Why sail a Moth? I’ve come across a bit of backlash from the
technological complexity of the upcoming edition of the America’s Cup. I’ve
seen it in print, from the pens of esteemed sailors and heard it at the bar.
The question of the relevance of tech to grass roots sailing is being brought
up. It’s easy to forget that the venerable Beetle Cat, at some time not so
long ago, would have been the essence of modernity – centreboards and upwind
sailing considered the devil’s work by the staunchest conservatives.
Getting back to the Moth question, the first part of the
answer is because sailing has always been about moving forward, exploring what’s
just over the horizon and eventually across the ocean. The quest for discovery
is part of the spirit of sailing itself – very much at the grass roots. When it
comes specifically to the Moth, it’s just that the questions are more
interesting, the answers more diverse, the speed and manoeuvrability more exciting,
the tactics more complex. There’s probably more but this is enough for me.
