Insane Conditions at the Moth Worlds on Lake Garda!

Moths usually fly, but this week a lot were submarining on Lake Garda! Pic: Martina Orsini
It's been a massive few days over in Italy, for the 2017 Moth Worlds, with typical Lake Garda conditions testing sailors to their limits. As expected, Aussies are filling the top half of the 240 strong fleet.

Day three provided the most spectacular racing, with winds blowing over 20 knots and the swells peaking up to 2m in some sections of the course. Those wands were working overtime as racers sailed past the gorgeous backdrop of Monte Baldo, but through it all Tom Slingsby emerged joint leader with Paul Goodison from the UK. Nathan Outteridge who was expected to be up there, suffered a rig breakage on day 3, pushing him back to 35th.

Interestingly, a look down the results list highlights the birth dates of competitors - there's an insane split there for a world championship, ranging from the 67 Year Phil Stevenson from Australia, born in 1950 and currently placed in 133rd; to the millennium baby Massimo Contessi from Argentina at only 17. That 50 year split is impressive to see in a world championship, let alone in a high performance class like the Moth!

Winds are expected to lighten this week and throughout the weekend for better sailing conditions, will Outteridge come back for redemption after his loss at the Americas Cup? Or will Slingsby keep his spot on top of the podium?

Check out the action from Day three to see Outteridges spectacular dismasting, and a bit of the carnage around the rest of the fleet.