Dinghy sailing on the Thames
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I sail a small
single-handed dinghy, a British Moth, at Medley Sailing Club. Both are
a tad idiosynchratic. Both are
rather special!
The
British Moth Dinghy
The British Moth is a very old design, but arguably still the best single hander for racing in the confined space of small rivers. Just 11 ft long, it's light (45 kg for the hull) and has plenty of sail area carried on a very tall and highly controlable rig. These characteristics make for a delightfully nimble boat, amazingly quick in the lightest of breeze, and able to catch wind that's been pushed upwards by trees and bushes that are so often a feature of river banks. When the wind blows hard, the short hull and high aspect ratio sail plan guarantee an exciting and challenging ride.
Medley
Sailing Club
Medley Sailing Club is situated within walking distance of Oxford city centre, on the west bank of the Thames overlooking Port Meadow (also a location for some of my bird photography). It is the most up-stream sailing club on the Thames with the river being wide enough for good tactical racing, but you wouldn't want it any narrower! The location is splendid as the meadow is a delightful spot and can be a magical place at certain times of the day and year. As noted above, the British Moth is ideally suited to this particular stretch of water, and Medley has the largest fleet of these boats anywhere. Other classes also race, notably Enterprises and Toppers.
Dinghy
sailing photo album
