Classic Moth Boats are a class of small fast singlehanded racing sailboats that originated in the US in 1929 by Joel Van Sant in Elizabeth City, NC. The Classic Moth is a development class with an eleven foot over-all length, a maximum beam of 60 inches, a minimum hull weight of 75 pounds, 72 Sq Ft sail area, and very few other restrictions A Moth can be a skiff, pram, scow, skinny tube, dinghy, or any combination thereof. As such the Classic Moth Boat is an ideal class for amateur designers builders and tinkerers, an can be easily built from inexpensive materials.

If you wake up in the middle of the night with a novel idea for hull shape, you can leap out of bed, race down to your garage, build it and then find out at the next regatta if your idea is hot or not. Freedom of design sets Moths apart from the clorox bottle (one-design) crowd. Instead of the design controlling who sail successfully, we design and build boats that fit our size, ability, taste, skills, artistic expression, and pocketbook

Over the years various "Moth" classes have appeared around the world. In addition to the Classic Moth, one can find reference to Australian Moth", "British Moth", French Moth, Modern Moth, Vintage Moth, and "International Moth". All have eleven foot hulls, and all can trace their origins to either the US or Australian Moth (or both!).