Herb Fithian's letter to Chris Dey:

When we decided to go to Australia with #6 grandchild, I contacted their Society through our web site and was referred to Chris Dey by email. Chris sounded very warm and told me to call when we arrived in Sydney. We did and he came over the bext morning to our hotel. Chris took us for a mini tou of the sights in Sydney and then to his apartment because his boat is kept folded up in his garage. We met his wife Jen and spent some time with the boat.

As you can see from the photos, it folds quite a bit. He paid around $5000 for it. He can actually take it along as baggage when he goes to Japan, the site of the last championship race (he's going again this October). He doesn't like to ship the boat by sea because he wants to practise until the last minute to keep upo his skill.

When we went upstairs to Chris and Jen's apartment, we saw all the awards and the trophy and then discovered that Chris is the World Champion. He had never mentioned it. Jen had a wonderful lunch for us. They are very active and interesting people. Chris does research into alternative power for industry plus teaching at the University and Jen has started an accounting business from their apartment which is doing very well.

It probably isn't part of the story but Chris, in his letter, mentioned that he got his first moth from his parents when he was 13 just as I did. I am going to copy and paste the letter for you to see.

Herb Fithian

ps. cHRIS Dey's letter will appear after the pictures.

Lunch with Chris and Jen at their home in Sidney	Australian Moths World Champion Chris Dey with trophys
Chris's Moth	Boat Pic
Boat Pic	Boat Pic

Chris Dey to Herb

Dear Herb Fithian

Peter Kovesi forwarded your message to me.

Wow! - It is great to hear that you still have the boat and sail it regularly.

I am on the path to emulating you, but have a long way to go. My father bought me my first moth when I was 13, but that was in 1983. I too still have it, so there are lots of years to catch up with your record. I do plan on keeping it, though I don't sail her much.

I would love to meet you and see the boat. We are planning on sailing a bit over winter, with the next World titles coming up in Japan in October. I suppose you have seen the latest boats - they're vastly different to yours, but still follow the spirit of this great class. We can arrange to go for a sail together when you are here - but there aren't too many races on over winter - just training.

A few of us are going to Lake Keepit near Gunnedah on the long weekend for a mixed regatta. There was a bloke there sailing a moth occasionally a few years ago (he was about 70 then).

Perhaps we can arrange for something in Sydney on the 16th?

Where do you live and sail?

Kind regards, Christopher Dey

Chris

George Albaugh to Chris Dey:

Hello Chris:

George Albaugh here. It's about 2 AM my time. I'm at the lab responding to a freezer alarm on one of my -80 freezers and am just reading this while waiting for the temperature to go back down.

How about a photo or two of that first Moth Boat of yours to go with Herb's pics of your current boat on our website? I'm curious to know what design you started off with in 1983.

Back then skiffs like the Magnum Mk V were the new boats in Europe and boats like the Duflos, Shelley, Stockholm Sprite, etc. were what newbies were sailing over there. Down under, I'm guessing your first Moth Boat was a proper Aussie Scow!!!

In the USA, Moths went dead in 1978 and we didn't get started again with the classic (low aspect sail plan, no wings permitted) boats until 1989. In the mean time, we missed a whole generation of tall rig development. I'm afraid at age 55 I'm a bit past it for the current, narrow, tall rig boats--although I still keep an old Elfstrom high aspect sail and a needlespar mast in the garage. But I still enjoy racing the low aspect rigged Moths--they're plenty enough for an old goat like me!

Anyway, a picture of that first Moth, please!

Best regards,

George Albaugh

Second Letter from Chris Dey:

I leave tonight for Japan! There will be 11 Australians going. My main rival has been going very well lately and I have not beaten him since Christmas last year. It will be an interesting regatta. I hope there is some breeze since I have a slight advantage then. You should be able to follow the action at http://www.moth-sailing.org.

The racing starts next weekend. There will be about 30 Japanese sailors, 4 or so from Europe and the Australians. No Pommes (English people) unfortunately.

The good recent news is that we were successful on the grant for next year. This means that I will have a position for 3 years. The department has also agreed to fund me for the last 3 months of this year - so now I can go on holidays with some job security. It is the University of Sydney - Australia's oldest - this year is the sesqui-centenary.

We went on to England after 3 weeks in Australia and 5 days in New Zealand and loved it all. You'll hear about the whole thing when we send you our Christmas letter where I describe it all.Anyhow, after getting home, we were only 6 days and then went to London for 4 weeks. Katsy's sister who lived in London for 40 years died while we were in Australia and I am the Executor of the estate which all goes to our 3 childrewn. It was expected and she wanted us to take Matt on his trip. Anyhow, we're glad to be home and we have been sailing our Moth a few times although we missed most of the summer.

We're really glad that you had such a good time on your holidays. I am sorry to hear of Katsy's sister - you mentioned her when you visited us. Excellent to hear that the moth has had a few outings!

Re my first moth, I dug up an old picture of her (see attached). The name comes from a series of books called "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". They were huge in Australia and England, but maybe not well known in the US. The author Douglas Adams died a few months ago in California. I have named almost all my boats after characters from the books. The scow is called Zaphod after a bloke who had 2 heads and 3 arms. My current boat is called Hotblack Desiato after a pop singer who was spending a year dead for tax reasons.

The picture shows my elder sister (Susan) sailing Zaphod on the Clarence River at Grafton (where we grew up). Of course I could make lots of comments on how she should have heeled the boat over, gotten further forward, and let the sail off a bit, but I won't! The little white boat in the background above the nose of the scow is my younger sister (Elizabeth) sailing her training boat. In a bizarre twist which my parents assure us was a pure co-incidence, the two main islands in the river at either end of Grafton are called Susan and Elizabeth Islands, and in the middle, there is a Christopher Creek! I think islands are more glamorous. Zaphod is ply and was built in 1974 I think. She has an oregon mast.

Please pass the picture and some of the story onto Greg Allen - thanks.

It was lovely to meet you all - say G'Day to Matt from us. i guess that he is looking forward to the ice hockey season.

Love Christopher and Jenny