Sailing

In 2025, I took a sabbatical from tech to pursue competitive sailing full-time, focusing on the International Moth—a cutting-edge foiling dinghy that combines sailing skill with engineering precision.

At the 2025 International Moth World Championship in Malcesine, Italy, I placed 47th out of 140 competitors, finishing as one of the top amateurs in the fleet. This was the culmination of months of intensive training, travel, and technical development.

I built a Python analytics pipeline to process Vakaros log data, optimizing boat setup and sailing technique. This data-driven approach helped improve my VMG (Velocity Made Good) by approximately 8% between April and July 2025. I also leveraged computer vision software to analyze and optimize sail shape in real-time conditions.

A significant part of Moth sailing is the hands-on boatwork. I performed composite laminate repairs, structural modifications, fabricated custom hardware, and spliced high-modulus cordage. This hands-on engineering work was essential for keeping the boat competitive and reliable throughout the campaign.

I facilitated a training squad, designing daily drills and conducting video and data debriefs to accelerate our collective performance. Training camps and regattas took me across multiple countries, building a global network in the sailing community.

The next Moth worlds will take place in Perth, Australia in November, 2026. I built a strong foundation of skills preparing for the 2025 worlds coming to grip with the modern equipment and techniques required in the class. The focus for the next year will be on further refining skills and equipment in strong breeze. The typical Fremantle seabreeze figures to be very strong, so developing smaller foils and sails will be essential.