Colin Helliwell

Proactive sounds a good position. As you hint at, reasonably easy to know what the Regulars think, but sometimes those who don't like something don't say anything - they just attend less :( What did you do on "constitution" and "policy"?

Apologies for overlooking free sailing, no exclusion intended

Do you participate now and again, for something different to do at the weekend. Do you compete regularly at your club, for enjoyment and socialising, however well you do or don't do. Do you compete regularly at your club, come home a bit miffed with yourself if you've not done as well as you wanted/could, and plan for better next time out. Do you compete at regional/national level and have to maintain that level and achieve the next. All are respectable goals, and no one of them suits everyone. Some are top-level ambitions, and laudable. But the others maybe represent where the grass-roots are nurtured. Which mind-set has attracted new members to your club? Is it a hobby or a sport? I didn't post this as a Poll, as I'm sure there's multiple shades in between my simplistic categorisations! And a "discuss...." would be far more illuminating 😄

For sure the skipper must have the ultimate onus, but I reckon a sailmaker could be allowed to certify. Akin to a Company Director paying a fortune to a Chartered Accountant to prepare their year end accounts, but it's only the Director who is liable to HMRC for what is generated. A sensible skipper would therefore buy from a reputable sailmaker who doesn't want to lose future business by being 'found wanting'.

It's a subject visited before, where people have sought to 'understand' the enforced separation between sailmaker and measurer. Sail measurement https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/forums/topic/4446-sail-measurement/

If, especially, you're new to the class then you might want to factor in which are popular designs at your club - you'll then have a good breadth of knowledge and advice to tap into at the lakeside. Many designs have setup info all over the interweb, but good to be able to compare your setup with another, there-and-then, and actually see how things compare on the water. My club has many Britpops (of course), also several Venti and now Alioth. I personally wouldn't go for a new K2, for example, as we don't have any of them. (I have a Sedici, cos a tidy one became available 2nd hand. I don't myself have the inclination for the cash & delay of brand new - I'm not good enough lol)

Are you looking for a steer on the best design, or which likely to arrive soonest? (perhaps a balance of both). I don't know at what point the builders require a nonrefundable payment but, until that point, how about 'all of them'...? Nigel Barrow has a number of useful posts if you'd like one person's thoughts/experiences on a few designs e.g. https://www.nigelbarrow.co.uk/post/the-first-outings-with-the-viss

Would you rather be able to just buy a brand new IOM, or have sooooo much to spare that you can obscenely add champagne, for the whole professional crew, on top of even the mooring fees? (Yeah, me too lol)

I happened upon the Tushy/Tim vid about latest 65 n 95 products today, and a new winch is mentioned which is better for something like 'endpoint stability' - sounds like the same creep we're mostly describing here? Anyone have this 'v3' winch and confirm it solves that one-time creep-out? I find it irritating to set up, when just the few mm alters boom angles quite a bit - compensating sheet length for what it will (probably) do on the water. I'm tempted by the v3, if it does have a better control loop (== a performance ìmprovement....?). Tho 90 quid for a servo is a lot.... (presumably not enough volume for economies of scale compared with a general market servo)

Sounds like a right ol' journey Mike, in all, sorts of ways! Praise for unashamedly sharing your journey tho. Learning here what to do, and also what not to do lol , - whether building/sailing/rules - is valuable info to share.

I used a 3mm drill, taped it to the mast, and tied each in turn as I fed the sail up the mast. Time will tell if 3mm is too tight or not, maybe 4 or 5 would've been better. Good tip on the 'extra twist' 👍

Newish design, I believe - so might not be many around at all, let alone second hand? I am tho curious about the design progressions - of a single designer - from my Sedici into the Venti, and then into the GC24. [I guess "Ventiquattro" would have needed a longer foredeck for the label lol]. I think Venti, which seems a very decent design, has more beam than Sedici. Where has the GC24 taken things?

Thanks Peter. ("Nominal rake angle" is far more succinct than my attempt at phrasing it 😄)

I don't have one out of a boat to pore over - just pic https://www.radiosailing.co.uk/df95-keel-box-and-mast-fitting-815-p.asp . So I was wondering whether the mast heel is held in a fixed position by the box (i.e. the deck gate alters the angle of a freely-stood mast), or if only the gate holds it (i.e. gate alters fore-aft position but not the angle)

I'm bending on a new 95 A suit, and replacing the Joysway metal luff clips with cord. Any tips please on achieving a suitable tightness? (And in fact for tying the fiddly knot whilst keeping the length steady!) Thanks