#MothWorlds15 – Kiwi sailing sensation Peter Burling dominated the 2015 Moth Worlds in Sorrento, Australia last Friday but two Irish sailors featured in the top class field too. The National YC's Annalise Murphy finished in 56th place and Howth's Alistair Kissane finished in 58th place from 158 entries
In the very heavy winds of the last race Olympic Radial champ Annalise scored 30th, putting her second lady overall. She told Afloat.ie:
'My gantry exploded when I was in eighth coming down the last downwind to the finish. Managed to grab my rudder before it sank. I'm ok, just annoyed, it would have been an epic way to finish! I am seriously battered though!
Emirates Team New Zealand sailor Peter Burling won the following his domination of the event with 9 race wins in the 14 race series. "There are some great guys in this record fleet, I am absolutely stoked to win," said World 49er Champion Burling who will have little time to celebrate and is then heading to the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami, then it's back to America's Cup duties.
The Irish results were made all the more significant taking account of the quality of entries at the event in Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club – including five members of the Americas Cup winning Oracle USA team, sailors from the Artemis and Emirates teams, world champions and Olympic gold medalists including Tom Slingsby who sailed with John Bertrand to win the Etchells Worlds in Howth in 2010.
Kissane managed a very steady set of results including 26th and 20th place in the final two races. According to the Howth Yacht Club website, Kissane spent six hours repairing his Moth before the final day – a product of racing these foiling boats in the high wind and sea conditions that were prevalent in the latter part of the championships.
