A few days ago Dalton Bergan ended up third in the International Moth Class US Nationals. We asked Bergan to share a little about the regatta and Moths in general. Ever since he and wife/sailing partner Lindsey started Moth sailing several years ago he’s been keen on promoting the class. -KH
Dalton, to weather, and Lindsey Bergan.
By Dalton Bergan
I had a great time sailing in the most recent Moth nationals in Key largo. The fleet in the US is as big as ever in foiling history and would be larger if the builder in China could keep up with orders. A new boat is over $20k now, which is the only thing keeping it the numbers from exploding. It’s worth noting that most dinghies like Tasars and 29ers cost in the mid teens and are not the state of the art.
I was fortunate to borrow a boat down there from a lawyer who couldn’t miss the case he was on. However, it’s not very difficult or expensive to ship boat to events in the relatively small box they come in. The boats are only getting faster! While racing I typically see mid teens and reasonable angles upwind and 25+ downwind. This requires your sailing skills to be sharp sharp with quick decisions. I was happy with a 3rd place finish. The competition level is high with the most recent world champion in 5th. It should be noted I wasn’t the only Seattle sailor in the 23 boat fleet. Up-and-coming Ian Andrews was there as well, although a collision with a ski boat slowed him down some. The fleet is truly deep and competitive with a recent gold medalist, college sailor of the year and Melges 32 world champion skipper all in the back of the pack.
So, if you want some truly exhilarating sailing and can put your ego aside, join the fun. I’m not currently a Moth owner but would get another one if a couple more Seattle sailors were interested for some local practicing.
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