Dubai Moth Grand Prix

This is what we are all about at the moment, racing on a monthly basis, to see how we stand amongst each other and then also to learn a few racing tips and tricks. It will also help those sailors who would never have competed at such a high level as the Moth Worlds here in March 2010 getting used to a competitive atmosphere and knowing what to do and how to act in regards to rules.

Here is a short promotion video that I threw together yesterday, it will hopefully get out into the public and help us in finding a small sponsor for the Grand Prix series. We are not looking for large amounts of cash, we just want a sponsor who is willing to provide the top 3 overall places and top under 18 with a decent prize at the end of the season, acting as an incentive to keep racing!

If there is anyone out there who is interested, please get in touch with me: marcelsailor@yahoo.com



Here is the newspaper report of the event:

‘Mothing’ the Arabian Gulf

The past weekend has seen one of the most spectacular forms of sailing exhibited in Dubai. Eight sailors from Dubai competed in the newly launched Dubai Moth Grand Prix Series which is to take place once a month from September in the lead up to the World Championships in March. Moth Sailing is at the forefront of modern day racing with each sailor flying about a meter above the water, with the help of modern hydrofoil technology, in boats just over three meters long and reaching speeds in excess of 25 knots.

Saturdays racing took place in close proximity to the Jumeirah Beach Park, where on lookers were amazed by the sheer speed and aesthetics of these nimble boats soaring across the water. “These boats are just phenomenal, ripping across the water today in 12-15 knots of breeze and reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h, it was perfect racing conditions” said Glenn Raphael, President of the UAE Moth Class Association. He added “Short Course Slalom Racing, similar to the professional windsurfing tour is the way to go with this type of sailing, never have we had this many spectators watching a day of racing”. The Beach Park was well visited by “Beach-goers” and truly spread the word about Moth sailing in Dubai.

This was the first ever edition of the Dubai Moth Grand Prix, with seven more events planned throughout the season. Marcel Herrera, a youth Moth sailor representing the UAE, explained the set up for such a race day; “A normal race consists of one mark and a start line. The start line is somewhere close to the beach usually, and the mark is about 400m away, directly into the wind. The boats start at the same time on the start line indicated by a horn and have to race around the mark and back to the start line, the first boat back wins!” He added “But it’s really not as simple as that, you could consider such a race to be like a horse race; a good combination of technique, fitness and tactical thinking is what makes you win”

Round one of the series was won by Brit Chris Graham, who merely took the lead away on a points count back from Aussie Glenn Raphael on equal points, with Marcel Herrera finishing up the podium in third place. The conditions were tough with the heat draining most energy reserves very quickly, but the tough competition was the biggest challenge that Chris Graham had to overcome to take the honours.

Chris Graham, fellow Moth sailor, gave us a heads-up about the class’s ambitions in the future in regards to Moth sailing in Dubai “We are hosting the Moth World Championships at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in March 2010. To be given the opportunity to host such a prestigious event is a huge privilege on its own, but most of the organisers will be racing themselves, which just adds to the thrill factor.” The local sailors will be joined by about 70 other sailors from over 18 nations, providing the UAE with by far the most exciting sailing event yet.

Contenders will carry their points through to the next round of the Dubai Moth Grand Prix scheduled for the 10th of October, followed by the 14th of November, 5th December, 16th January, 20th February, 27th March and 7th May.
If you are intrigued by this forefront of modern sailing and want to see what it’s all about, we strongly encourage you to get in touch with some of the sailors or come down one afternoon to watch it yourself!