August 29th, 2024
Newport, RI – USA has a rich history of yachting, with the America’s Cup here for decades until the Australians won it in 1983. The New York Yacht Club, along with many other fine yacht clubs, lie here all ringing Narragansett Bay. On any given day or evening, there are numerous yacht races or regattas taking place.
With this backdrop – the second edition of the Moody World Cup (2024) took place on August 17th, hosted like last year by Berthon USA, out of the Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown. Drawing yachts from as far afield as Switzerland and Germany, and crews from Australia, Norway, and the UK, it truly lived up to its grandiose title!
An informal welcome drinks party was held at the upstairs bar at Jamestown’s BEECH restaurant, on the Friday evening with race instructions and welcome bags given to all the competitors.
Saturday dawned with a forecast for very light winds. The race committee of Alan Baines, Jeanie and Peter Houghton were not feeling very optimistic and were seriously considering giving alternate sailing instructions – consisting of a motorboat race, with a form of seagoing ‘monopoly’. The idea was for a boat to go around a mark, and then open random instructions such as ‘hit mark – do a 360’; ‘Caught lobsterpot – go at idle speed for 1 minute’.
Fortunately, a light SE breeze filled in – only about 7-9 kts, but enough to make these rocket ships pick up their skirts. We set the course from the start to South of Rose Island, across the bay to Clingstone (house on the rock) and back to the start – two laps.
With a short delay while Moody 45 CECILIA fixed its powered headsail furler (i.e., turn the boat off, then on again) 4 x 54s and 2 x 45s milled around the start area. Bob and Lucy McBride’s Moody 54 OUTNUMBERED, with crew all dressed in matching clothing, including the signature lime green sun bed in situ (not many World Cups where there is a sunbed option!) – were clearly a favorite for medals.
We set a nice long start line – albeit with a lobsterpot, and there may have been a mooring in the middle of it to avoid – an added challenge, and at the signal, the racers were off! Luckily, the tide was slack and after the start the fleet diverged with some going across to the top of Rose Island, and some tacking to port, down the center of the bay. It was clear that the light winds favored the 45s on the upwind leg – both 45s had very nice sails, and the 45s rounded the windward mark in the midst of the 54s. First around was the Swiss entry Moody 54 NAUTILIA, complete with dinghy on the davits. Expertly sailed by Hans and Izabella Haueter, the boat consistently sailed fast. On the reaching and downwind legs, the 54s unfurled their genoas, and started to overhaul the 45s.
Initially the intention was to do two laps, but we changed this after one lap to do two races each of one 3-mile lap instead, and thus get a series.
The wind veered a little to the south, so we did the second race on the same course, but in reverse, meaning it was upwind to Clingstone, a reach across to Rose, and then downwind to the finish.
NAUTILIA was again the boat to beat, and was first to finish, but on handicap it was the 45s – Ryan and Jennifer Yosts LIBERTY, and Jim and Karen Coynes CECILIA (also known as Sea Vous Play) correcting to first and second place. Three of the 54s – NAUTILIA, OUTNUMBERED and Bob & Jane Weiland’s JANE MARIE were only 38 seconds apart, each. Bringing up the rear was the German 54 VISION, sailed by Jan Jarzembowski and fellow Moody 54 owner – and last year’s winner Peter Lacoste. While beautifully sailed, the boat was dragging around its own oyster bed, his dinghy on davits, and enough tools and spares to go around the world (oh wait! – he is!).
After the cut and thrust of high level ‘Mack truck’ racing, it was back to the wonderful Conanicut Yacht Club where we had cocktails, a lovely buffet dinner and prizegiving. The wonderful thing about one make regattas is everyone gets a prize.
Moody 54 VISION – Jan got a torx screwdriver bit – because you never can have enough of those, and a jar of Newport Sea Salt as a memento of Newport.
Jan with his sea salt and Torx bit.
Moody 54 JANE MARIE – After taking delivery of the boat in 2020 – Bob signed up for a 6-month marine electricians’ course at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport (Moody 54s are complicated!). Therefore, we thought he and Jane would know what to do with a roll of electrical tape. A year or two ago, their dog Saint was featured in a Brooks Brothers ad, on the foredeck of the Moody. We also gave them a small cast iron dog. The color was right (black) – although the dog was clearly a different breed!
Bob with some valuable electrical tape – and the iron Dachshund.
Moody 54 OUTNUMBERED – With a crew of ten, they outnumbered everyone else! They needed a rattan handled bottle opener.
Bob with his bottle opener!
Moody 45 CECILIA – Jim and Karen have had to endure a recalcitrant bow thruster of late. Next step in the troubleshooting is to see if anything was jamming it. Thus – A mask and Snorkel seemed to be fit!
Jim with the Mask and Snorkel. (and third price coaster!).
Moody 45 LIBERTY – Ryan and Jen do a magnificent job moderating the Moody DS Owners Facebook page and keep that group of owners and friends engaged. A Mouse shaped cheese knife was the order of the day.
Ryan with the second-place cup!
Moody 54 SOUTHERN CROSS – Peter and Ange could not bring their own M54 to defend their title this year, but sailed with Jan on VISION, and son Locky and his girlfriend sailed on LIBERTY. Such is the friendship with this group of owners. To remind this Aussie family of home – we got a jar of Marmite. OK, it is not Vegemite – but nicer, as this Brit can attest to!
Moody 54 NAUTILIA – Hans and Izabella’s boat was running like a fine Swiss watch, so clearly did not need any tools, or spares, but a bar of Lindt chocolate was the way to go! Oh – and along with the overall 2024 Moody World Cup, and a crown!
2024 Winners! Hans and Izabella with the trophy, crown, and bar of Chocolate!
Thanks to Hanse USA, Wald and Sea for the Hats and Gifts and participation in the regatta!
See you all next year!
Alan, Peter, Jeanie, Jennifer.
Berthon USA
To find out more about the Moody Yachts range, visit https://berthonusa.com/new-yacht-sales/moody-yachts/.
Contact sales@berthonusa.com.
About Berthon USA | Meet the Berthon Sales Group
| Yachts | Race 1 | ||||
| Elapsed (secs) | Corrected (secs) | Delta(secs) | Points | ||
| NAUTILIA | 3309 | 3242 | 0.75 | ||
| OUTNUMBERED | 3438 | 3388 | 146 | 2 | |
| CECILIA | 3777 | 3437 | 49 | 3 | |
| LIBERTY | 3955 | 3599 | 162 | 4 | |
| JANE MARIE | 3722 | 3647 | 48 | 5 | |
| VISION | 3914 | 3835 | 188 | 6 | |
| – | Race 2 | ||||
| LIBERTY | 3598 | 3274 | 0.75 | ||
| CECILIA | 3692 | 3357 | 83 | 2 | |
| NAUTILIA | 3554 | 3482 | 125 | 3 | |
| JANE MARIE | 3572 | 3520 | 38 | 4 | |
| OUTNUMBERED | 3631 | 3558 | 38 | 5 | |
| VISION | 3967 | 3887 | 329 | 6 | |
| Overall | Points | ||||
| NAUTILUS | Moody DS54/069 | Hans & Izabella Haueter | Switzerland | 3.75 | |
| LIBERTY | Moody DS45/104 | Ryan & Jennifer Yost | Memphis, TN – USA | 4.75 | |
| CECILIA | Moody DS45/118 | Jim & Karen Coyne | Concord, MA – USA | 5 | |
| OUTNUMBERED | Moody DS54/048 | Bob & Lucy Mcbride | Concord, MA – USA | 7 | |
| JANE MARIE | Moody DS54/061 | Bob & Jane Weiland | Freeport, ME – USA | 9 | |
| VISION | Moody DS54/071 | Jan Jarzembowski | Germany | 12 | |
