David Norris

Understood 👍

Thanks John

Thanks for clarifying that, John. I do find it a bit odd, though. DF95s are one-designs. Surely you would just be swapping one hull for an exact replica? Yet I think you can change your rig during a regatta, “just because the wind speed has changed”. Correct me if I’m wrong DN

Is there anything to say that you can’t switch hulls midway through a race series? I’m imagining going to an open meeting with two hulls, one tuned up and ready to race with an A rig, and the other tuned up and ready to race with a B rig. Both would carry the same sail number. David

That’s a good idea. I guess the length of time you allow the DFs will depend on the length of the course and the number of laps being sailed?

At Snettisham Beach we are just starting out on the adventure of becoming a “club”, and have a small selection of different classes. On Friday we only had four boats out, 3 x DF 95s and one Nimbus IOM. The Nimbus set a B rig and we raced off scratch. It seemed to work ok. Does anyone else have experience of IOM v DF95 racing and, if so, what handicap system have you devised?Clearly, the ultimate aim is to have class racing when numbers increase.

That sounds quite alarming. I will proceed with caution!

Good plan, thanks. I will rig up some sort of mirror on a stick. It will give me the info I need.

Never having built a rc yacht, I have little or no knowledge of the way they are assembled. However, I have bought an elderly IOM that is in need of a bit of tlc. I would like to re spray the deck, a process that would be a lot easier f I could remove the deck eyes etc. Can I safely unscrew all of the deck mounted fittings, secure in the knowledge that the threads will still bite when I refit them? David

Got it! D

Thanks, Stan. I will see what’s out there David

Sorry if this has been covered already but I am relatively new here. All boats, when registered, are given a hull number on which to base their sail number. Are people marking this number onto their hulls, if so how? David

Thanks John. I appreciate your input and will leave drum as is and tinker. The maths certainly helps!

Thank you. You both highlight the importance of the sailing side and I must say that I’ve been astounded at how similar rc sailing and the “real thing” are. I suppose what I’m trying to do is ensure that, when I do launch Cygnet, everything works properly and I can enjoy the sailing (racing) without gear failure. Gradually working my way round the boat………. David

Hi Martin, I bought an old 1OM to get a cheap introduction to the class. I still don’t understand pretty much anything about the electronics or mechanics side, except I have mastered end points on my transmitter, so I will do as you suggest and play around with that. I don’t think it’s a very fast winch, and I would be reluctant to spend a shed load of money on a new one at this stage. I would be concerned if a smaller drum adversely affected the speed further though? David

My recently acquired IOM has a hitec sail winch which appears (to me) to have an exceedingly large drum attached. (4.5cm across). So much so that it sits under the deck a fraction. This makes removing the drum very difficult, as it means I have to unscrew the whole tray. I have a smaller one (3.5 cm across). What effect will fitting the smaller drum have? David

Thank you all for your replies. I will now tackle this with more knowledge and confidence. David

So, I just drill a hole somewhere in the deck at one end or the other and put a bung in it - simple as that?

As an introduction to IOMs I recently purchased a second hand Cygnet 2 and have been getting to know her. And then the penny dropped. No drain hole/bung in the GRP hull/deck. Is this the norm in IOMs? They are built-in on my DF95. All advice welcome (particularly on fitting one, should responders advise it). Cheers, David

Thanks Barry. That sounds like great advice.

Anyone out there, with a bit more experience, have any pearls of wisdom to offer?

Google DF95 corrosion and you should get plenty of You Tube alternatives. Chuck Le Mahieu likes to give advice. Is he on commission?

Hi. I’m also a beginner, but everyone at the club I have joined seems to use it on their electrics. Apparently, water ingress and condensation can be a corrosive issue.

Yes. I did find that thanks. Your steer was good! They’re asking £7.80 FedEx postage. I might just wait for RC sailing to restock. They have not been able to give me a date for that.

Thank you for that. I will get on it straight away