THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 16, 1995 TAG: 9509160283
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: By MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Fair winds and wet skippers will share the pop, crackle and snap of sails rounding the weather mark today when the 7th annual Moth Boat Regatta whitens the waters of the Pasquotank River in Elizabeth City.
The first Moth was built in Elizabeth City in 1929, the spare-time creation of yacht captain Joel Van Sant, a revered old sailor who thought small, out of pity for pocketbooks.
Soon the 11-foot single-handers became a popular sailboat racing class through the 1950s when they were replaced by newer one-designs.
But the little Moths lingered through the years in the hearts and hands of loyalists who enjoyed sailing the tricky catboats and liked to build them in basements, backyards and garages.
``And now we're bringing the Moths back,'' said Linwood Gregory Jr., a dedicated Elizabeth City home builder who lives on the Pasquotank and who is known by the improbable sailor's nickname of `Erky'.
``Moth Boat rules allow home builders a lot of leeway and all of us have new ideas and that keeps the class increasingly lively and developmental.
``This year we'll have 20 to 25 Moths here for the regatta, and a lot of them will be brand new, including Carolina Jazz, my latest boat,'' Gregory said.
Carolina Jazz?
``Yeah. The jasmine had begun to bloom when I finished the boat last spring,'' Gregory said. ``My wife had a fit when I named it Carolina Jazz, but, like I said, Moth builders have a lot of leeway. . . ''
It all started when Capt. Van Sant sailed into Elizabeth City 66 years ago to have his yacht Siesta overhauled at the old Elizabeth City Shipyard. Van Sant decided the original Moth boat he built shouldn't be cluttered with one-design constraints that would discourage other backyard builders.
The loose rules still apply.
Moths may be only 11 feet overall; may have a beam of not more than 6 feet, and the hull may weigh no more than 75 pounds. The 72-square foot sail limitation is ``sort of'' governed by rules, too, Gregory said.
But a builder is allowed to try just about anything as far as the underwater lines are concerned, and each year builders of Moths conjure up ever-wilder speed designs.
``I made a lot of changes in the bow this year,'' said Gregory, ``It should go faster.''
Faster maybe. Wetter assuredly.
With the freeboard of a lilypad and bows as bluff as wheelbarrows, Moth boats beat to weather with the grace of a wiped-out surfer. On breezy days, like those predicted for this year's regatta, a Moth skipper spends as much time bailing as he does tending the tiller.
Or swimming.
``Capsizing is part of Moth racing,'' said Gregory. ``You just stand on the centerboard to bring the boat upright, bail 'er out, and keep on sailing.''
The only thing that disqualifies a racing Moth skipper is if someone else helps right the boat after a capsize.
Several different classes of small boats are expected to compete in other races, including Sunfish, Hamptons, Buccaneers, Flying Scots and Lasers.
The first race will start at 11 a.m. today and there will be more races Sunday.
This year's regatta is under auspices of the Museum of the Albemarle, which is continuing efforts with the Pasquotank River Yacht Club to revive the classic Moth of Capt. Van Sant.
From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today the Museum will hold a benefit barbecue for the museum's new facility in Elizabeth City. The barbecue will be held on the waterfront deck of Mulligan's downtown restaurant. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
PHOTO COURTESY OF MILLICENT TAYLOR WILLIAMSON
Millicent Taylor Williamson, 50, a Charleston, S.C., school teacher,
is restoring one of the old Moth boats that was designed originally
by her grandfather, yacht captain Joel Van Sant, in Elizabeth City
in 1929. Van Sant was a revered old sailor who thought small, out
of pity for pocketbooks./B3
by CNB