Colin Helliwell

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

Seems odd (and/or illogical) for an "International" class. How tortured and officious does this really need to be?

I'd also thought Dave Creed - might be able do it to custom to sketch/measurements

I make no criticism or complaint at anyone - and echo the "thank you John for always giving your advice and insight". But jeez, the rules are all soooooo complicated (for someone who just loves sailing, likes competing, but isn't willing to treat any situation as Life And Death). And bearing in mind that no-one in our sport actually has any up-above viewpoint that John's diagrams brilliantly demonstrate lol

Presumably, into "proper [beating] course" one can factor how high one or other boat can point relative to the other?! Windward boat has to keep/get clear of a leeward boat which is pointing higher than the other in the 'middle' of the beat - is it different whilst rounding the leeward mark and still within the Zone?

And, I suspect, another takeaway is continue to (be obliged to) give room? [for how long, btw?]. It's probably a little less likely at the sharp end with the experts, but if the leading boat does a poor rounding and leaves a gap, then it's almost human nature - in the heat of the competitive moment - to be unable to not "send it".... Not correct, but we all probably see it often. (And I can't say I've never been seduced by a gap-that-isnt-quite lol)

We're aiming to be publishing the latest standings here through the weekend. Updated as quickly as we’re able, hopefully at completion of each race. Currently up-to-date as of the end of Day 1.

I've used chatgpt a few times recently, and found it pretty useful, if only to collate and summarise things that actual human beans have said somewhere. But retain or start with your own knowledge first where poss. I've sometimes responded to ai with "but surely that doesn't make sense because xyz", and it responds "yes, you're right, good catch". I've even had "ah, yes, your solution is better than mine". And smilies.... very creepy.... Skynet/Terminator here we come! It can be useful, but use with care, never forget the A in AI ;)

Thanks John, your pics cover what I was trying to put in words 🙂 For scenario 2, at position 3: Boat C is not required to predict/preempt the moment that Boat A might start moving astern i.e. having time and opportunity doesn't begin till then? I imagine its a quirky situation but then it's often those sort that, in the heat of the moment, have many of us thinking "ermm, I'm not sure..!"

Hmmm, yes I'd be doubtful to take that as guidance/gospel. I know nothing about 10r exoticity (real word...), but I did notice the carbon-encapsulated battery....? And the servo which seems to operate an athwartships lever (adjustable keel cant?). Oh, and isn't screwed down... Two un-enclosed pcbs (extreme weight saving?)... A pretty pic, but looks a bit too lovely

Prior to start (approx 10secs to go), Boat C is hovering/edging towards the line on starboard. Boat A crosses ahead on port and tacks just ahead of C, ending up ahead, very slightly off port bow, of C. No problem at all with the initial proximity of tacking in front of C, but A stalls in the tack and drifts/steers backwards to get out of irons. C has to bear away behind A to avoid contact. Thoughts/reasonings on right(s) of way...? I'm wondering if A never did complete tack and therefore did end up tacking too close? Scenario 2: both were hovering on starboard for 20 secs or more, rather than A tacking from port; A overcooks the hovering, goes into irons and similarly needs to reverse out

Entry is now open for the Nationals - https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/events/#events/event-details/69136f54cd87245968be4f35/ There's a collection of info on the club website, especially if you've not visited us before. Any questions, then do of course get in touch.

Yes, does seem an odd situation. Someone inexperienced thinking they can tack onto starboard at inches' notice would be one thing, but onto port?

Well as I say, Average Redress under the HMS system could well give summat 'unexpected' on the first race. If you can, you could try creating a different scenario and see what it comes up with - if you put yourself 'as RO' in the 2nd one rather than the 1st, does that change the outcome? At LRSC we award average points for someone doing Duty rather than competing, but it's averaged across whole (6-8 Sundays) not the average up until that date. (And its a spreadsheet written to our Club's Series rules, not HMS or A Fleet - for the series overall)

Is that 7 days across a series, or 7 actual races (heats) on a day? We give average (series) points to members who help at an open event which is also a Club round. HMS - which A Fleet appears to have as a built-in mode - allows for Redress Average Score. BUT, that gives you the average of prior races/heats - if it's given in the first one then it doesn't help as much as might be expected. But if your club is using A Fleet, then you're kinda accepting its algorithms as your SI ....

I'm not in a position to advise on how modern vs. classic designs might be scored/rated (Mr B might know more), but in any case I'd like to drop into this thread the upcoming Ranking weekend at Lincoln - https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/events/#events/event-details/6900f2165991040322ddfaeb/ You can be assured of a very warm welcome!

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