Colin Helliwell

No PRO/umpire experience from me, not even that much RC sailing. My racing is typically a single spreader, though an outside-in was also used at our Open this weekend. One thing I sense though is that the efficacy of any method can still be upset by the angles. It's not always practical - esp. at events lesser than the Worlds kinda level - to be moving marks constantly, but a heavily shifting wind can result in laylines wandering such that any method can end up messier than the 'theory'. And of course the distances between multiple marks, and even distance/bearing from Control Area. A degree of 'horses for courses' perhaps, or [apologies for any earworms] 'it aint what you do, its the way that you do it'..?

It always surprised me how something like even a Fireball (don't get me wrong - superb dinghy) could have evolving hull designs. Yep, sail cut, vs spar parameters and prebend is an equally dark art. I guess that's why World Champion is indeed a special achievement! I love trying to understand the perfection, but meself I'm happy just getting out with mates on a Sunday morning :) And there's now the GC24 - one at Worlds. I guess "venti­quattro" too long to fit on the foredeck lol.

And there's also skippers like me.... 🙄

Sedici is slightly more slender than Venti - about 7mm narrower between the shroud 'plates' I think. I've not looked at whether there's other subtle shape differences, perhaps beam is the only major one.

Results are https://www.iomworlds2026.com/results/ Nigel Barrow is compering the videos (with a few hours delay for upload) on YouTube, he's doing a good job of covering the progressions as they happen. Mark Jardine seems to be giving lots of mentions on Y&Y website - quite a bit of kudos i reckon, for a 'big boat' site to be giving our sport big coverage

I see the windward mark spinning quite a bit, without signs of subsequent penalty turn. But that's with benefit of camera zoom - no idea how skippers/observers can tell, esp. from fairly restricted/fixed angle of view. (Is/was there a dinghy class which stopped bothering with touching a mark being an infringement..?)

Obligation to give time and room to keep clear does seem to get 'forgotten', esp. at windward marks. And, with the tacking aspect, can get 'subjective'. Often worthwhile, I think, even if you are going to complete your tack in adequate time, to let the other boat know. Unless in a title-deciding match race, then a collision is likely to disadvantage both (or more)....

As a sciency type - but with no detailed knowledge of past/present systems either...! - I'd just chime in that you can prove most arguments with statistics/maths, especially for particular examples. More pragmatically perhaps, I'd suggest stripping the problem down - what is the aim of the Ranking, and what is the best fit for that aim. (If its toooo broke then maybe it needs a back-to-basics look, rather than trying to just tweak/evolve). If (?) its Ranking towards international qualification, then why not miss out Nationals result altogether? As mentioned above, they are significantly larger scale than yer average event, and competing does bring added complications for most re. cost, family, work etc. Or - devil's advocate lol - say only Nationals results! Not a serious suggestion, but is it trying to merge the two angles which causes the dilemma? A dichotomy. (I've had most of my career with people hoping "it's only software, it must be easy" lol)

Yep - always struck me as harsh/disproportionate

On a side note, and sorry if it's off-topic: I think there's been views in the past about whether [HMS] BFD/DSQ in a Heat should score "Heat boats +1" or "Race boats +1". Anyone know if this discussion has been 'evolved'..?

The likes of John B will have an answer. But I'd have thought that the Race Officer is free to deploy it whenever they like? It might be a bit fearful or nervous on Race 1 Heat 1 - depending on who the skippers are lol - but it'd probably be within both RRS and a typical SI? How soon it can be raised before a particular start might be a deeper question.

Welcome. The number will likely be the boat's registration number - the Registrar may be able to uncover further info for you: https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/iom-registration-or-certificate-requests/

I've looked at instructions for RMG and never understood them! So mine is - probably/maybe - on factory settings. I'm also Spektrum, which made it easy to move both endpoints to where the new boat needed.

I've had my battery velcro'd into a small tray (one of those plastic containers that diy shops sell screws in), glued to the bottom of the hull. After a blustery nose-diving Sunday (not quite to Nationals level...!), I'd taken on a bit of water such that the tray partially filled and the battery partially immersed. Bit worrying with lithium involved. Wondered what other methods people use to deal with this issue. Just mount it higher above the bilge? (Probably minor effect on CoG I guess).

Anyone know of a website with live/semi-live results?

My advice, and iirc that of others, is to leave 'em alone unless you have a problem ("if it ain't broke...."). As you say, risk of weakening the threads and making a non-problem into a bad one...? My 95 is a few years old and I've not had leaks.

Defintely good publicity for our sport. Even if it gets the odd bod racing just over winter during the dinghy 'off season' (till their knees are gone), its all good. To clubs out there: Y&Ý are happy and willing to put RC Sailing events on their site - LRSC's club IOM results n reports go up there.

In this day n age, IRSA could perhaps publish free electronic/scalable digit data. Then it wouldn't need (perhaps debatable) wordings. My 7's have a slightly curved 'back' - legal or not? I agree with you John - rules need to be well-written, and many could be better than they are. (What I can find tricky, in heat of the moment of a race or finishing line duties, is 08 vs. 80.....)

Maybe means don't do them on a dot matrix printer...

I'm just taking a look at a couple of these for a mate (for a separate question) - looks like one is a #1, the other a #3. The single 3-wire cable - hence power coming in via the receiver - is sleeved so I can't estimate the wire gauge, but to me it doesn't look capable of ~7A. The other - like my own RMG - has separate and chunky power leads, independent from the Rcvr connection. That's the one I'd want....

I've seen cord used a lot on IOMs. (And after all, it does swivel! Boom isn't fixed; it doesn't place any control or limit on the boom's rotation)

Brad's (generic) rig guide and also the tuning guide for my Sedici both suggest a 'norm' for A Rig hounds position at around 1175mm above deck level. What would be pros n cons of - for the same (and a 'typical') spreader height - them being 100mm higher...?

Version 2

To avoid trying to hold a ruler or tape measure steady in just the right place - and not yet having the experience to tune only by eye n intuition! - I've created this 3d-printable gizzmo for more easily making repeatable rig measurements: On circular booms ~5-11mm dia., for measuring foot depth (e.g. IOM/DF95/DF65). Against the mast, to measure gap to jib boom ("3 fingers" is a subjective measurement!) Against the backstay, to measure leech twist. Measurements can be taken between inside-edge(s) if you prefer, or the V underside allows for measuring from the centreline regardless of spar diameter. (Just add/subtract radius if necessary). Happy to hear any ideas for improvements. A variation to sit on SAILSetc rectangular boom could certainly be done - the relative dimensions just don't allow a one-fits-all. The g-code file is offered for free, but please don't make/sell for profit. If you find it useful then a modest donation to https://prostatecanceruk.org/ would be kind.

I'd think it might be fixable with right spare+technique... But if you can't get it repaired and have to just replace it Derek - which would be a shame - feel free to scrap it in my direction! 😀 (I use Spektrum myself, so if I fixed then I'd sell for charity)