Victoria Schultheis of the Royal Malta Yacht Club was crowned Women’s World Champion in the Moth class on Sunday 13th July, just months after she started racing the high-performance foiling dinghy.
The Moth World Championship in Malcesine on Lake Garda, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine, brought together 137 of the world’s best sailors. Schultheis finished ahead of reigning world champion Hattie Rogers of Great Britain and Germany’s Lisa Schweigert, and placed 39th overall in a fleet packed with Olympians. The win follows her victory at Foiling Week Malcesine, also on Lake Garda.
Unstable weather marked much of the week, prompting early starts to catch the northerly breeze. Those conditions allowed the last two qualifying races to be completed before the fleet was split into Gold and Silver divisions.
“I’ve just won the Women’s World Championship and I feel fantastic. The whole fleet was incredibly kind and supportive over the last few months. A special thank-you to Hattie Rogers: she inspired me to get into the Moth class after I saw her racing in New Zealand,” said Schultheis.
It is her second world title, after she won the Optimist World Championship in 2016. With the next Moth Worlds over a year away, she will balance her studies with sailing the Switch class, including a semester in Sydney.
“Victoria’s achievement is a proud moment for both the Club and Maltese sailing. Her dedication, talent and determination are a great example to aspiring sailors,” said RMYC Commodore Mark Napier.
Photo Credit: Martina Orsini
