Dangerous foiling moth 'pilot' in Portland.

[Nos4r2]

Started videoing this absolut 'person' after he forced us in a 39' mobo to go into reverse to avoid him, and no, he wasn't holding a steady course. He then pulled the stunt in the video.
If you're going into Portland, keep an eye out for him, he'll make a big mess on someone's hull at some point.

 

[MisterBaxter]

Watching film of some foiling craft, you do get the impression that the difficulty of just keeping it flying and upright is such that there's not a huge amount of attention left for steering and looking around... And the need to luff and bear away to manage heel, like riding a bike, can produce a rather wavering, unsteady course not under full control.
They are incredible though. I remember reading 'The forty knot sailboat'' several decades ago and marvelling at some of the experimental foiling craft; now it's mainstream and extraordinary speeds seem commonplace.

 

[dunedin]

Started videoing this absolut 'person' after he forced us in a 39' mobo to go into reverse to avoid him, and no, he wasn't holding a steady course. He then pulled the stunt in the video.
If you're going into Portland, keep an eye out for him, he'll make a big mess on someone's hull at some point.

What was the stunt? Were they going through a racing course.
Portland is the venue for many Olympic and World Championships. And some of these Moth sailors are the most skilled full time professional sailors, and do crossings much closer than that during races. They are going so fast a slow yacht will be treated as an obstruction and they move round it.
And the Moth weights a few kg. If crashes nothing else will be impacted, only the sailor. Very different from a heavy jet ski type thing which weighs 200kg plus (and less likely to have a professional / world ranking pilot)

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I get much closer than that in a 30 ft 2 ton trimaran, I fail to see any issue whatsoever there. Even if you’d not gone into reverse. You are, of course, the give way vessel, and Portland is an elite sailing centre. If you don’t want dinghies whizzing around you it’s best avoided.

 

[john_morris_uk]

What was the stunt? Were they going through a racing course.
Portland is the venue for many Olympic and World Championships. And some of these Moth sailors are the most skilled full time professional sailors, and do crossings much closer than that during races. They are going so fast a slow yacht will be treated as an obstruction and they move round it.
And the Moth weights a few kg. If crashes nothing else will be impacted, only the sailor. Very different from a heavy jet ski type thing which weighs 200kg plus (and less likely to have a professional / world ranking pilot)

I’m also trying to see what was so dangerous about the moths actions in the video.

Is it like a crew member I had last year who complained about how close we sailed to a buoy. (We passed it down wind and down tide missing it by several meters). In fact as we got closer we couldn’t have hit it if we’d tried to yet it was ‘too close’ in his eyes. I suggested he tried racing in a one design regatta if he wanted to see ‘close’.

 

[KevinV]

A bit close, but he went round the stern - what's the problem? If you'd not gone into reverse he probably would have gone round your stern too - as above, you're pretty much a stationary object to him

 

[Bouba]

That’s why the law states give way to sail...the law is based on the assumption that sailors don’t know what they are doing

 

[john_morris_uk]

It’s best to ignore trolling comments in my experience.

 

[boomerangben]

The col regs written x years ago before high speed craft still apply and there is no reason why they shouldn’t still do so. After all, the col regs lol form the basis of rules of the air where traffic is travelling much faster. The issue here is that we have to adapt from our current expectation of sailing traffic travelling between (mostly) 0 to 15 knots to where they are now quicker. They are not going much faster than a quick motor craft and we can manage them. Having said that, if a jet ski had pulled the same stunt, I’m sure there would many wrinkled eye brows on here

 

[Chiara’s slave]

The col regs written x years ago before high speed craft still apply and there is no reason why they shouldn’t still do so. After all, the col regs lol form the basis of rules of the air where traffic is travelling much faster. The issue here is that we have to adapt from our current expectation of sailing traffic travelling between (mostly) 0 to 15 knots to where they are now quicker. They are not going much faster than a quick motor craft and we can manage them. Having said that, if a jet ski had pulled the same stunt, I’m sure there would many wrinkled eye brows on here

The actions of the op contributed to how close the pass was. If he did the same with a jetski, there might be repercussions. Obviously in this case his actions were in good faith and attempting to avoid a closer interaction. The problem really is him not realising just how fast a moth is. Nor having faith that anyone who can foil one can probably steer round him.

 

[john_morris_uk]

The col regs written x years ago before high speed craft still apply and there is no reason why they shouldn’t still do so. After all, the col regs lol form the basis of rules of the air where traffic is travelling much faster. The issue here is that we have to adapt from our current expectation of sailing traffic travelling between (mostly) 0 to 15 knots to where they are now quicker. They are not going much faster than a quick motor craft and we can manage them. Having said that, if a jet ski had pulled the same stunt, I’m sure there would many wrinkled eye brows on here

The jetski produces wash, wake, spray and noise. Passing close is annoying and makes life on board the sailing vessel uncomfortable. . The moth just whizzes by.

 

[flaming]

Started videoing this absolut 'person' after he forced us in a 39' mobo to go into reverse to avoid him, and no, he wasn't holding a steady course. He then pulled the stunt in the video.
If you're going into Portland, keep an eye out for him, he'll make a big mess on someone's hull at some point.

Can you explain what in that video you are calling a "stunt"?

Nothing looks at all out of the ordinary there.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I’m also trying to see what was so dangerous about the moths actions in the video.

Is it like a crew member I had last year who complained about how close we sailed to a buoy. (We passed it down wind and down tide missing it by several meters). In fact as we got closer we couldn’t have hit it if we’d tried to yet it was ‘too close’ in his eyes. I suggested he tried racing in a one design regatta if he wanted to see ‘close’.

Very true. If we miss a buoy by more than a metre if it’s choppy, and 20cm if it’s flat, we’ve lost the race.

 

[justanothersailboat]

I'm not sure I see anything that worries me there. I've had closer racers. Also nothing like the menace of a bloody jetski.

And I say this even though a shout of "WE'RE RACING" usually causes me to bite my tongue to resist the temptation to shout "HOW NICE FOR YOU, I'M NOT"

 

[Bouba]

I have to say…why do sailboats think that a race means that they own the water ? I have seen them have organised races across the harbour entrance !

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I have to say…why do sailboats think that a race means that they own the water ? I have seen them have organised races across the harbour entrance !

Colregs apply to racing boats in full. I guess the difficulty is if you’ve got a large fleet. We’d have 40-50 boats in our fleet at Cowes, and if it’s a squadron start, yes, we’re right off the harbour entrance, and the start is often utter chaos! But XODs manage 5 kn if they’re very lucky, so easier to avoid. In this case, if Moths are racing in Portland harbour, you’d kind of expect that, just as you would if you came to Cowes in Cowes week.

 

[Bouba]

Colregs apply to racing boats in full. I guess the difficulty is if you’ve got a large fleet. We’d have 40-50 boats in our fleet at Cowes, and if it’s a squadron start, yes, we’re right off the harbour entrance, and the start is often utter chaos! But XODs manage 5 kn if they’re very lucky, so easier to avoid. In this case, if Moths are racing in Portland harbour, you’d kind of expect that, just as you would if you came to Cowes in Cowes week.

And you can’t cross the road in Monaco during the F1…I understand that but you have the entire ocean…why prevent boats leaving and entering the harbour…there is no sense to that

 

[Praxinoscope]

I have watched the video several times and as others have said I can't see any dangerous activity by the moth.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

And you can’t cross the road in Monaco during the F1…I understand that but you have the entire ocean…why prevent boats leaving and entering the harbour…there is no sense to that

I accept your point. I suggest you ask the Royal Yacht Squadron to move their start line. The very best of luck, I have some rather nice Armagnac here to revive you afterwards.

 

[Wansworth]

I accept your point. I suggest you ask the Royal Yacht Squadron to move their start line. The very best of luck, I have some rather nice Armagnac here to revive you afterwards.

The start line is set so members can whatch having tea and cakes