2015 Classic Moth Nationals

Although the CMBA Nats were held way back in mid September, I'm just now getting the gumption to post a few of the better ones.  Due to my head injury I was a spectator this year.

Mike Parsons scopes out the wind before the first warning on Saturday.

Gary Gowans leads Ed Salva out from the dock.

14 year old Jake Keggans borrowed Susan Bousquet's Shelley for his inaugural Moth event.  A solid choice!  This boat competed at the Moth Worlds in '65.

Carol Terryberry borrowed Arch Farmer's vintage Dorr Willey Moth.

A closer view of the vintage division boat Tennis Bracelet.  Gary rehabbed this boat over the winter.  He said he removed about a zillion brass screws (the only source of apparent stiction in this 65+ year old boat).  Gary relocated the centerboard trunk and mast step, turning a boat that previously rarely finished a race into a division winner.

Jamey Rabbitt once again borrowed Jeff Linton's Mousetrap.  But what's that bumper sticker on the transom?

Ed Salva enjoying Legend, Greg Duncan's Connecticut.

Joe Bousquet (Nr 48) mentors junior sailor Jake K before the start of one of the early heats.

Our other junior sailor, 17 year old  Zach Balluzzo.  Zach rehabbed this freebie Mistral hull and transferred the rig and hardware from last year's boat.

Don Janeway's Ventnor.  This boat has been in his family for two generations.

"South of the Border".  Those unfamiliar with this "oasis" just off I-95 at the north/south Carolina border can educate themselves here

Walt Collins flew up from Florida and borrowed a Dorr Willey from Greg and a sail from me.

Another look at Tennis Bracelet.

Zach Attack!

Both juniors were quite competitive!

Fighting for a clean lane, Carol T. comes to grips with the Dorr Willey's wishbone tiller.

Joe Bousquet's Mistral Try-Umph at rest.

Flip flop paint jobs Connecticut vs Dorr Willey.

The mighty Mousetrap is still the boat to beat in Generation II.

The Ventnor pounds a bit.

The large green roofed building in the background is the Museum of the Albemarle's new-ish home on Water Street.  The building dominates downtown Elizabeth City.

Joe Courter (Nr 40) lasted one race before gear breakage side lined his Europe.

Greg Duncan, so far, is the only one to experiment with full battens and a loose footed sail permitted after a recent rules change.  Opinions are divided about it's effectiveness.

Taking a break in between races.

John Pugh's Europe

Nr 105 is Tweezerman's Maser (Moth created from a dead Laser hull).  Some argue that Rod retained the least desirable parts!  The boat does go however.

This boat, BBB jr was once owned by champion racer Jane Bateman.  Her father owned a construction company and the family also owned a larger Comet class sloop named  BBB which stood for "Bricks By Bateman".  Mr. Bateman prided himself as a shrewd building material estimator.  Back in the late 1940s Dorr Willey was getting ready to build a new shop and so he asked Bateman to estimate the number of cinder blocks required.  Bateman did so at the conclusion of a fall regatta.  The two men, one living in Philadelphia, the other in Elizabeth City, didn't see each other until the following spring when racing resumed.  Mr. Bateman asked Dorr how he'd made out with the building project and Dorr looked up at him and said "not too good".  Bateman, taken aback, said "what do you mean?"  Dorr replied "I had two block left over."

Pedro says "that's all folks!"  Hopefully I'll be fit enough to race by the time the Mid-Winter regatta rolls around in February.

24th BYC Moth Regatta Photo Collage

Those who follow my figure skating blog no doubt know that I took a spill awhile back.  Now that my head no longer aches and my vision isn't blurry I suppose I'd best get some pix posted from this year's regatta.  Many Thanks to diaristdaughter for being the designated photographer and diaristwoman for helping not only with lunches but many other behind the scene tasks as well.  The Courters are also to be thanked for hosting their always well enjoyed pre-regatta party.  This event wouldn't take place without lots of help.   Next year this regatta turns 25!

Rigging up.  I borrowed the white Ventnor (nr868).  We had 14 boats with at least three in each of the divisions (Vintage, Gen I and Gen II).

Victor Stango gets down to business in his Lindenberg Moth.

One of the starts.  I'm late as usual (one can see the bow of the Ventnor just entering the photo on the far left).  Joe Bousquet (Nr 48) is sailing my newly configured all wooden Europe.  Tweezerman is sailing Nr 105.

A bit busy at the marks.

Bob Patterson in his Mk I Shelley.

Bill Boyle's Abbott (Nr 1603), also a Vintage boat.

Greg Duncan's Connecticut (Nr 1667) rounds out the Vintage fleet.  At one point I owned that boat.  Shouldn't of sold her!

Ed Salva (Nr 10) had a good day out.

My son Erik (Nr 43) hoping not to get pinwheeled off at the mark by Joe Courter (Nr 40)!

Greg showed the rest of the vintage fleet his transom most of the day.

After the second race I headed in to adjust the outhaul.  The leech on this sail was way too tight.  I wish I'd had a chance to sail this boat before the regatta!  She's a good boat and with a bit of tuning could be competitive with the others.

That's not a Moth!

At times I was able to push the Ventnor's bow up with the other boats.

Nr 217 was the sail number of Bob Patterson's father's Comet class boat.

John Z. leads Joe Bousquet.  Nr 48 was not quite finished in time for this regatta but Joe did fine in spite of some of the controls not exactly being user friendly.

John Z. sailing Y2K Bug--we keep waiting for him to finish the new boat!

Tweezerman took top honors in the Gen I fleet.

Greg was the vintage division winner at the end of the day.

Mike Parsons, Nr 79 took 1st in Gen II.  And that's all folks!

24th Annual BYC Classic Moth Regatta

Where did 24 years go?  Diaristwoman and I have been organizing this event for almost a quarter century.  I probably should wait until we hit 25 years before pounding my chest, but hell, I might be dead before then.

For this year's edition I'm expecting 14 boats with at least three in each CMBA division.  So far that includes 4 boats in Generation II (the greyhounds of the fleet), 7 in Gen I and 3 in Vintage.  I'll be sailing Bill Boyle's vintage Ventnor providing he doesn't destroy the boat before arriving at the venue.  Yesterday he dropped the mast which broke right at the hounds!  After a furious afternoon of glass and epoxy work he has kludged the poor dear back together.  I told him that he need not break the boat just to avoid having a little competition!  Is he getting nervous?  You decide.  Below is a pix of my ride, taken this afternoon following completion of mast repairs.

Both Bill and I started our Moth racing careers in identical Ventnor Moths.

Joe Bousquet will also make an appearance after a long hiatus.  He'll be sailing my woodie Europe Gypsy which has been in his keeping for the past three years (getting a fore deck replacement).  I can't wait to see the boat once again on the water--this time in the hands of a much better sailor!

If you live close, (Baydog), then come on down to Brigantine Yacht Club (10th Street and Bayshore Ave. Brigantine) this Saturday for a close up look at a wide range of Moth designs.  Skipper's meeting is at 10 am, first whistle soon thereafter.

A French Moth

Back in the late 1950s, when I was starting out as a racer, we in southern New Jersey were just beginning to appreciate that there were Moth designs in overseas countries. France in particular seemed to be a hot bed of innovative thinking, introducing technologies from the Finn and other advanced dinghies to the Moth Class.  Things like free standing rotating masts, center of the boat travelers, and sealed roll tank side decks which not only provided buoyancy but were much more comfortable than traditional decks as well.  By the early 1960s, boats were trickling into the country, imported by companies such as the Nautica Corporation.  One of those Moths, built by the Lanaverre boat works was dubbed "the French Moth".

Although I have not been able to substantiate the claim, the Lanaverre Moth has been attributed to Christian Maury.  Maury, who worked his entire career for Lucien Lanaverre is perhaps best known as the designer of the International 420 which is to this day widely used in High School and Collegiate sailing competitions.

Recently a Lanaverre Moth has popped up for sale in the Norfolk, Virginia area.  What follows are photos of the Lanaverre Moth from that listing.

Although the hull is true to form, this example has had a number of modifications to the rig and hardware.

It this photo one can see that the original center traveler has been removed and replaced with a simple transom bridle.  Additionally, the foot of the sail is laced to the boom rather than employing the original bolt rope.  One wonders if the original boom broke and the current boom is a replacement.  Note the roll tank side decks which not only contribute to the buoyancy of this boat but also provide for spacious and comfortable cockpit.  This cockpit is a far cry from the cramped arrangements one generally sees with other Moth designs of this era.

Another departure from the original specification, is that the mast, which does appear to be correct for the boat, now sports a three stay rig rather than being free standing.  Whether or not the mast is still capable of rotation can not be determined from the photographs.

Red (and other color) sails were quite the rage in the early 1960s and to a degree are making a come back.  If you have a colored sail you need to stay at the head of the pack when racing since your position in the fleet will be obvious!

A better look at the added standing rigging.  Perhaps the stays were added in deference to the age of the spar?  I would think that originally the halyard would have cleated at the tip of the bendy mast rather than near deck level as it appears in this photo.

The over hanging edge of the decks might not pass the current Classic Moth sting test rule which demand no more than a one inch departure anywhere aft of the beginning of the centerboard trunk slot.  Due to the boat's age a waver might be granted.  Interested parties can contact the seller via this Craigslist ad:  http://norfolk.craigslist.org/boa/5051539341.html

 

Here is an ad for the Lanaverre Moth; page 44 from the 1960/61 issue of Moth Doings.  Back in the early 60s my father and I went to Paramus and looked these boats.  We decided against buying one when the salesman asked if there were any Challenger Moths at our regattas.  At that point in time the Challenger was an obsolete design.  My father reflected that if this boat was struggling against Challengers then it wouldn't stand a chance against a well sailed Cates-Florida, which was the dominant design at the time.  I've only seen a couple of these boats over the years and never in competition.  A pity since they probably were more advanced than we realized. After a short production run Lanaverre switched over to make Europa Moths.  The Europa Moth went on to become the Olympic Europe dinghy but that's another story.