Absurdist Class

The Foiling Moth

11 feet · Single-handed · No self-righting · 950 miles of open Atlantic

11 ft LOA

30–36 kts Sprint Speed

0 Offshore Records

~$20K Boat Cost

The Boat

International Moth

Foiling Configuration · Development Class

LOA

11 ft / 3.35m

Beam

2.25m

Weight

~30 kg

Crew

Sprint Speed

30–36 kts

Cost (new)

$15–25K

Foil System

Wand-controlled T-foil

Class Founded

~1930s

International Moth fleet foiling — NZL, ARG, AUS, ITA flags at a world championship event

The International Moth is one of the oldest classes in sailing, dating to the 1930s. But around 2000–2005, the development class was completely transformed by the introduction of hydrofoils. A modern foiling Moth has a single hull, a wand-controlled T-foil system, and can sustain 20–30 knots in the right conditions. Ned Goss hit 36.5 knots in a Charleston sea breeze on a MACH2 Moth.

The boat costs roughly $20,000. The open sailing record it would be chasing was set by a team that probably spent 100x that on fuel alone. This is not about money. This is about audacity.

The Projection

In ideal flat-water conditions with sustained favorable wind, a foiling Moth might average 15–20 knots over distance. That's a theoretical 47–63 hours for the 947-nautical-mile passage. In practice, it would be significantly slower — ocean swell, wind shifts, fatigue, the physical impossibility of foiling continuously for two and a half days.

But here's the thing: the theoretical speed isn't the issue. A foiling Moth in good conditions is as fast as the catamaran Explorer was when it set the inaugural record in 1999. The issue is everything else.

The Barriers

No Self-Righting

A Moth capsizes regularly in normal racing conditions. In open ocean swell, capsizes would be frequent and potentially unrecoverable without assistance. The boat has no self-righting capability. Each capsize is a potential DNF.

Ocean Swell

Foiling requires relatively flat water. Open Atlantic swell — even modest 4–6 foot swells — would force the boat off its foils repeatedly. Long-period groundswell from distant storms would be an invisible obstacle for the entire passage south of Hatteras.

Human Endurance

Foiling a Moth is physically exhausting. The sailor is hiking out, managing the wand, trimming, and steering simultaneously. Sustained effort beyond 6–8 hours is the domain of ultramarathon athletes. This passage would require 48+ hours of active sailing.

No Provisions

There is nowhere to store food, water, or safety equipment on an 11-foot dinghy. Any attempt would require a support boat following closely — which raises questions about the purity of the record, even if the Moth isn't towed.

Why It Matters

A foiling Moth attempt on NYC–Miami is the sailing equivalent of running the Cannonball in a Caterham Seven — technically possible, catastrophically impractical, and exactly the kind of thing Chasing Greatness exists to celebrate. The story is in the attempt, not the time.

Would anyone do it? Yes. The offshore sailing world has produced sufficiently unhinged individuals for exactly this kind of project. The Sydney–Hobart has seen its share of inappropriate vessels. The Vendée Globe exists. Someone, somewhere, has already thought about this and is waiting for a weather window.

The Record

No WSSRC record exists for a foiling Moth on any offshore passage. No attempt has been registered. The Miami–NY Moth record would be inaugural — and given the near-impossibility of the attempt, it might stand forever.

CG will formally recognize any completed foiling Moth passage from Ambrose Light to Miami Sea Buoy. Time is secondary. Finishing is the achievement.

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