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Elite international sailors are arriving on the shores of the Hibiscus Coast this month for the Moth World Championships hosted by Manly Sailing Club early next month.
Californian sailor Helena Scutt and Florida-based Lucas Calabrese are among the premier sailors preparing to compete in the international competition. Both sailors are coming off a mammoth America’s Cup campaign.
The American Magic teammates have arrived on the Coast early to collect their brand new boats from Silverdale boatbuilder and competition sponsor, MacKay Boats, and to acclimatise to sailing the boats in Manly.
“It was cool to see the MacKay factory in person as I’ve had a lot of boats from them over my career,” Helena said.
Despite being Olympic sailors and Americas Cup veterans, Lucas and Helena said they aren’t expecting to win the competition.
“For me it’s about staying active and continuing to sail in my break. These boats require a lot of time that we don’t get when we’re working on an America’s Cup campaign.
“My expectations are low because I haven’t been able to put in the time this boat needs. I still have the pressure I put on myself but with experience you eventually learn to just enjoy,” Lucas said.
There aren’t many women sailing moths and though Helena said she’d love to be one of the top women sailors in the competition, she’s more interested in all the women sailing well.
“We’ve been trading tips and it will be fun to sail against each other because we push each other as well.
“For me it’s about enjoying sailing my own boat after being one part of the big America’s Cup push. It’s almost a different sport because on the moth it’s just you and the ocean. The other day I tacked and ended up in the water but I just loved it. It feels a bit more free.
I’m not in the shape I would have liked to be for this race but that’s okay. These boats are hard to sail so any time you put into them, you end up a better sailor,” Helena said.
For many women in sailing, their size can be a barrier to competing in the moth class. It’s hard to achieve the speed. The heavier you are, the more leverage you have to make the boat go faster,” Helena said.
Both Lucas and Helena have so far been focused on familiarising themselves with their new boats and preparing for the competition, but they plan on taking some time out over Christmas to enjoy what the Hibiscus Coast has to offer.
Lucas’ wife, Pilar Garcia, and their two young children are flying in to join him for a summer holiday. His sister is also coming over from Australia with his nephews so Lucas is looking forward to a mini family reunion. Helena’s husband, Hans Henken, is also joining her for a summer Christmas and the couple will stay on for Hans to compete in the the Sail GP event.
“Everyone has been really welcoming so far and I appreciate the volunteer efforts in making this competition happen,” Helena said.
“It’s a community to be proud of – it feels very safe and clean,” Lucas said.
