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The Moth Report...

Posted 8 months, 28 days ago

The Moth Report...
Instead of doing my usual cobbled together nonsense, I decided to wait and get a proper report on the Moth Dubai Grand Prix from someone who was actually there! So many, many thanks to Chris Graham who sent this through to me to keep us Moth fans in touch...I am seriously thinking of selling the Mumm and buying one to blast around Cowes with - any offers on the Mumm? . First day was good, round the world day with Bora going fastest in a clockwise direction. Sam also went clockwise and I went anti clockwise. As you all know it was huge out the back, real good fun but real testing conditions. Bora won the day and the prize money but no one broke Rohan's record. Two hours round the world in those conditions adds up to about 5 hours on flat water sailing I would say. .No racing in the afternoon, but we did set up some upwind downwind training session and had a musto photo shoot. Had 6 hours on the water and were all fucked. .Day two we had a slalom day, short course racing with 5 races qualifying and 5 races staggered start. That was good in theory but not so good when people had OCS and were classed as sand bagging (me). Bora won he qualifying races, Sam was second, Glenn was third and I was fourth. The other two guys were slow and only learning. In the staggered I started 30 secs in front of Bora in the first race, I won that race easy as my sandbagging paid off. Handicaps were changed for the second, third, fourth and fifth races. By the end I was starting 5 seconds in front of Bora. It was all about who got to the first mark first and could gybe, so i won two and Bora won the other two races, Glenn had a scorcher in one of them and was out of sight I won that day courtesy of my cheating in the qualifying, Bora second and Sam was third. .Day three saw an upwind start and then a slalom downwind. First Race started and Glenn, Bora and then me were round the windward mark within 5 seconds of each other. Glenn slowed up and i was hot on Bora's ass. Tried to pull my vang on and went swim swim swim. Glenn passed me and Bora cruised into the finish. Glenn second and me third by a whisker after coming back. Race 2 Bora was in the lead at first starboard lay line, then had a tough time deciding weather to tack or gybe and ending getting passed by Glen. Bora extended down breeze and Glenn went missing, Chris wound up in second and was following Bora for second until Bora hit the pin end like a wanker and I cruised through for the win. Third and Fourth Races went kind of the same, Bit light for Bora as he was with his white sail and i had my MLS 12 up. I won both but still Bora was close enough for me not to be able to make a mistake. I won the third day with Bora second and Glenno third. Sam was struggling for pace and was fourth. .Today saw some long course racing and Sam gave herself lots more lift. She was shifting upwind. Bora was also going well and Glenn had found some more pace from somewhere. First race was super close, Bora was leading and the rest of us were two boat lengths apart. Going round the leeward mark Rohan got in my way with the rib and i was in his wake putting in a crash tack and getting my leg caught in the wire at the back. Bora won easily and Glenn was second. Sam was third and I limped home in a grump for fourth. Second race was cool, Rohan jumped in Bora's boat for his first moth comeback sail (and he still says he is not doing the worlds) and smoked all of us downwind, and then promptly retired for the second time in two weeks. Glenn was second with good pace and I pipped Sam at the finish line for third. .Last race Bora had great pace again. He was moving upwind. Me Glenn and Sam were close again, can’t remember what happened as I was super tired and still am, i finished second, Glenn third and Sam fourth. Overall, Glenn won today, Bora was second and i was third. Sam found bags of pace today and was there all day long. We are drinking and getting pissed now, the end! had a great week, hope everyone that came enjoyed themselves and still want to come back next year, will have loads more prize money. Plenty of interest in the gulf with three more boats sold this week. So who is coming next year then?? . The slalom racing was the most fun, really tight, close, can’t make a single mistake action if you want to win the race. We have it all on camera and Rohan will edit it up and I will send it onto you a bit later.     Photo: Thierry Martinez (www.thmartinez.com)   Full Story »

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