The Bieker Moth is the result of a collaboration of some serious yachting brains.

Despite continuous development, the Moth platform has been relatively static for over 20 years. The Bieker Moth could have been an incremental improvement on existing boats, but we decided on a more ambitious path.

The project adopted a no-compromise approach to design and construction.

The hull is a comparatively high volume displacement shape, with a rocker profile for easy low ride handling and un-sticky takeoff characteristics.The platform concept minimises aerodynamic drag and heeling moment, with minimal tramp area. Stiff single piece wing beams located in rebated deck sockets maximise effective beam when heeled to windward through a curved, high angled shape.

The boat has been designed with a deck-sweeping rig in mind. Building on recent trends in the class, the layout allows for a long deck/sail seal. A concealed control system and control line configuration makes for a clean deck layout. For backward compatibility the boat has also been designed to use a conventional full-height rig.

The foils have been engineered to be as stiff and long as modern materials and production processes allow. The boat can fly higher out of the water and has a larger vertical range to deal with both deceleration during foiling tacks and larger waves downwind. With 3D printed titanium components, the foil section thicknesses have been reduced for minimum drag at sailing altitude. Our horizontals are aggressively high aspect with low wetted area.

The Build

The Bieker Moth is built in New Zealand. Initially by LSF Composites but since mid 2019 by Mackay Boats.

Once the boat was ready for production it was a logical fit to partner with Mackay Boats to put the boat into a production environment. The team wanted to use the processes and systems that Mackay have spent years developing to build boats consistently to a high quality.

With an experienced build team, extreme attention to detail and the no compromise on quality attitude that Mackay are internationally known for, the Bieker Moth is targeted at the top end of the Moth fleet.

Mackay are used to building boats to tight tolerances within class rules and the moth presented a unique experience where there are very few restrictions.

The centreline-joined hull is built from pre-preg carbon fibre on a nomex core.

The foils are made from high modulus pre-preg carbon with foam cores in the verticals for incredible stiffness. Using state of the art production techniques, the single piece foils are cured at high temperature and pressure with precision alloy tools. The foils come faired, finished and ready to race.

Our wing beams are high modulus pre-preg carbon, constructed as a single piece using bladder moulding. Designed to eliminate the need for compression struts and unnecessary joins, the rigid wing frame reduces windage and streamlines the platform.

We’ve attained the highest standards of build quality, by selecting the best techniques and materials.

The Process

The design and prototyping for the Bieker Moth has been underway since the 2017 Moth Worlds in Italy.

The Bieker Moth will continue to evolve based on feedback from our sailors, with new ideas and improvements from our designers and builders.

The Team

The team behind the Bieker Moth capitalises on a diverse background in high performance boats, from the America’s Cup to i14s, foiling kites, 18’ skiffs, Moths and Olympic classes.

• Paul Bieker- Yacht Desginer
  Seattle-based Paul Bieker has been a pioneering designer in the i14 class, with multiple World Championship winning designs over 2 decades. Paul’s foils were instrumental in the i14 transition to foil-assisted sailing.

  Paul was a designer for Oracle Team USA in the 33rd, 34th & 35th America’s Cups, collaborating on the design and structures behind the foils for the 100’ trimaran, AC72 and AC50.
  
  

  Taking a keen interest in the Moth while working for Oracle Team USA in Bermuda, Paul came up with the concepts behind the Bieker Moth and drafted the shapes, foils and structures for the boat.

• Riley Dean- Engineer
  Riley is an 18’ skiff skipper and keen kite foiler from Auckland. As a design engineer for Oracle Team USA at Core Composites for the 34th and 35th America’s Cups, Riley has been responsible for turning design models into build processes and final parts.

  Currently working for the American Magic team for the 36th America’s Cup, Riley designed the tools and components for the Bieker Moth.

• James Gell- Boatbuilder
  James started building the Bieker Moth with LSF Composites in Whakamarama, a company he formed following his work with Softbank Team Japan in the 35th America’s Cup. James has been a boat builder for over 16 years and has extensive experience in building high performance yachts, building everything from Olympic classes, to offshore race yachts and numerous America’s Cup boats. Most recently he was a shore team member for Oracle Team USA at Core Composites, and oversaw the construction of Team Japan’s AC50.

  James worked for Mackay boats 10 years ago before starting a long career working for various America’s cup teams on leading edge composite construction.

  As an 18’ skiff sailor and foil kiter, James is a valuable addition to the team at Mackay with the specialist knowledge he brings to all products.

• Scott Babbage- Development Sailor
  Scott has been a Moth class stalwart for the best part of 20 years, finishing 10 times in the top 10 at the World Championships. Scott and Riley met in the 18’ skiff, where Scott was a 5 x JJ Giltinan winner as sheet hand on board the highly successful 7 team.

  Working as the Performance Coach for Softbank Team Japan in Bermuda, Scott was kept head down in data, figuring out how the AC50 worked and often liaising with Paul when analysing the performance of the Japanese boats.
  
  

  Scott approached Paul, Riley and James to collaborate on the Bieker Moth project. Keen to take the Moth to the next level, Scott developed the broad concepts for the boat. Scott knows how to sail a Moth fast, and will be the test pilot, putting the boat through its paces.

• David McDiarmid- Mackay Boats Director

  David McDiarmid joined the moth team mid 2019 and has taken the lead for Mackay Boats. He is perfectly suited to this high performance environment being the current and 2 times 18ft skiff champion. David is also responsible for the operations and fit-out at Mackay Boats.
  
  

  The first thing David, Scott and James did was to develop a solid Wing option to reduce aero drag and to make the boat faster to tack and gybe through the more direct energy that the solid wing gives the sailors as they execute the gybe and tack.

  David has also refined the fit-out and take up systems and together with James has added the aero fairing aft of the mast over the various systems which better end plates the deck sweeping sail getting the most out of the full aero package.

Buying a Bieker Moth

Please go to our on-line shop to view prices and the ask for a quote.

Complete an on-line order including the various options you want and then we will come back to you with a quote and delivery date. To confrim the order you will need to send a deposit.