The wind teased, tantalized, taunted and baited the sailors on day 1 of the Wetsuit Outlet and Zhik International Moth World Championship at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, but ultimately it was not to be, and racing was abandoned for the day.
The 140 boats are split into two flights, and Yellow fleet were sent out on to the water after an hour’s postponement ashore, as a South Westerly filled in with all the signs of a sea breeze building.
Every so often a band of breeze would come through and the Moths rose up on to their foils, reaching up and down around the committee boat, but the fragile wind dropped down to under five knots as quickly as it came. Monday was destined to be frustrating for all.
Race Officer David Campbell-James showed pity on Yellow fleet after a while, sending them ashore and prepping Blue fleet to launch if the breeze came in, but after a sustained ten minutes of a mighty eight knots mid-afternoon, the feeble breeze capitulated again; AP over A was raised, and with it racing was cancelled for the day.
Mark Jardine
