Moth Class comes full circle at Worlds

The 2026 Moth World Championship on November 6-12 has attracted 77 entries from 11 nations to the Swan River in Perth, Western Australia. For a development class founded in 1926, which held its first world title in 1973, the 11-foot Moth effectively became ground zero for foiling:

2004-07: Foilers quickly took over the class, and lowriders largely disappeared from World Championship competition. The conventional boats were simply no longer competitive against foilers.
2018: Lowrider movement got traction.
2020–25: Lowrider fleets continued to grow, holding national and inland championships in the UK and Australia. Interest steadily increased, but the World Championships remained a foiler-only event.
2026: Perth is the breakthrough with both Foiler and Lowrider fleets competing for the first time, in separate divisions, at the World Championship, with about a third of the entries staying low.

When a top of the line foiling Moth is approaching $100k US, this may be the kind of lifeline needed.

From a historical standpoint, this is significant. It means the World Championship has come full circle: after nearly 20 years as an exclusively foiling showcase, it once again provides a world-level venue for sailors competing in the pre-foiling Moths.

Details: https://mbsc.com.au/regattas/moth-world-championship-2026/