AMERICA’S CUP STARS DOMINATE INTERNATIONAL MOTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PERTH

France’s outstanding Enzo Balanger, representing La Roche-Posay Racing Team, produced a commanding performance to claim the World Championship title, recording an extraordinary seven race victories from the 14-race series at Mounts Bay Sailing Club.

The defending champion was simply sensational, demonstrating the remarkable speed, balance and precision that have made him one of the most exciting young talents in international sailing. In a fleet packed with world-class competitors, Balanger's ability to find another gear when it mattered most proved decisive.

Finishing second was Australian Ryan Littlechild, a rising star of the Challenger of Record, GB1, who pushed hard throughout the championship and underlined his credentials as one of the emerging talents of the America's Cup generation.

Completing a remarkable America's Cup connection was Britain's Hattie Rogers, who is a trimmer for the British Women’s America’s Cup Team GB2, who claimed the Women's International Moth World Championship title with an impressive 20th place overall against the predominantly male fleet. For Rogers, already established as one of the leading female foiling sailors in the world, the result was another significant achievement in a career that continues to gather momentum.

The championship provided a compelling demonstration of why the International Moth has become such an important training ground for America's Cup sailors. These extraordinary single-handed foiling dinghies demand exceptional athleticism, lightning-fast reactions and an instinctive understanding of flight control, skills that translate directly into the high-performance world of the AC75.

On the Swan River, the racing was relentless. Perth's notoriously challenging breezes, shifting pressure and demanding conditions tested the sailors to their limits, with spectacular high-speed foiling, dramatic overtakes and occasional spectacular crashes.

For Balanger, the victory further cemented his reputation as a sailor capable of competing at the very highest level. For Littlechild and Rogers, their performances reinforced the depth of talent within the British America's Cup programmes.

With the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup approaching, the connections between the International Moth and the pinnacle of professional sailing have never been stronger.

The boats may be smaller, the sailors competing alone, but the principles remain identical: speed, precision, tactical intelligence and an unwavering determination to win.

From the Swan River to the Bay of Naples, the next generation of America's Cup stars is already making its mark and on this evidence, the future of foiling sailing looks exceptionally bright.

Magnus Wheatley

(PHOTO CREDITS: Down Under Sail)