14 October, 1997 301 464-0757 Vol. 7, Nr 3

 On the 24th of May five classic Moth boats assembled for the Portsmouth Boat Club's annual Merrimac Memorial Regatta. Although there were only five of us (Walt Collins, Erky and Bryan Gregory, Scott Wolf and myself), Moths comprised the largest fleet present, and I have a trophy to prove it. The weather was uncharacteristically mild by usual Portsmouth standards with lots of sun (first sunburned neck of the season; always miss somewhere with the sunbiock), and a distinct absence of wind. Three to five knots was about it all day. Those who attended the two previous Portsmouth Regattas will 110 doubt find this all very incredible. The wind was light enough that the original plan of three races was reduced to two. Wait won in "Feather" with Erky second in the boat he built last year. Brian sailed his latest boat, a dark green beauty with the general shape of "Mint" but with a much finer entry, to third.

 This year's edition of the BYC Classic Moth Regatta went off on Saturday the 14th of June. Eight boats contested for the right to take home the New Jersey State Championship trophy. Regrettably, Walt Collins had to withdraw after winning the first two races, which were sailed in light air. This left Erky Gregory and Merv Wescoat tied for top honor at the lunch break.

After an all too brief lunch, the remaining three races were sailed in ever increasing wind. The combination of the strong sea breeze, the absence of Walt, and the loan of a good sail from Jean Gruhier permitted your editor to win the last race. Something I haven't done in a while! The final placings were Erky 1st, Merv 2nd and Bill Hiller a fine 3rd. So, after spending a year on the wall of Mike Albert's apartment in Boston, Mass the New Jersey trophy heads south to North Carolina. Will the blasted thing ever spend a year in New Jersey!?

 Walt Collins and Greg Duncan sent me the following e-mail account of the PRYC event. Thanks! Five Moths participated in the PRYC regatta on the 28th of June at Elizabeth City. Racing started off in light air, with the wind building as the regatta progressed. Erky got to practice de-powering his rig during the last race when his halyard slipped at the end of the first lap. He was able to rehoist most of the way and finished a close 2nd to Bryan on the last race. The final placings were Erky first, his son Bryan second and Chuck Higgins third.

 Fourteen classic Moth Boats assembled (peacefully) on the 23rd of August at the Carolina YC, Charleston, South Carolina. Walt and I rolled down Friday with "Charm Troll" and "Photon". The venue is down in the historic area and thus there is much to distract all but the most ardent Mothist. Luckily for you, dear reader, yr hmbl & obdnt srvnt is not easily drawn away from a yard full of interesting Moth Boats.

Among the boats rigging up when we arrived were the two built the previous winter by Savannah natives Jim Hardee and Lane Reeves. These boats, beautifully finished and very reminiscent of a Zuma class dinghy, were loaded with many interesting details and rig controls. Also in attendance was Randall Stoney with a Darby-Ventnor which had not tasted water in 28 years! This boat was particularly evocative for me as I had started my Moth Boat racing in a similar shaped Ventnor-built Moth in 1959. Lewis Hay was racing the Mach I Cates design which Randall Swan had at E.C. the previous year. Good to see a familiar boat return to racing with a new owner. Regrettably, many raceworthy Moths have slipped away from the racing scene after changing hands. Millie Williamson and Dan Steadley were there with "Jumping Juniper II" and "Orange Crush". Frank Howell sailed Mike Jones' Mk II Fletcher, while Mike sailed "Salty Dog", his original Harry Cates built "Florida" Moth. Greg Duncan sailing newly acquired "Blew Bug" (ex-"Firefly") and Erky Gregory sailing "Carolina Jazz" represented Elizabeth City. Randall Swan, sailing "Energizer", a Ted Causey modified Stockholm Sprite, and Nancy Swan, sailing "Plain Vanilla" rounded out the fleet.

Race day provided a good strong NNE wind (1~18) and a challenging chop to negotiate on the course, set in front of the Battery. Randall won in convincing style with 3 first places. Walt was 2nd, and Erky 3rd. The "lumpy" conditions in the harbor provided plenty of thrills and spills for the spectators. Notable among the casualties was Nancy Swan, who, after capsizing, cut herself enough to require stitches, but was game enough to have us all over that same evening for a party! Thank you, Nancy! We enjoyed it!

 The Norfolk Y&CC, Norfolk, Virginia held its annual Labor day weekend regatta on the 30-31st. of August. Six boats contested this event, including John Tazwell and Jay Taylor sailing sisterships Nrs 2666, "Revenge" and 2667, "Knave". These very narrow boats excel in light air and are the two surviving hulls of five built to an early Walt Collins design in the l96Os. N.T. Aydlett sailed Whit Moore's "Miz Moe", Walt sailed "Photon", and Erky and Bryan Gregory sailed their usual beats. Winds were light both days. Five races were sailed Saturday and three on Sunday. Walt won by one point from John Tazw II. Erky was third, Bryan was fourth, N.T. was fifth and John Taylor completed the field. The racing was close. N.T. finished 2nd in the first race, Jay was near the top on several occasions, and Erky took 1st in two of the races.

 The combined MOAICMBA National Championship was held at Elizabeth City, North Carolina on the 20-21st. of September. Measuring of sails and boats took place at Erky Gregory's house on Friday the 1~h. As we have come to expect, this regatta drew the most boats of any this year and continued its own tradition of becoming a little larger. This year's event drew 35 boats, 32 of which raced. Many of the beats which raced are familiar to those who race or read this newsletter, so I will briefly mention the boats and skippers new to Elizabeth City. Jere Woltz of Greensboro, NC brought "Sea Nymph", Nr 696, a beautiful white and bright finished Dorr Willey boat he has owned since new. Joe Bousquet came down from Norfolk with "Try-umph", a Mistral design Moth which he recently built. Glenn Brown joined the New Jersey convoy with Joe Courter and Merv and Barb Wescoat. Glenn was sailing a fiberglass Fletcher-Cates, Nr 27%, which he restored from near derelict condition a few years back. Mike Albert's sister Mariana was having a go in my Cates "Charm Troll" while I came to grips with Merv's "Look Out". Mariana' 5 husband Peter sailed Greg Duncan's "Miss Rachel".

On Saturday the winds were out of the Southwest at 10-15. This permitted the three scheduled races for the Museum of the Albemarle to be run and still allow time for the running of one of the races originally planned for Sunday. Since the forecast called for a front to pass through Elizabeth City Saturday night with the possibility of strong Northeast winds and thunderstorms for Sunday, the committee thought it prudent to get in as many races on Saturday as was practical. The first three races counted for the Museum's perpetual trophy, with the cumulative score of the four races to count toward the overall National Champion if no more racing could take place Sunday.

 After the first three races, Joe Bousquet proved the most consistent and added his name to the Museum's lovely perpetual trophy. Mike Albert was second in "Pegasus" and Randall Swan was third in "Energizer". After the fourth race, Mike took the overall lead for the National Championship.

Sunday dawned cool and blustery, with winds from the NNE at 1~25 with gusts higher. The decision by the sailors was to race, so the committee boat set a course and approximately half the fleet started. As can be imagined, there were several capsizes, but mercifully I think only one boat swamped. Regrettably, there were several DSQs due to skippers forgetting to honor the start/finish line. These DSQs altered the outcome of the regatta. At the end Mike Albert won overall to become the National Champion for 1997. Walt Collins was second and Randall Swan third. The results follow

 New boy Greg Allen answered my call in the last MAMBA newsletter for help designing and activating a web site for Classic Moth Boats on the internet. What a great job'. I wrote up a short blurb on what is a Classic Moth Boat and contributed some photos from recent regattas. You'll just have to get on line the see if you and your boat are on world wide view. I'm not telling. Walt Collins submitted some tips for people considering building a Moth, and Greg skillfully knitted it all together with lots of html hot links to other interesting internet sites. I hope this generates some new Mothists, or reconnects us with more old friends in the coming months. Many thanks Greg and Walt. The URL for the Classic Moth Boat web site is <http://www.nations.net/users/gma/moth/moth.htm>. Some Mothists are already aware of the Classic Moth Boat site. PLEASE NOTE the address listed above is NEW as of the first week of October 1997. The old site address will soon be discontinued.

 Speaking of old friends, I've finally managed to track down two time World Moth Boat Champion Ken KIare. Ken won the Worlds back to back, in 1958 and 1959, sailing Bill Lee's "Mint", Nr. 1335. Ken did not defend his title in l%0 as this was the first year the Moth Worlds were held outside of the U.S. However, "Mint" with Ken in the hot seat won the Moth U.S. nationals in 1960 against strong local competition. Ken now lives in Los Alamos, New Mexico and can be contacted by e-mail (kklare@lanl.gov) or snail mail, 645 Totavi, Los Alamos, NM 87544. Be sure to drop him a line. Maybe we can entice him to come east and race again!

Greg Allen has also been able to get the Classic Moth Boats an invitation to race at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, St. Petersburg, Florida the weekend of 31 Jan - 1 Feb. 1998. The Sailing Master/SPYC Regatta Coordinator is: Dave Ellis, phone 813/822-3113. His e-mail address is spycspsc@aol.com. Incidentally, the CMBA web site has a hot link to the SPYC Home Page. This is a truly up scale organization! Their site has info about the club, directions to the club (complete with a map!), history of the club, regatta schedule ,etc. The SPYC web site is definitely worth a visit even if you are not planning to race at St. Pete in January.

Russell Post to Donate a Historic Trophy

Russ Post called me last month and talked briefly about donating one of his trophies from the heydays of Moth racing. I'd like to see this trophy become a perpetual award for the highest placed skipper sailing a restored, genuinely old Moth Boat at the Nationals as an inducement to get those beautiful older boats racing instead of rotting in garages. Any other ideas? Send your thoughts for this trophy to me or Erky or Russell so plans can be made.

SOLD

 SOLD: "Miss Rachel", Nr36, built in 1996; 10th place finish at the '% Nationals. Complete, ready to race, with one year old sail. $600.00. Contact Greg Duncan on 919/264-4304 or by e-mail: gduncan@ecsu.campus.mci.net

 SOLD: "Charm Troll", Nr 2438, fiberglass, built in 1963 by Fletcher Marine Products. Ex-Joan Filsinger. The Cates "Florida" design is a nice stable platform with a generous amount of righting moment for lighter skippers. Boat placed first the last race at '97 BYC regatta. Includes a four year old Rosemere sail, recruit this summer by the Dan Winters loft. $500.00/OBO. Contact George Albaugh on 3011464-0757 or by e-mail:albaugh@307.blinrc.usda.gov

 

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George Albaugh - albaugh@307.bhnrc.usda.gov