Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: How the SuMoth Challenge is Redefining Sustainable Boat Building
Alongside all these well-known elements, every June, Italy’s largest lake also plays host to a unique event that’s just as eye-opening as its surroundings - The Foiling SuMoth Challenge.
A challenge like no other
Before we dig deeper into the event founded by Bruno Giuntoli in 2018, let’s address the elephant on the page. What does SuMoth mean?
Well, you might have heard of a ‘Moth’ in sailing as the development class of boats has been in existence for around 100 years. The dinghies are 11 feet in length and are known as the fastest single-handed dinghies in the world capable of flying across the water at high speed. If you guessed that ‘SuMoth’ simply means Sustainable Moth then you’d be correct!
The concept of the SuMoth Challenge is a simple one. University students from around the world gather to design, build, and sail competitive Moth class-compliant foilers in the most sustainable and efficient way possible.
“Beyond the technical and social responsibility aspects, the chance to construct a machine of their own creation can be an emotional feat,” explains Bruno. “It’s something every engineer, including myself, deeply desires.”
Hosted each year during Foiling Week™ - the first and only global event dedicated to fast foiling boats, their sailors, designers, and builders - the competition is broken down into three phases:
- Concept and design
- Manufacturing and performance
- Racing
By shifting the focus away from pure performance, the participants are encouraged and given the freedom to think innovatively and “out-of-the-box.”
Roba da maschi
Teams are incentivized at The SuMoth Challenge to be inclusive and accessible to everybody and in 2022, the foiling fleet were almost all skippered by women. As the younger generations begin to make their mark on one of the oldest industries in human history, it would appear traditional perceptions around women’s involvement are crumbling by the wayside, only to be replaced with a promising future where talent and passion are the primary criteria for success.
PoliTo Sailing Team, the stars of 11th Hour Racing’s new short video “The SuMoth Challenge: Designing for the Future,” is made up of around 80 students, of which a quarter are women from Italy’s university, Politecnico di Torino.
“To see these women leading the way in their teams, not only as engineers and architects but also as sailors, it’s really encouraging for everyone,” says Alessandra Ghezzi of 11th Hour Racing, which has been a proud sponsor of The SuMoth Challenge since its inception.
“The chance to construct a machine of their own creation is something every engineer deeply desires.”
Aurora Caloni was one of the 300+ participants from six countries who represented her university team in 2024. A biomedical engineering student from the Polytechnic University of Turin (Politecnico di Torino), Aurora took on the responsibility of Project Manager for PoliTo Sailing Team.
“Women have historically been excluded [from key roles within the sport] for generations, so the industry is not balanced in terms of gender,” Aurora says. “Our team is looking to change that. It’s time to iron out this age-old perception that a specific role is ‘roba da maschi’ - which means ‘something just a man can do’
“Whether it’s companies, individuals, or the entire industry believe this, it needs to change. The message I want to send is that if you are a woman, you can do it. In fact, maybe you can do it better!”
A common goal
The SuMoth challenge is inclusive not just on a human level but also on a professional one. Whether you’re a keen sailor or not, it’s an opportunity to utilize your skills within a team environment.
Bruno loves how the challenge is “bringing students together more than ever before” thanks to the inclusion of electronics broadening the appeal for those from IT and mechatronics fields in addition to naval architects and marine industry engineers.
Aurora agrees. “I love that this project unites students from so many different areas of the university,” she says.
“We have performance-focused engineers working alongside scientists, working alongside designers. Everyone shares a common goal and works together to accomplish it.”
"The message I want to send is that if you are a woman, you can do it. In fact, maybe you can do it better!”
Beyond the classroom
One of the founding missions of the week-long summer spectacle is that it has tangible outcomes to prepare the next generation to take their experience and findings into the real world.
Already in its short history, several alumni have gone on to work in the industry, whether as project managers in high-end boatyards, marine design firms, or America’s Cup teams.
“It’s starting to attract the attention of the industry because they see things [work on the water] that they've never seen before,” says Noah Ferrarotto, a former SuMoth competitor who now organizes the event alongside Bruno.
“Being part of a team in an event like this teaches you so much more than you learn in the classroom. Things like managing a team, a budget, logistics, everything down to the nitty gritty analysis of the boat - it allows students to grow beyond their [university] curriculum.”
So what does the future hold for the SuMoth Challenge? Noah and Bruno hope to eventually see teams from every continent develop prototypes capable of competing with current generation industrial-made Moth Class boats.
Noah is in no doubt they are on the right track. “In terms of recognition, there is more to be done,” he says. “However, I already see big advantages for the industry in what has been created.”
“It’s starting to attract the attention of the industry because they see things that they've never seen before.”
Watch the film above and watch this space!
Hero image credit: ©Alessio Tamborini / We Are Foiling Media
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Jamie Haines, sailor “I grew up on the ocean, and in order to protect it, we need to solve the climate crisis. It all goes hand in hand.”
Ian Walsh, big wave surfer “As athletes, ocean health and sustainability are at the heart of what we do – without the ocean, we wouldn’t be here.”
Steve Benjamin, filmmaker “I really want people to fall in love with the ocean, to appreciate it more, and to try to alter their behavior around it. Everything ends up in the ocean, and it’s such a dumping ground for humanity. My hope is that people see the ocean as a living entity that needs to be protected.”
Amory Ross, storyteller “How can I describe the ocean? The ocean is impossible to describe because it is endless; it is full of life, wonder, and mystery.”
