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Back in December of 2007, I was invited to a friend's house for dinner and it turned out so was Jonnie. Over dinner we got talking about sailing and kite-surfing and got on to the subject of the new foiling moths. For me the idea of getting one was too hard to refuse so back in May last year, I bought a second hand moth and spent the summer getting it up to spec. Jonnie followed in September 08 with a brand new moth and we began the mothing adventure

Some of you may remember the first outing with the boat spending most of the time on it's side and myself getting in plenty of capsize practice! Being a pro sailor, Jonnie got on a lot better than I did. So what is it like to sail a moth? The first thing I noticed was how unfit and immobile I was even after years of kite-surfing! The moth requires agility and stamina with physical strength being low on the list of requirements. The boats are even more unstable than they were before foils were introduced and remembering how to move with cat like stealth is hard when you are reaching 40 and overweight!

The first thing was getting back in to shape which meant regular running and exercise. It's paid off having now shed nearly a stone but was pretty tough going! The next strangest thing is once you have figured out how to go in a straight line the holy grail is tacking and gybing on foils. This requires a complete rethink on the subject of turning a boat... you have to commit to a turn and cross the boat BEFORE you flip the sail which is a simple task if you haven't spent your entire sailing life doing the exact opposite! Jonnie has spent a lot of time this year getting the hang of it and I am just now beginning to get through the gybes and tacks without capsizing

Worthing is a surprisingly good location for mothing with the ideal conditions being offshore winds and flat water. So those numerous days of northerlies are when you are most likely to see us out. The journey so far has culminated in a trip to Hayling Island on the 18/19th April for our first moth open meeting where we were able to sail alongside the twice UK champion and ex world champion Simon Payne amongst all the other moth regulars. Jonnie entered the competition and finished a creditable 7th overall out of 22 and I opted to sail around the race course but not compete as my gybes are not up to it yet although I learnt loads that weekend.

So if any of you are thinking about getting a moth, do it! It's the most challenging sailing I have ever done but the feeling of being a metre out of the water and flying at over twice the windspeed in total silence is nothing short of amazing. There are currently no age restrictions as there are a couple of 65 year olds sailing these! The only thing I would say is that these are full carbon racing machines and require careful handling. Being a geek at heart, I have a passion for working with carbon and epoxy so I do all of the repairs and modifications on our boats when required. Oh.. and watch the rocks.. Hydrofoil fins do not like flintbeds! Thanks to Worthing Yacht Club and the warm welcome we have received from everyone. Thanks also to Clive for taking loads of pictures and video footage. I look forward to meeting everyone on the start line this year. Just remember to say hello when you pass me capsized at the gybe mark!