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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.

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.

As has been said, I think the principle is correct, the numbers are probably slightly off. It should also be noted that the actual ranking regulations can be amended easily, however the software to implement this has been in existence for a long time now and even a simple change like doubling the points has taken longer to record than was anticipated due to its complexity, hence why the 2026 ranking positions have only just been published. Any change that is considered requires either a simple solution, like Brad's option 3, or will require a complete rewrite of the software. Obviously there will be plenty of people who say "that's easy" but they will also have to follow up on their words... If we can agree on the weighting it can be introduced for 2027.

After a cracking weekend of Vane sailing we got ourselves back into the workshop on Monday to make some improvements to a few existing designs after some great feedback from customers, and also finalising some new products. Our aim is to create a one-stop-shop for all your component needs and bit by bit we are getting there. The main "Improvement" we have made this week is to our printed Clew Fitting . The older design could be over tightened to prevent it moving on the spar, but now it will snug up tight without needing the bolt that holds the clew of the sail to be too tight. Another item we revised was the Proteus mast heel. A very small change here to help the heel account for mast rake. On the "New" product side we have pulled out an Adjustable Fairlead design from our archives and, after some tweaking, made it available in the shop. Then we created a mast heel for the Vickers mast step. Thank you to that regular customer of our that pushed me to do this, you know who you are. Finally we have had added a z-hook and jib boom counterweights to our shop. We do not manufacture these ourselves, but we buy them in and resell them with a small markup. It's all about making everything available in one place. Thank you to all those Customers who visited our shop this week, whether you browsed, purchased or left us a review, we greatly appreciate your interest and custom. Next week we hope to bring you some good news on a new winch drum that we are working on. Keep watching, a number of you have asked us to do this, I only hope we can satisfy your wishes. Have a great weekend everyone. Regards Wayne

Last weekend, 52 skippers from all over America and beyond gathered in Hobe Sound, Florida. The regatta was set for four days, with sunny weather and temperatures in the 70s, although the breeze was a bit light and variable. We had four fleets and managed to complete 18 rounds of racing by the end of the event. There was a nice mix of IOM designs on display, including two wooden boats: my own 'Gillette' and a beautifully crafted 'Alternative.' One thing, I want to share is that sometimes, unexpected scenarios happen during a race that skippers can’t control. The top skippers seem to find a way to navigate those fine margins to achieve success, a quality I am missing. A big shoutout to Peter Feldman, who raced consistently throughout the regatta and took home the win! When I chatted with Peter, he mentioned he’s aiming to compete in the UK Championship this April. As for me, I’ll be heading back to the UK soon and I’m looking forward to racing with friends, both in the championship and the West Lancashire Ranking race in March. Those who follow You Tube, will know there is a lot of video footage of the regatta online provided by Dan Shier, so I invite you to browse at your leisure. Regards JT Gillette Alternative Alioth Version 4 K2 Proteus Solaris / Polaris V12 Venti VISS Skippers

It can be useful to set your failsafe to a slight turn, and sails mid way out, in case of loss of signal due to range, it may then sail back into range 😊

TIME TO REVIVE THE CHAMPION’S CUP? Back in the 1970’s David Hollom, donated the “Champions Cup” for competition amongst the class Champions in Radio sailing. . Invitations were initially extended to all National & District Champions and later when the Ranking lists were introduced ther were used to select the invitees. The event held over 2 days with day 1, 2 boat Match racing, and day 2 fleet racing and the scores combined to find the winner. Initially the Marblehead was used successfully for many years, and later the event was sailed in the IOM class. Interest from sailors fell away, and the event has not been held for several years. Readers of the Yachts & Yachting website will have seen the report of the recently held Endeavour Trophy, (Champion of Champions) in the Dinghy world. This annual invitation only event was held as usual at the Burnham on Crouch YC and for the first time for several years, all boats were supplied and were all the same Melges 15 Dinghys. None of the Champion entrants had the chance to sail the boats before the Friday of the event. It occurred to me that we in the radio sailing world could attempt to revive our “Champions Cup” by adapting a similar approach using one of our “out of the box” classes, Laser, DF95 or the new up coming IOM “Mint” from Joysway. So is now the time to bring this once very popular event back?

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

PJ Sails does them. https://www.pjsails.co.uk/collections/rig-fittings

John, I quote: "This was put forward simply for the benefit of those who struggle with sail changes on the new round tube masts and feel disadvantaged by the process. The proposal is for ONE additional mast, as identical to that first measured as possible, within tight manufacturers and building tolerances. Outside of these tolerances, alternative combinations of tube size, length or weight are not acceptable." Line 1/. I have already suggested practical, easy to implement remedies to reduce any difficulties that individuals might have with changing a sail. Nobody is at a disadvantage when changing sail. there is no race on shore, no time limit to change. Skippers have been changing sail on the mast for a very long time, including when round masts (they are not 'new') were the only type available. We are closely aligned to the full size Six Metres. They have a crew of four besides the helmsman to do sail changes, so model yachts with two people, on land, making the sail change sounds right to me. So what has changed in 2025? Absolutely nothing. To be frank, prospective owners (should) know the rules before they purchase a boat. There are SEVEN other MYA classes to choose from if sail changing on the mast is really such a big deal. Line 2/. How are owners going to achieve these objectives? What tight manufacturers/building tolerances - simply the one percent, but anything else is fine? Well the reality is that the 2nd mast may well be rather less than 'as identical as possible'. How are you going to check and determine how owners have constructed their mast so as not to gain a performance advantage, or is that a disadvantage that you and one mast skippers just have to bear? I don't see why they should. Line 3/. "alternative combinations of tube size......are not acceptable". This is not in the proposal but you are now including it in your requirements. Well it's just pie in the sky anyway because anyone with a groovy mast is going to have a very hard time replicating anything approaching a groovy mast in round tube form, because nobody makes 12.7mm round tube in the UK, let alone any with the same, unique bend characteristics as groovy. Therefore they can only construct a second mast that is of a different diameter with significantly different in characteristics from their primary mast, and that mast will be of limited use as a spare because of likely sail mounting differences. Any first owners with round tube could comply if exactly the same materials are available and constructed identically. But owners could simply say that they are (perhaps legitimately) unable to source the same material as that used in the primary mast and construct one of their own design and specification while remaining within the 1% tolerances. Owners of second hand boats won't have a clue what they are looking at and what tube to use for their second mast to create a 2nd mast that is as identical as possible to the primary. Can anyone simply look at a primary round tube and know where it was sourced from, what modulus it has and then find that specification to buy in the marketplace? No. Will any owner,measurer or Race Officer/Protest committee be able to judge how the finished mast/boom compares to the primary mast and whether it is fair to other competitors, in the event of a dispute or protest? No. And we haven't even touched on another variable that the owner can introduce, namely differences to the position of shroud mounting points on the mast and the deck plus the spreader design, to influence mast characteristics and performance. Are we going to have rules for that too, so that single mast owners are not disadvantaged? There are none in the proposal. In conclusion, these 2nd masts are not going to be anything like identical in many cases. This rule change will benefit those with deeper pockets, or the builder who knows what they are doing making a rig, or the technically savvy owner who can design a superior mast for a given condition. And as a final thought, note that this 2nd mast does not have to be used as the vehicle for a sail change down due to higher wind speeds. There is nothing to stop it being used purely tactically, in what would be regarded as normal conditions. In fact, how do you know that, privately, an owner won't have more than one '2nd mast' available, each measured, with different characteristics to suit different wind and water conditions. How would that be policed? Just a thought. Welcome to the Rabbit Hole. Pay as you enter. It's dark. Dig at your own risk.

The pet plastic from cheese packs or other flat packaging, cut to size and fixed with double sided tapewith deck lat h squares at the ends

Hi I'm fairly certain that a Skipper I knew who made his own sails used X-ray film. Not 100% certain where he obtained it, I think it may have been his employers quality department (Welding X-rays)

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 that info, I was thinking of using the roll wrapped tubes from Easy Composites. So you still need shrouds ona carbon rig then? That is what I was hoping to avoid...

During the various COVID lockdowns I acquired a vintage Marblehead that needed some restoration. It was set up for Braine control, something that I quickly decided, as a radio man, was not for me. At that time I still regarded the vane sailing gang as a bunch of old men that were yet to embrace modern technology, so it was with some trepidation that I decided to try my hand at making a Vane gear for the boat. That was the start of a journey that I am thoroughly enjoying. I now find myself in that gang of old men who walk around lakes, poles in hand, cussing boats that are not doing what you think you set them up to do..... Here is my journey 1 - EZ Vane I came across the drawings on VMYG and it seemed easy enough to make so I ordered up some brass sheet and set about machining the parts using a handheld drill and a rather wobbly drill-press. For the round bits I roped in Derek Morland who had a lathe, was kindly donated a dial by Graham Reeves and hey presto, I had a vane. While it was functional it had a lot of slop and wobbled around a bit. 2 - EZ Vane - Attempt 2 Having acquired a mini-late with a small milling attachment I decided to try again. This time I was able to machine reasonable slots in the brass and turn my own shafts. I also made up a dial drawing and had a plastics shop to make a bunch up for me. To improve the look I bought and used a small nickel plating kit. The end result was much better and I still use this vane on my vintage marblehead today 3 - "A" boat Vane Having had my appetite tickled by the marblehead Nigel Brown kindly gave a wooden 1980's John Lewis design "A" boat. The hull needed re-decking and a lot of work but we got there in the end. The guru @Derek Priestley advised that the EZ vane may be a bit light for the "A" and kindly lent me one of his vanes to copy. I initially made the body out of 3 pieces of aluminium which I bonded together with epoxy. Unfortunately the epoxy bond was not great and the vane fell to pieces on day 1 of the 2023 A week. Overnight I remade the body in brass and silver soldered the pieces together. Still going strong and it easy to use for a beginner like me. 4 - Baby Jones The next and most recent project was to make a small vane for my old woodie v36" built by John Gale. Using Nigel Brown's vane for inspiration and some parts donated by @Graham Elliott we now have something that resembles a small Jones. Not quite done and not yet tested on the boat, but seems to be in good shape 5 - Jones This is the first of my 3 vanes not built by me. Needs a bit of a clean and some fettling, but a very nice bit of kit 6 - Corby A stunning piece of engineering that came with another vintage M that sits in my shed. I have not used it yet but one observation is that I wonder if it might be a bit finicky to adjust the "broken" tacking angle, not something you want to have to do in a just at the bank. Also gives you no ability to have slightly different tacking angles on each side to accommodate a boat that sails better on one tack over the other. But I am sure that, as this is a sought after vane, my concerns are unfounded 7 - 3D printed EZ Vane This vane came with my 36 but I feel that it's too out of character for the old woodie. Destined to sit on my shelf until I find something more modern that needs a vane 8 - Clem Coming up will be an attempt to make a Clem which I will use on a 1932 "A" boat that I will get around to restoring at some point... . . . I dread the day when my wife asks me why I have some any vanes, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.... I hope that this story gives other people the confidence to build something. Vane sailing a boat is fantastic, don't be afraid.... we are not all grumpy old men.

A piece of 4mm stainless appropriately bent to go up and over the well sides would do the same job - but it wouldn’t give me the extra 190 squ mm of sail area. So why did I have to cut my Potter goosenecks down again? Let’s have some consistency. So it’s not a free for all or he that shouts loudest gets their own way.

Tom, essentially the deck limit mark can be placed where you want is my take. I would imagine any limit mark would need to be placed in a position that can be visually identified and relevent points checked for compliance against on inspection. I.e. could i readily check that the upper edge of your lower mast band point is within the required 60mm min and 100mm maximum range allowed? Before getting too far ahead, worth understanding the class rules what is mandatory regarding fittings, especially the kicker. You may find you need a mast well of some sort to allow for a kicking strap that meets the rules. The recommended notion that anyone trying anything new should ask for an interpretation from firstly their local measurer who if not clear will pass upwards to a National Technical Officer, then oneards to the International Technical Officer is a correct one. When we can expect that all will follow this advise instead of circumvention or that the playing field will become level for all designers, builders or manufacturers is anyones guess…

Hi Chris, I’m thinking there may be some confusion here. My response to the post by Andy with regards to 40lb wire was for use in an IOM (Marblehead or 10R) leech line. For shrouds, forestay and backstay for an IOM, I use and recommend 80lb single strand Malin wire or similar. I have not used braided wire or swages for 30 + years, choosing the option of less windage, weight, stretch, reliabilty with the added ease of precise rigging for racing. I appreciate others may have their own preferred methods and choices. Cheers Brad

My reply above covers what the RRS says, but what is more important is the tactical situation and how the rules may be used to gain an advantage. While you may luff a boat to windward, what is the point? They are trying to block your wind, and you have the right to defend it, but while you are both luffing, the rest of the fleet is gaining on both of you. On a run, what is more important is to protect the inside line for the next mark – so if they are trying to pass to weather but will make them outside at the mark, let them go. If they are trying to be inside boat at the mark, then you should start to head up well before the overlap even begins to make it clear you will not let them and to encourage them to go below, so that you will be the one with mark room. John

Seems obvious to me, mainly the reasons we now have very few measurers are for two main reasons, not many courses being run, especially in the North and willing measurers not willing to give up a precious weekend or use annual leave if the course is midweek. The simple solution is to have an online course with a test at the end. Cost would probably be equal to set it up as it would to cover costs as is now, travel etc. This was mentioned very early on with Lester and Veronica willing volunteers but I understand Lester's circumstances have changed so the MYA now need to outsource this. Easy, job done and let's move on. Surely?

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.

Hi All, It may be worth taking a look back over the attached thread from 2 years ago with some explination given to self certification hurdles and proposed measurerement certification. 2 years on and in the Northern District we have a total of 4 measurers qualified to sign sails, with ONE qualified to measure and certify boats. Thats 4 measurers to approximately 400 members. The South West District is not in any better shape. Can i suggest before laying the blame at the feet of your sailmaker, that members take the time to consider why culling over 80 measurers, many of which had been in their roles for 20-30+ years with full experience from sails through to complete boat measurement, for the sake of accreditation was a good idea and the go to option? I believe a workable solution could and should have been found with our RYA and classes that would not have left us in this present situation. Cheers Brad

Here are the reccomendations that IRSA has transmitted to World Sailing. EC-submission-summary jgb-2 GD 1.docx

Simply to far for me to walk now never mind run I hear that people are walking miles up and down the bank. Would love to race but unless the control areas become restricted to say a metre or 2 per competing boat in each heat then I would be at a disadvantage. Not that I was any good when I could walk, but I did enjoy competing!

The proposals on observing/umpiring seem to be based on: - a belief that an observer cannot be disinterested and has an obvious conflict of interest - to extend the current situation in Croatia (a small number of regattas all umpired with no observers) to the rest of the world - to remove the one -turn voluntary, two turn umpire given, penalty difference. This means that umpires will be empowered to penalise with out warning after contact. This despite previous experience that if penalty given by umpire is the same, most competitors will wait for the umpire call. - allow umpires to roam freely on the bank or on the water, outside the control area. I would argue that these proposals are a major game-changer. They undo over 40 years of development of rules and practices that actively involve competitors in implementing the basic principle of sportsmanship that competitors follow and enforce the rules. These proposal seek to replace not reinforce self policing.

I can’t wait to get going again and as everyone has pointed out Lincoln have a great water to sail on and friendly members we’ll see how long that lasts when they are shouting Starboard at me.😳

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