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Newbie here 😁 So I bought an IOM.. with a certificate (2018)… Expecting to jump through a few hoops…. Followed the online registration process… WOW… 2 hours after submitting request… a nice new Certificate hit my Inbox. Impressed? Oh yes I am. Many thanks to Jim La Roche. 👏👏

I don’t know what you’re paying for the boat, but if it were me, I would look towards the classified section on this site. Currently, there are some very good deals to be had for instance there is a Widget which is measured for sale, in my mind that would be an excellent starter boat and for £300 all in for a boat that sails straight out of the box and would be competitive not bad at all.

You won't regret it Vernon - clip on's were invented by the devil

Age, Covid and computerisation are very small factors regarding me as a measurer. Main factors are, spending a day at a weekend in a classroom where the relevance of the content is a small percentage of what I am required to undertake as a MYA measurer, if not at the weekend, I have to use annual leave. It also does not sit well with me that members annual fees are used to pay for something that does not effect them one bit, countless club members that enjoy the sport for what it is and have no intention of ever getting there boat measured or sail in a class that is self measured.

Just to muddy the waters - The class rules for all three active IRSA international classes (IOM,10R, M) follow the same general format for their class rules, and give jurisdiction for measuring to the recognised national authority in each member country. The format is structured to reflect the Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS). Section A for each of the Class Rules use BOLD type as a reference to defined terms in the ERS and all three classes use the term Official Measurer. I have found an anomaly - the issue is that the term Official Measurer is not a defined term in the ERS. The defined term in ERS is Certification Measurer. The wording is consistent with what we would intend for an official measurer but is not identified correctly. I have reported this discrepancy to the IRSA to verify and to follow up with the ICAs. From the ERS C.4.4 Certification Measurer A person appointed or recognised, by the MNA of the country where the control takes place, to carry out certification control and when the class rules permit, certification. An MNA may have delegated this responsibility. John

All good points, but they still need a paper copy at the finish line as a paper and pen can write the results down quicker when there are a bunch of boats finishing together.

The latest World Sailing Case book contains a new case Case 140 which covers an incident on the start line when 30.3 or 30.4 are in effect. However the wording of Appendix E 3.7 prevents radio sailing from applying the benefits covered in Case 140. I have written a summary of the situation attached, together with a solution which the regatta organiser may apply to fix the problem. John Appendix E3.7 and Case 140.pdf

It's a wrap. Envelopes opened, all points calculated and confirmed in the presence of 2 independent witnesses. Obviously most had BG in 1st position, except for one entry, guess who, followed by RW, CR and PS, not necessarily in that order I may add ,but Josh sort of spoilt that party. Thanks to everyone that participated in a bit of fun, we will do it again for the Worlds, top 10 though. RESULTS....... VICKY..........13 POINTS GRAHAM.....12 POINTS ANDREA......12 POINTS JIM L R.........11POINTS MICKYBOY....10 POINTS TRACEY.........10 POINTS HARRY............9 DARIN.............9 JOSH...............9 WALSHY..........9 BRAD...............9 PRESIDENT.....8 JIM E...............8 ROB Mc...........8 Tiger................8 1 spoilt paper. Well done Vicky, spend it wisely with any radio sailing manufacturer in the UK.

It was great to return to Greenock MYC after about 30 years, since my last visit. John Taylor and his American wife Sarah, came home from Florida for a family visit and planned it to coincide with the Scottish DF65 Championship weekend. john's sister Helen was also visiting. It was a pleasure to head north on the M6 and not have to battle with the queues at M62 & M56 junctions, then Stoke, Stafford, Walsall, and of course the M42 which always seems to be a constant circular traffic jam!! JT still has his apartment over looking the Clyde at Greenock kindly offered to host Maureen & I for the weekend, and we were made most welcome. The 5 of us enjoyed the hospitality of the "James Watt" local Wetherspoons on the Friday night, where we ate & drank and learned about the town from the photographs displayed within. John & I went off to the sailing on Sat morning to find a very blustery SW wind, which was A+ A or B rig strength depending which part of the lake you were in when the gusts blew through, or didn't!! Stepping inside the clubhouse, I saw several faces I recognised Gordon Rae, Gordon Allinson, Richard Rowan, Robert Rooney, and of course Hughie Shields whom I first met in 1963 at the Fleetwood Vane A Championship! Greenock MYC has had an influx of new members from the nearby Royal Gurrock Yacht Club who, having no sailing in the winter months, all initially bought DF65's and several have now moved on to IOM's. 16 boats took part including 6 visitors. 3 from Fleetwood JT, Paul Middleton and I and 3 from Belfast loch. Richard Rowan the RO for the weekend, set a testing course for our small boats, with 2 long WW/LW laps and a reach to finish. Most sailors opted for A+ rigs despite the strong gusts as the lulls were windless! JT stamped his authority on the race from the beginning winning the first 2 races, he was enjoying the "free air conditioning" after the stifling heat of Florida. He continued to dominate the event for the rest of the day and came out on top after 16 races were completed. At lunch time the club fed us with a hot plate of Scotch meat pie (very peppery) mash, beans & gravy with tea or coffee and biscuits to follow, provided by a lovely lady Mary who looks after the clubs scale boat section. Very welcome & all included in the £10 entry fee. For Sat night Simon Thompson the race organiser had booked a table at a local "hungry horse" pub where several of us gathered. I went chatting to the Irish sailors & discovered that one of them a friend of Peter Baldwin, is an International Race Officer. Better be on my best behaviour tomorrow! Sunday dawned and a flat calm at 9.00 am for the second event which was a separate open DF65 race, with a few less competitors. By the start time of 10am there was a ripple on the water but it was constantly changing direction. However, Richard set a 2 lap WW/LW course and racing started. The race team pushed us hard and by lunch we had completed 10 races. Lunch on Sunday was a choice of 2 soups, assorted sandwiches, cakes and tea or coffee, again included in the £10 race fee. At lunch Richard suggested that after we reached 16 races we could stop for the day before the forecast rain arrived. The Irish lads and I agreed, they could get an earlier ferry and we could be home earlier, so we completed the last 6 races by 2.15 and on our way home by 3pm. Many thanks to Greenock MYC Derek & Maureen Priestley.

There’s certainly something Australian about the pictures…

The other option is to have multiple windward marks, the fastest skippers go round the furthest mark. In my opinion all starting at once is preferred, then everyone gets the benefit of learning the art of starting and beating up the first beat. The slower guys pealing off earlier to start the run, do that for each lap and everyone should keep coming back together several times and making it more fun each lap and not just at the finish, eventually all finishing at the sometime.

I feel that adding more rules is looking at the issues from the wrong end of the telescope. i have sailed at venues from Bournville to Datchet, West Kirby to Lake Garda and the rules have been consistent. The issue is not the rules, it’s the competitors. We can do a lot to help ourselves as a sport but until individual skippers step up and accept that they have infringed we wont change. It amazes me how many people (I include myself) leave no room for error at a distance mark leaving no way to deal with an issue. We all know those who come barrelling into an incident shouting “starboard” then complain when they get involved, almost as if they want to become entangled! We also know those who acknowledge their mistakes graciously, but also those whose pride does not appear to allow them to say “sorry, my fault”. Until we accept that clean racing is the quickest way around the racecourse we will be following the best across the finish line.

Introduction to the ballot from the Class Captain Fellow Six Metre owners. This ballot is being initiated to reflect considerations arising from the current rule set that has been in use for some years now and more recent developments since their last iteration. Developments have emanated from such things as the Equipment Rules of Sailing (ERS, the full-size sailing equipment definitions that are now used in model size rules) which need to be taken on board. Likewise, technical advances in electronics and the move away from free sailing Six Metres that could potentially escalate owners’ costs unnecessarily. They are also intended to refine, simplify and tidy, making it easier for owners and measurers to understand and implement the rules correctly and to allow for an accepted regime for ‘grandfathering’ of older boats as the full-size class has previously done. I recommend reading the MYA Technical Officer’s introduction for a fuller understanding of all the issues and how use the ballot form. As part my role as class captain I feel obliged to look after the interests of the class and all its owners as best I can and to help it in a favourable direction so that we can continue to enjoy our boats now and into the future. I therefore recommend the changes to the existing rules within this ballot. I don’t have any particular feelings about the grandfathering options, but option B probably fits closest to the full-size 6m practice. Not many owners/boats are affected by this issue since most of the fleet has been created under more recent rule versions. I strongly oppose the two-mast proposal. Please read my reasons below. It’s a longish read but it is important that you understand where this may take us. You might think that at face value it is attractive but there are significant arguments against it . Thank you. Shaun Holbeche, Six Metre Class Captain. 1/. What is the Radio 6 Metre class? You might wonder why I’m asking this but not everyone knows what or where this model class originates from and its significance. It was created in the years prior to WW2 to replicate and follow the full sized Six Metre class (formed in 1907). It was a chance for the working man to sail a boat that mimicked those full-size competitors who competed nationally, internationally and at the Olympics. The first UK model Nationals (free sailing of course) took place in the early 1930s. The R6M class is unique amongst the MYA classes in being based on a full-sized class. It is something that’s unique, with connections in the wider sailing world that no other MYA class can boast. They have even been used as tank and sailing test boats for the mighty 12 Metre Americas Cup yachts, Six metres and the little one man 2.4 Metre yachts. So, this class is strongly based on its full-sized counterpart. They are the reason for the existence of our models and that’s the point. Aside from some details that cannot be replicated in model form, we maintain a fidelity to the word and the spirit of the full-size rules. We use the very same formula to rate our boats as the full-size. It’s been like that for nearly 100 years. The full-size class still flourishes and so does ours. They have had rule changes and amendments and so have we. There are some things that they have not allowed though. Using two masts is one of them. You don’t lift out a full-size mast and boom and pop in another one complete with mainsail attached to change or reduce a sail. Nor should we. We should respect our origins and our history, not be like almost all the other MYA classes (no criticism of them intended). 2/. Why has this rule change been proposed? I was approached by the proposer, Geoff Josey from Broads RYC with the idea of having a second mast because: ‘I have found the one mast restriction particularly frustrating in that I find it very difficult to change the mainsail at Filby and it's even worse when it's windy. I am told it's easier with a groovy mast ! Groovy masts are no longer readily available !’ Geoff demonstrated backing for his idea from other Broads members and so I offered him the following: ‘Having looked at the issue and the results of your Broads club survey I see no reason why you cannot have a club only agreement where you may utilise a second mast of the same height, same boom length, same spar cross-sections and same weight as the primary measured mast, allowing an alternative mainsail to be pre-rigged on it and thereby facilitating rig changes at Filby. It would be an arrangement for club sailing of Broads members at the club water only and could not be utilised for any inter-club, open or nationals event. I note that the vote was not unanimous. The use of a second mast falls outside the accepted national class rules. In fairness to all it should be accepted that it is possible for those who do not employ a second mast to have enough time to change their sailplan without prejudice when others are doing so that do have a second mast pre-rigged. I hope this arrangement will satisfy the requirements of your club members.’ This was rejected: ‘The key points of your reply have been discussed, informally, at our club and there is no desire to go down a route where we sail Six Metre class boats which are outside the current national class rules. In fact, it would potentially create a very undesirable situation for those wishing to attend open or national events.’ I cannot think of any reason why that should be the case. Nor can anyone else I have asked. So, the problem was raised as a local individual/club problem and a local solution was offered and rejected. To quote from the proposal now before us: ‘This proposed change is intended to make it easier to change the sails when required for any reason. Currently, to quickly change the mainsail can be difficult.’ I would suggest that further local solutions could be considered. The use of a temporary club windbreak erected as necessary to help skippers. Likewise, skippers pairing up to help each other make a sail change would make the task easier and avoid any wear and tear. We are that sort of class aren’t we? The need to ‘quickly change the mainsail’ is a not a requirement of R6M racing. We race on the water, not ashore. If conditions are such that a race officer is approached for a break for sail changing, then sufficient time should be allowed for this to happen. There is always the lunch break for a sail change too. Time is not an issue. Many hundreds of owners have changed their sails on the mast over many years and have not felt the need to change the rules. So why now? (Incidentally, I don’t think there is much difference between groovy and ring sail changing speed/difficulty if any. I have had a groovy and presently use rings so I know what both are like). 3/. Learn to love your top suit. Let’s get some further perspective here, because you are going to be using it for most of the time, more than 90% in fact. R6Ms are not a tippy, dippy semi-submersible that often needs a sail change. I have sailed my 6m at Fleetwood and around the 6m circuit since 2016. My first ever 6m race was at Broads RYC. Ironically there was hardly a breath of wind. Since then I have used my second suit main either three or possibly four times in all that time. I’ve never used my third suit ever. Some of you have a ‘skinny’ main. I don’t use one but part of the skill of sailing a R6M is knowing what sail to put on the night before or at the start of the day. As the wind increases in strength a well-appointed rig can be progressively de-powered to cope with the conditions (and conversely powered up as the wind lightens). This is another skill in the skipper’s repertoire along with handling gusts efficiently. As we approach more marginal conditions, I have often seen skippers who do not know how to do this effectively and therefore think they should be changing sail when in fact there is no need to, and they might be disadvantaged when racing downwind if they do. The ways to depower are freely available on the internet for full size yachts and those methods work for ours. You can ask for advice too. So, let’s get the problem in perspective and let’s not erase hard earned skill and judgement from R6M racing. 4/. There are costs and practical problems involved. One of the great attractions of the R6M class is that for a potential £500 you can get rather a lot of attractive, second-hand boat with a couple or three suits. Which other class can offer so much boat, capable of winning the Nationals in the right hands, for that money? R6Ms are a bargain and we should continue to aim to attract sailors who are put off by the high costs of some other classes. You don’t need to spend big to have good racing, certainly not in our class. So why would you want to increase the cost of going sailing your 6m by spending a significant amount of money for the parts (maybe £200 for a carbon mast/boom rig?) and then build it. Is it cost effective for the use it will get? Can you be bothered building it? Of course, you might think ‘well, I’ll have a spare mast’. But, if your principal measured mast is a groovy mast and you have no second groovy blank already in your possession you won’t have much flexibility. You will have to use a round mast as your second mast and your main sails will not be interchangeable between masts. If you possess a skinny main and a second suit main you may have to convert them to ring mounting too. All time and extra cost. If during a race day you need to change down from the skinny to a second suit main then you are no better off having two masts. Don’t forget there will be the cost of going and getting your second mast measured. Time, fuel etc. You will need to take your boat, battery and primary mast with you because they will need to be weighed too - see later. You will also need to have the second mast pre-rigged to take with you when you go sailing. Otherwise, there is absolutely no point in having it. Can you get a second, full height, rigged mast/boom/sail in your sail box? No? You need to make a new box then. No sail box? Maybe buy a soft bag then. Not so good for protecting the sail but there you go. Can you get it in the car? Maybe, maybe not. Some 6m sailors with smaller cars travel to sailing with bare poles and put their main sail on at the water. It’s common procedure in the A Class fleet. Finally, can you get your nearest and dearest in the car with this extra encumbrance? I’ll draw a veil over the scene at this point. 5/. Other problems. ‘The proposed rule change is NOT intended to give any performance advantage to anyone having Two mast and main boom combinations over those wishing to continue with one.’ The proposal puts forward a 5% allowable discrepancy in weight and dimensions. I believe this is too wide. It would allow a main boom to be, for example, about 25mm shorter on an average Rococo 2nd mast. It provides an opportunity for owners to take advantage of this to create a rig that can be mounted lower in the boat to take advantage of the shorter boom downwind in waves and on a reach, plus the obvious upwind advantage of a lower rig in stronger winds. The mast could be made around 90mm shorter too, which would give a very handy reduction in windage. Furthermore the 5% weight discrepancy of a 2nd mast could put a boat outside of its certified displacement measurement if a boat is near to the maximum/minimum 100g limit above/below certified displacement. It could all get complicated for you and your poor measurer. More to measure, more to check, including the accurate weight of the boat in racing trim to make sure you stay within . A way will also be needed to mark the mast as measured. We are trying to clarify, streamline, refine, simplify, and make the rules easier to understand and implement correctly. This proposal is going in the opposite direction and will make this harder. A 2nd mast could also be used for further advantage. It could be constructed differently but within tolerance to provide different characteristics that produce a performance gain in particular wind conditions compared to the primary, measured mast. Some of you may be thinking that ‘different masts, different sizes, weights and characteristics - this is ok in other classes I sail so what’s the problem?’ Firstly, the proposal says it is not intended to give any performance advantage to an owner with a 2nd mast versus a single mast owner. I think it will fail that objective. That’s because it needs to be the same as the prime mast but it can’t be, even if you try and rework the rule proposal. The MYA Technical officer tells me that the rule itself can be worked on if the proposal is voted through as a principle and subsequently made fit for purpose. I’m not convinced. Many owners will not be able to produce a near identical mast in performance terms even if it is weight and dimensionally very close to the primary measured mast, not least because it may not be made from the same mast stock (round versus groovy), plus the round will be a different diameter to a groovy, as will its internal construction and possibly its carbon fibre modulus (stiffness) and wall thickness compared to the primary measured groovy mast or primary round mast. An automatic performance difference is guaranteed. With judicious construction a knowledgeable owner can further enhance differences in their favour. All of that contradicts what the proposal advocates. Secondly, I refer you back to the overarching point 1/. It’s a Six Metre. No full size Six Metre (or any other Metre rule boat) is allowed a second mast and certainly not a performance enhancing 2nd mast. The two mast model boat loses its fidelity to the class it is meant to portray. I’m quite sure that this proposal has been made in good faith. However, I contend that this proposal undermines the basic DNA of the Six Metre Class, its beginnings, its relationship to the full-size class that it still emulates, how it has developed and how it can remain an attractive, superb value for money option in the model racing family. This proposal doesn’t match its stated objectives and could divide the ownership unnecessarily by allowing advantages to some unless there is sufficient policing of the fleet enforcing strict adherence to second mast rules. Ask yourself, how that is going to be achieved when I frequently see something as simple and visible as the ‘J’ measurement rule being broken? Wouldn’t you rather sail something a bit special, a bit different, a class where the performance of different designs is well balanced and the skipper skill is to the fore? Or do you want to throw money at it for the sake of an occasional problem, real or perceived, that can be worked around with your mates? Do you want to sail a Six Metre, or do you really need an eighth class of yacht with multiple masts? The class is not broken. So let’s not try and ‘fix’ it and thereby create problems please. Lets go sailing instead.

Hi All, Sorry but I can see NO sensible reason to have a second mast & boom on a 6m . Everyone knows the rules before they enter the class. All this will do is make the boats un necessarily more complicated and expensive for no good reason, especially as most of the time 6m's sail in their top suit across a large wind range! From a recent convert to the 6m class, who has been 1,2 & 3 in the Nationals and races regularly at club level! DP.

I used the clip-on in my early (only a few years lol) IOM days. I fitted a pin in the front, and a hole in mast, to prevent rotation. Over the course of some re-rigging and spar swaps, I've been thru the sailsetc 'aero section' too. Latest re-rig I have simple wire, round tubing, with split pins in the ends. My reasoning: I don't now buy the 'reduced drag' of the aero section, its gonna be insignificant to the whole (it's not an ac75 with deck profile designed by AMG Mercedes!); wire allows rake to be adjusted if you want; steel tubing is cheap, if you wanna lengthen/shorten then its quick cheap and easy. With a known design i doubt you'd realistically need to alter the height. Have it about right and varying the length instead would still allow tweaking for more/less lateral force. In short - simple gives adjustment, even replacement, at low cost and with low hassle. (Most of the mast bend is fore-and-aft - i have my structural engineering text book somewhere lol, but two holes in the side probably cause less weakness than the jib attachment).

Hi Andy, 40lb single strand wire is what i have used on all of my boats. Same Malin Stainless steel leader wire brand i use for shrouds and backstay. The issue with dyneema and before that dacron on leech lines is the amount of stretch under load making minute adjustments difficult and any setting moving under different wind conditions. Near imposible to get repeat consistent adjustments. Just loop ithe wire at the top over the hook that goes into the mast and put a loop in approx 100mm above the jib boom that leaves enough room for a dyneema and bowsie adjuster at the bottom. Cheers Brad

I realised a few weeks ago that its 50 years this year since RADIOSAILING began in earnest within the MYA. Yes I know that there were radio A class racing at Poole Gosport and YM5mOA (Hampton Court RYC to you new commers!) , but by early 1970's people were starting to put radio equipment into Marbleheads and there was an explosion of radio marblehead racing around the country. Recognising this development, the MYA and the Guildford MYC organised, in 1974, the the first Radio Marblehead National Championship. This is an anniversary worth celebrating, and I urge all radio Marblehead sailors young & old with aincient and modern boats to join us at this years event at Datchet RSC over the weekend of the 1st & 2nd of June. There were 4 people present at the first Champs who are still racing today. John Cleave, Roger Stollery, Peter Stollery, and myself. Peter Stollery I hear you cry, surely he's much too young!! Well yes he is, but nevertheless, he was there, in his pram with his mum!! So why not come & see us, we can regail you with stories about how my Marblehead (a Bewitched) design weighed double (26lbs) the weight of the winning (Teacher's Pet) design at 13lbs. probably why David Waugh won, & I was a lowly 12th!!

I imagine, that 30 plus years go, home made was the flavour of model boats for all aspects, but the world has moved on. We now live in an age where most sailors want some thing new .. flex the credit card. Only one member out of 40 in our club has attempted sail making with 39/40 purchasing sails from manufacturers. for IOMs these come from, sailsec, sailboatRC, Cat sails, Nylet, BG sails, Soch Sails, PJ sails, Sparrow sails, and others. ( the list is not endless, and sorry to none left off) we place our order in good faith, that the sails that one of these excellent manufacturers make will be the correct size meeting measurement . It would also be financial suicidal for a supplier to make a set of sails that did not measure. We want sails correct, they want to supply correct. Imagine if your new sails, failed measuring process, the chat on the bank and in social media and forums would ruin the reputation of the company. therefore why in 2024 are we making a product for under £100 jump through sale then measuring? It is utter madness and a waste of time, except in the highest level of competition and homemade options. put the quality control and spot check into the factory space with random checks, and a QC process using up to date digital means and let’s move forward. Or are we still going to insist on the average club sailor who wants to compete beyond their club in regional events has to get in the car, journey for over an hour each way, wasting precious time, and fuel to get an object with value of under £100 measured, when last week, it was brand new out of the factory. No wonder the sport attracts the non employed, who can afford this time to race off to get their sails done compared to the working members, having to book a half days leave. what is holding the sport back, measuring items supplied by reputable manufacturers, within weeks of production and supply. let’s re examine this utterly mad process for club and regional competition and bring in a better quality check process fit for the modern world using technology properly at making stage. personal note (after this discussion , hope my new sails measure, in two weeks time, bought in good faith but 1/2 days leave booked from work, plus 120 miles of fuel and 21/2 hours in the car, hope the measurement is fast or will be more than a half days leave, all for items less than a weekly shop.. my partner can’t believe it

Trust is a lovely but overated asset. There are always people small numbers maybe who for either the best or worst motives will a use a trust. Just because a sail is produced by a rsputable sailmaker doesnt meant that an unscrupulous person cant alter it.. Measuring is a nessecary evil, even on our little boats and on full size yachts and their sails

At Etherow we have loads of older boats, Derek's early Widget No 267, several DC95s, Widgets, Gadgets, plus newer designs , Lintels, Vipers etc. A great friendly bunch of people despite our water not being blessed with a lot of wind! We sail Tuesdays and Thursdays and get 10 to 16 boats . My advice is to get something that is reliable, complete and similar to what is sailed, or if you find something else do some research and ask for advice.

The only annoying feature of using an RMG winch is having a brand new boxed one in your tool box for 12yrs, just in case....

The process is pretty quick because balsa is very easy to work. I know it's not as pretty as cedar, but I just wanted to build up some experience before making something a bit more serious. Here are some photos:

It is a pity that these proposals have only just come to light, giving us 4/5 days to discuss and no time to discuss lakeside with MYA club members that sail IOM's. How long has the MYA exec sat on these proposals? Is GBR not the biggest IOM collective vote in the World with the largest number of registered boats but we nearly missed the deadline, how can this be? Thanks must go to Austin on getting this vote live in record time, you saved what could of been an extremely embarrassing situation for GBR IOM.

The Titans of Model Yacht Racing will do battle for the 99 year old Scrutton Cup at Fleetwood from Sunday 31st July to Fri 5th Aug. Racing Vane A class they will attempt to win this almost 100 year old trophy as so many have before them. This event was the "World Championship" until the Radio Worlds started in 1975, and reached a zenith of competitors in 1973 at Fleetwood, with 56 boats taking part. This year we have a modest entry of 17 boats and about 40 people involved but the competition will be just as hard and with 3 World Champions and countless National Champions in the mix. With full days of racing on Sun, Mon, Thur, & Friday, the Yachting Monthly Cup knockout competition on Wed, there's plenty to see. Pay us a visit & see how Free sailing works!

Correct me if I'm wrong (and I'm sure someone will) but doesn't IRSA set the class rules (for the international classes at least) and World Sailing the Racing rules? I will freely admit to being thoroughly confused about the relationship and responsibilities between IRSA, RYA, MYA and the COGS (If and when they exist). I looked on the MYA website under 'What we do' and was definitely none the wiser. It is clear however that the MYA has a responsibility for the promotion of Radio Sailing within the UK and others have already expressed their views on how well they do that job, The point about it being IRSA not the MYA is that the rules are set internationally not nationally, so I don't understand why the UK has measurer requirements that other countries do not. If there are problems with the 'quality' of the measurement process in some countries then how does imposing stricter standards on just one country solve this? Maybe it's because I don't understand how it works but I'm struggling to see what the MYA does for my money and why they can impose requirements that don't exist in other countries. I looked for a 'Mission Statement' or similar on the MYA website but couldn't find one. What I did find was this: Enable 'us' to have influence on? Shouldn't that be 'to promote the views of the members on'? Yes the MYA officers are elected by the members but there doesn't seem to be much consultation with the members taking place about these (and other) issues . Even our beloved politicians would claim that they are elected to represent the views of ALL their constituents, not to pursue their own agendas. It might help if someone representing the MYA issued a statement explaining why these measurer courses were considered necessary i.e. what problem are they trying to solve. And also provide a justification that learning how to measure 'full size' sails will solve it.

As I said near the beginning of this thread, let the class COG's get on with administering their own classes. They can create the guides on best practise when it comes to measuring and registration, highly useful for owners, designers and measurers alike. The registrars are part of the Class COG, so if they are seeing issues with the forms coming into them, this is where the COG Team offer help and advice to the owner/measurer concerned. Sometimes the intricacies of designers pushing to the limit and a miss understanding by the owner/measurer can be easily rectified. Also the forms can be discussed and ideas put forward for future updated to make it easier to complete. As we have seen from the TO and the Registrars data, the International and National classes are not generating that many new boat registrations per year. Surely this is where the COG team can help owners/measurers learn going forward - not dragging people over hot coals for doing something wrong. The RYA Sail course is about as much use to most Existing Measurers as a chocolate teapot. We have sails on rigs, we have different types of sails.... The biggest issue is measuring the boats or complete package, the RYA aren't getting involved here so why get involved with just the sails. Now I have just said above to 'Existing Measurers'. I agree there has to be something put inlace for new measurers, but again this should be coming from the COG covering the whole package and not just sails. The COG's are going to have to deal with boat measurement and not the RYA. For example my RA hull needs to be measured first before the sails are even made. Keep the pennies and expand on the experience and knowledge within the MYA fold. PS - was the Northern District Senior Measurer, but now just a Measurement Advisor.

Yes, its an AI generated image and makes no sense at all :)

YACHTING MONTHLY CUP Model Yachting’s equivalent to the “Americas Cup” In 1922 there was an active model yachtsman in the London area, Bill Daniels, who challenged “any model yachtsman world wide” to meet him in a race or series of races. He convinced his friend the editor of the sailing magazine Yachting Monthly, to donate a trophy for this contest and the “Yachting Monthly Cup” annual event was born. The yachts used for this challenge, which we now know as A class, were built to a formula, devised by the editor and Bill, and was loosely based on the 6 metre rule at a scale of 2 inches to the foot, and produced boats with an overall length limit of 19 feet 6 inches! although most were around 6 feet in length. The class was called the “Yachting Monthly 6metre” There was a club founded for this class The YM6mOA (Yachting Monthly 6 metres Owners Association) was founded in 1924, probably by Mr W J Daniels at the Rick Pond in Home Park Surbiton, south London. This club still exists but is now known as Hampton Court MYC. The first event was held at Gosport MYC in 1923 and was won by Bill himself sailing a boat he had designed & built for its owner J Scott Freeman a solicitor and keelboat sailor from the Upper Thames YC. Daniels went on to win the next two years securing the YM cup outright for his owner Scott Freeman, who donated the cup to the UTYC for competition in 14 foot dinghys, where it remains to this day. That could have been the end of the story, except that Yachting monthly very kindly presented a further very grand silver cup in 1926, which cannot be won outright and this trophy is still raced for to this day. The Yachting Monthly Cup centre. The Cup was challenged for every year in a similar format to the America’s Cup with the previous winner defending and a new hopeful skipper challenging. Many Americans challenged unsuccessfully as is reported below from a story in an American Model Yachting publication. In some articles, John Black, who had represented USA on several occasions, was described as the “Sir Thomas Lipton” of the model yachting world, in that he failed to win the Cup, time after time. According to a later article in Marine Models of 1937, this point was echoed: “a well-known model ”. yachtsman has said that this Cup has caused as much grief to America as the America’s Cup has to England The point being made here is that it was a period (1923–1948) when America would dearly have loved to win; it was by far the biggest challenge in model yachting. A win for Bill Bithell and Fred Pigeon in 1948 on British waters would be momentous indeed. This is just what happened. The Event continued every year and reached it’s zenith in its 50th anniversary year, 1973 at Fleetwood when 56 competitors raced for the MYA National Championship and 13 boats from 8 nations challenged for the YM cup. As time passed interest in the A class fell but the National Championship survived and celebrated it’s centenary in 2023 at Gosport. Although the large number of entries are a thing of the past, there are a dedicated number of about 20+ boats racing each year with many 2 & 3 generational families taking part. The 2nd YM Cup which celebrates it’s own centenary this year is still raced for, although not in it’s original challenge format. In 1986 as overseas entries dried up, the event was changed to a knock out competition held on the Wednesday of the Championship week, and was won the first time by a boat from Portugal! The Fleetwood club, the centenary hosts look forward to welcoming as many boats as possible to the centenary celebration regatta. Derek Priestley President Fleetwood MYC & MYA

Derek, Just an update from the IOM Registrar. It seems this IOM was originally yours. I have found an old photo of the boat sailing with your personal number on the sails (67). It must have been sometime after 1996. The registrar mentions below.... Hull 1667 is on the register as a Paracite named Para+, according to the register Derek was the original owner, first measured by A Kissick 23/05/1996. It was last owned by Iain Ferguson from 03/2008. JT

Hi Richard, (I believe,in no official capacity), that as both the FRA and CRO proposals on differing kicker/vang restrictions were not passed, that the rules are as read prior to an emergency 2024 change that was not IRSA ratified. While it may have initially passed at events (by some measurers), there are equally a number of measurers around the world,(including myself), concerned that without genuine area restriction, that the kicker/vang may not be in line with a closed class rule set. Precedents and previous rule changes/banning of equipment due to size would support this. The recent IOMICA voting reflected the divided opinion on just how big a kicker/vang can be before it is considered larger than its purpose. I expect the freshly elected IOMICA Technical Officer will have this issue at the top of his to do list leading into the big events this year. Until that happens, the class has not officially ruled either way on the kicker/vang legality as an official class interpretation was never sought or given. In the meantime, as suggested above, both your supplier and MYA Technical official will no doubt keep you and others in the same position up to speed should any change be needed. Cheers Brad

That Jim for you. A diamond (in the rough)

Put a small triangle/ half circle of deck patch over the front of the pulley to allow the sheet to ride over the top.

Hi Simon Never used LiPo batteries are did not like the risk while charging plus the checking of discharge level! Went straight from NiMh to LiFePO4. I have found that 1000mah battery gives me between 2 to 3 hours sailing in anything except top end of rig sailing conditions. For the sake of peace of mind when racing I usually swap the battery out at 2 hours. Did contemplate obtaining a 1600mah Life to ensure a mornings sailing without concerns. I am either using a RMG or Hitech monster power arm winch and it does not appear to make any difference to duty cycle. Not had any issues with winch performance (speed or power). Happy with my choice. Regards Eric

I used https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BHSR5R5H?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_9&th=1

I was filling in the excel voting form earlier and came across the Hollow in the bow profile within 10mm of the LWL. Why are there no accompanying diagrams showing the bridging points and how these will be used given different shapes of "chins". Without these diagrams we are unable to see the true potential this rule change may have. If a waterline is bridged and it moves the LWL point 30mm forward, where are the girth measurements points now taken from? A - From the original LWL point B - From the new bridged point where ever that may be If from the new point, in the formula you'll be loosing numbers on the extended waterline, but gaining on the reduced girth measurements. Where are the freeboards now taken from? This could make measuring a 6m in the dry measure a lot harder than it currently is, and mean a lot of other rule numbers will have to change to reflect this change if carried through.

No Reason for a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th mast, it is opening up a massive opportunity to having different mast standards for different conditions and gaining an advantage. 5% tolerances may not sound a lot but in reality that could make a totally different mast for different conditions. I'd need 5 masts at a cost of approx £300 per mast, gooseneck and boom: Light weight main Working main Flat main (reduced roach) 2nd working 3rd working One of the main reasons I sail the 6m and A classes is the simplified rig requirements of single mast, gooseneck and boom, allows me to compete at the top level without costing a fortune, otherwise it's another class I'll be priced out of if I want to be competitive.

Thanks for the “telling off” @RobVice_GBR41 😁 I am busy making a small Jones for my 36 and have made the body out of brass. So it is heavy(ish). I need to solder some pins in situ and so having the body out of a “meltable” material was not an option. this picture is of it part built. I will see if I can drill out some material to reduce the weight.

Still a long way off but I am hoping to do A week in Gosport (27 July to 1 August) with my long and graceful “Hadeda”. But to do so I need to find a helper. Anyone out there willing to offer their services? No previous poling experience necessary, just willingness, and reasonable mobility We will not win the event with the old girl, but we will take points off people…. cheers Wayne.

Most of Vic Smeed's yacht design sail very well. I started with my Dad back in about 1973, sailing a Starlet fitted with a Macgregor single channel set up. I still have it , along with one of Vic's Panache yachts and two Harem hulls undergoing a bit of TLC . Stored away in the garage is a set of fibre glass mouldings for a Star C, the boat he designed as the basis of a new sailing class. Remember, when he proposed it there was very little around except the huge A boats and the radios we have today were still a dream away. He designed it on behalf of Model Boats mag who commissioned 50 sets of mouldings from a company to get the class started and the fittings doyens of the day, Roberts and Jones both had fitting sets available. I had one back in the 70's and it sailed beautifully on an early Horizon 2 channel propo unit. Sadly, the class did not take off. The current mouldings pitched up on Ebay a while ago

As the seller of this boat, I must take exception to this post. I bought this boat from a well known builder who had sailed it with no problems. I have sailed it at club level and had absolutely no problems with water ingress. The buyer came and looked at the boat and was happy. If had wanted to see it sailing, that could easily have been arranged. On collection, it was placed in the boot of a car barely big enough to contain it, with the lead and keel left on. The buyer then informed me that he was due to take it on the next day back to Scarborough in a much smaller car still. I don't believe that travelling in this manner did the boat any favours. Mark contacted to me for advise and like the above posts I suggested using either Captain Tolley's or thinned resin swilled around the hull to seal any crack. I do not know if he has actually tried any of the suggestions. As to John Taylor's unpleasant remark above " They may compromise if shown the errors of there ways?" The boat was sold in good faith and fully sailable condition . In fact the day before collection, I had assembled it to check it over and as I was not happy with the winch, replaced it with a brand new unit Hardly the actions of someone trying to shift a "lemon". Perhaps instead of buying my Lintel, Mark should have spent 3 times as much and bought the one currently advertised in the For Sale ads.

I have just entered two regional opens and club member says to me.. when are you getting your new sails (Christmas present from partner) measured. Sails from abroad. “other clubs may not be as generous as ours and on the day refuse entry.” My partner can’t believe it,……….. “brand new, what, what more do they want, half day off work, how far, how much” and I agree completely. we need a better system, to still allow the person at home to produce sails. But for those of us who have limited time, as we still work full time and just want to race, to find a better solution to sail purchasing.

Just read the report by Nigel Barrow about the "Have a go" stand of DF65 yachts is a pool with fans at the RYA Dinghy show this weekend. With R/C Yachts unable to attend this year, Datchet club took on the challenge of providing sailing for the attendees at the show and managed to get some 700 people "having a go" Well done Datchet! Fantastic publicity for our sport!!

“A” CLASS CENTENARY RADIO A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GOSPORT 29/30 SEPTEMBER. We’ve had a great year celebrating the Centenary of the founding of the International A Class (Model Yacht racing’s 1st International class) and coming up next is the National Championship for Radio A Class, taking place at Gosport over the weekend 20 Sept & 1 Oct. The full NOR and entry form is on the MYA website and a copy will also be found on the Gosport MY&BC website. There are already 15 entries on the Gosport website list and several more are in the pipeline, so it’s looking like a great weekend’s get together for A class sailors. There’s evening dinner for all at the Lakeside restaurant, where we can re live the days racing.........or forget about it!! For anyone who is not an A class owner, I believe it may be possible to charter a boat from Gosport or Hampton Court MYC as both clubs have several in their clubhouses. I am your PRO for the event and I can promise you sunshine, blue skies, and a beautiful 10 knot wind straight down the Cockle Pond. What more could you ask? So, why not come & join in this once in a lifetime unique event. I look forward to seeing you at Gosport. Derek Priestley

Pentel N50 http://www.bgsailsanddesign.com/store/p3/Sail_Marker_Pen.html or similar bought from a stationery shop

I exclusively use fishing line for sheeting systems standing rigging and running rigging varying from 30pound for sheeting on smaller boats topping lifts etc,80 pound line for winch lines backstays, and a 300 pound line for shrouds on bigger boats A class and 6 metres for shrouds I normally prestretch by hanging a sledge hammer on the shrouds for a week or so

Local diving club from Cambridge could not have been more helpful this morning. Two men, who dive not for great depth but to find new things. Out in a small inflatable to use their sonar,but as it was on its side, not great profile, so moved to their underwater drone. Located it is about 2.5m of water, marked it and returned with fins and mask (wearing drysuits all morning) surface dive and recovered it. some pics and club write up on Day report 2 https://www.facebook.com/groups/1006440426704868 thank you to Cambridge British Sub-Aqua Club.

I will put something together about my different boats in the near future, but even though I come from a engineering background I have abandoned the very scientific approach to boat design. The first boats I build from a new male plug are really ideas stolen from what seems to be fast. The plug is an average shape, but then gets auto filler added and sanded off until I have added a few personal touches, but really these can only be a few mm here or there different from the current top designs. The real test is then to take it sailing and find the weak points. I feel my first boats never have enough buoyancy and I always end up adding more filler to the plug for each subsequent hull. I try to aim for a maximum waterline beam of about 150mm and a canoe rocker of about 56mm. The volume distribution curve should peak at about the 66% mark and the prismatic coefficient should be as high as possible (volume in the ends). The boats when floating with the stern and bow just touching probably displace about 4.2 kg. I use Robot fins. The back of the mast should be about 12-14mm in front of the fin and the fin has a 5-10mm sweep back from the vertical measured at the bottom. I am not sure if there can be any more design breakthroughs as the Britpop has not really been improved on an is still possibly the best all round boat available after more than 10 years. That being said we thought the same in paragliders when we were gliding at a L/D of 8 and the latest are over 14! Brad is currently sailing a TS2 and winning even in the light, so perhaps there could be a surprise with wide skiff type boats again. If I am stupid enough to start another design process then I would probably try the very narrow route with about 135mm on the waterline and shapes tending towards the last IACC non-foiling boats. They got squarer and flatter over time -> https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/The-AC-Finalists-Arms-Race-who-has-the-edge/-34184?source=google Or something really silly like this -> https://thomastison.com/scow-hulls-part-1-the-pros/

Hi I have built a number of wooden IOMs over the past 2 years and not one of them has been overweight. By using well engineered construction you do not have to put a lot of timber into the hull. A well built woody is very strong, so much of the internal structure needed on a plastic boat is not required. My latest boat was built using Obechi ( usually use Western Red Cedar) for the planking and came out about 240 grams light ( includes A rig and battery). below is an image of the boat and evidence of the weight using my own scale that was checked using the calibrated scales at Gosport.

No question at all that Ospreys rule!

Some interesting points Janice You are correct in suggesting I have not been to a Euro Nations event. As those in charge of it expressly suggested it was a Euro based event from its forming origins and had little to no interest in us here hosting an event, it has never been on my radar. Now some 5-6 odd years on and an event here can boost their numbers and add some credence. That’s great! I always found it odd though that the same organising skippers travelled to our Nationals on multiple occasions held over 2 days with little fuss. Some barely lasted the full 2 days before heading home. Any suggestion that GBR skippers that have jobs, are in school, have children in school or other family commitments that restricts their time away are having to stay 3 nights away for a 2 day race is just nonsense. It is one night or possibly 2 nights worst case. Which brings me to a larger point. At a time where numbers and helpers are thin on the ground due to a number of reasons, not least the rise in cost of living, associated travel and any expenses that go with weekends away, why would adding extra days on to any events in this country (on a non holiday weekend) be seen as something good for any class as a whole. In this instance you would likely loose more skipper from the Monday racing than any travellers gained by adding the event in the first place. And for what? Hardly an event result that makes that series meaningful. As for any social aspects, well I’m not sure I’ve been to a GBR event where I been to bed before closing time and I’m certain I wasn’t the only one in the house, so to speak. Those that regularly attend GBR events are well aware of the social aspects. I am in no way against this Euro Cup. But given the current climate could I suggest getting back to basics and putting GBR skippers first by holding events they are able to attend be the priority. Fleet numbers will be no concern if events are timed well and not saddled against other crossover classes like the calendar of this year. Promote the events with enthusiasm to create a fear of missing out like they used to be and there is no problem. How these basics have been forgotten amongst the nonsense and plain excuses in recent times is mind blowing. Or we can be less inclusive, tell the likes of Rob Vice and Peter Stollery that they will have to take their competing kids home for school and miss the final day of a rare chance of sailing an International event. Is that what an event we are inviting to our shores should be about, or are we after events solely for retirees or those out of work? If that is the case then maybe a Veterans Nationals would be better to tag the Euro Cup with? To answer Darin. 2 days please and if the Euro Cup was to prove successful, then why not factor in their own stand alone event for 2024 which would be in a non World Championship year if that’s what worked for all skippers. Brad