Houlder Proudly Supports Team Southampton’s Foiling Success at the 2026 SuMoth Challenge

5th August 2026

Houlder is proud to celebrate the achievements of Team Southampton SuMoth following a remarkable performance at the 2026 SuMoth Challenge on Lake Garda, Italy.

As a sponsor of the student-led engineering team, it has been inspiring to watch their journey from initial concept development through to seeing their innovative Moth-class sailing boat, Froude Awakening, successfully take to the water and achieve its goal of foiling.

Turning Ambition into Reality

The SuMoth Challenge is renowned for pushing the boundaries of engineering, design and teamwork, bringing together university teams from around the world to design, build and race high-performance foiling Moth dinghies.

This year, Team Southampton arrived in Garda with an ambitious and highly innovative design. Described by the team as an “aggressive” concept, Froude Awakening represented months of dedication, technical excellence and perseverance.

While every engineering project presents challenges, the team demonstrated exceptional resilience throughout the competition, continuously learning and refining their approach. Their success in achieving stable foiling on Lake Garda stands as a testament to the hard work, creativity and determination of everyone involved.

Engineering Beyond the Classroom

One of the most valuable aspects of the SuMoth Challenge is the opportunity it provides students to apply engineering theory to real-world challenges. From hydrodynamics and structural design to manufacturing and systems integration, the project offers invaluable hands-on experience that will help shape the next generation of Naval Architects.

The team's experience also highlighted the collaborative spirit that makes the SuMoth community unique. Competitors supported one another throughout the event, sharing materials, expertise and encouragement whenever needed.   This is entirely in keeping with our industry's best traditions of teamwork and innovation.

The president of the team, Maëlys Renault said “Having Houlder Ltd support us throughout this incredible adventure has been invaluable. Not only did their financial contribution help make this project possible, but their expertise and use of their workshop also enabled us to build the frame of our skin-on-frame moth. Working with Houlder Ltd has been a pleasure, and we aregrateful for their trust, guidance and support. We hope this partnership will continue to grow and thrive in the years ahead.”

A Partnership Built on Shared Values

At Houlder, we believe that investing in emerging talent is investing in the future of our industry. Team Southampton SuMoth's commitment to innovation, collaboration and problem-solving closely aligns with our own values and our vision to "Sea. The Future."

Supporting initiatives like SuMoth allows students to develop the practical skills, engineering mindset and confidence required to tackle the challenges facing the maritime sector in the years ahead.

Looking Ahead

We would like to congratulate every member of Team Southampton SuMoth, both those who travelled to Lake Garda and those who contributed behind the scenes throughout the year.

We are pleased to have sponsored the team alongside Lloyd’s Register and to have played a small part in helping bring this impressive project to life.

The achievements of Froude Awakening are only the beginning, and we look forward to following the team's progress as they build on this year's success and return even stronger for the 2027 SuMoth Challenge.

Congratulations, Team Southampton SuMoth. We can't wait to see what comes next.

Sea. The Future.