sails a juniors boat in, comes back and sails his boat in, all in 20knots ++

MVP, Zack Maxam, getting better every second!

Results

1) Bora

2) Zack

3) Charlie

Rest will be posted on Sailing Anarchy / Scuttlebut / Moth class web site