Mike Ure

The Global entry form asks for the Boat identfication number. What is it?

The 95 is a beautifully balanced boat under A rig. Rig adjustments allow the boat to sail itself from a drifter, to top end. The smaller rigs are another proposition. The B rig can be set up to work at the top of it's wind range but I cannot get rid of lee helm in the lulls. The C and D rigs, I have not found a set up that eliminates lee helm, even with extreme measures, such as a widely sheeted, board flat jib with lots of twist, paired with a tight leeched main. Any suggestions? Mike Ure

There is no discussion here on the merits of gates at top and bottom marks. This solution solved the problem the IOM worlds!. At a local regional regatta with a gate at the top mark, marks to starboard was a good round. Stb boats could not tack directly in front of Port boats allowing the fetching port boat to slide under the tacking Stb boat. In practise boats were evenly spread each side of the gate. Sail the beat to aim at the mid point between between the gate , make the decision on which mark at the lay line. The amount of traffic was usually the determinant factor keeping congestion low. Mike Ure

To put the cat amoung the pigeons. 1. Rule 18.2 and 18.3. (21/24 book) should not apply at the windward mark. Rules 10, 11,12, and 13 and 16.1 adequately cover the situation, and are well understood by most sailors. 2. Rule 17 should be deleted . Particularly when boats are running it almost impossible for radio sailors viewing their boats from the side too estimate two boat lengths. Rule 11 and 16.1 adequately cover the situation. 3. Rules 16.1 and 14 need to be emphasised for radio sailing with more clarity given to the point at which the obligation to respond begins, and time allowed for the response. Mike Ure

I am intrigued by your comment about the "high speed sailing rule" at port rounded marks and, after consideration, believe it does merit serious consideration for radio sailing. I am wondering exactly what it means. 1. A port boat tacks under a stb. boat, achieves full sail, and is then allowed to luff the starboard in order to get around the mark. ( in practice in club sailing this is what happens) Or 2. A port tack boat can call for buoy room and force a stb. boat to luff or tack . I believe option 1 should be acceptable as that, in practice, is what happens in Radio sailing. Mike Ure

In radio sailing R18.2,!8.3 in the 21 /24 rules have resulted in poor compliance, and great difficulty in determining whether there was compliance and by whom. Parallax, loss of sight of boat behind other competitors, together with " did the starboard boat have to actually luff or did it bear away",usually means that the Starboard boats avoid arguing the point by luffing around the tacked boat. In top level fleets multiple boats will arrive at the first mark within a couple of boat lengths. This is not just a problem at Club level. Look at the recent IOM world's on Youtube. The problem became so bad that it was rectified only by changing the top mark from a mark and spreader to a gate, and these were the worlds best radio sailors. Half the number of boats at the mark at the same time, better able to observe what is happening, and problem solved. The change of rules will exacerbate the situation for radio sailing. Either the windward mark will be a gate as standard or tactical sailing will be about arriving a the windward mark, over stood and on starboard. The result one way tracks, limited passing lanes, and even more emphasis on the start. I am not complaining about the rule change, in fact if you are aboard the boat you are sailing it is a good change. I am pointing out what I believe will be the ramifications for Radio sailing. Gates rule. Mike Ure

Can you "de-bind " a receiver? If the "bound" transmitter is damaged, how can you bind the existing receiver to a new transmitter? Equipment is Flysky i6. Mike Ure

Two boats sailing on starboard toward a seawall obstruction. Boat A is the windward boat approx. two boat lengths to windward of boat B. Boat B hails for room to tack.. Boat A calls "You tack" Boat B tacks but then has to bear away to avoid contact with boat A. Boat B protests. Boat A responds that this became a pure port /starboard situation, claiming that boat B demonstrated that she had room to tack, and then to bear away to avoid contact.. Who wins the protest? Mike Ure

Take all of the deck eyelets and hooks out and reset them in some silicon sealant. Remove the keel box. Put silicon sealant in the deck joint area (mask the deck first), put sealant around the join in the keel box before refitting. Put the keel sticker onto the hull (All of this stops water getting trapped in the sealed keel area.) Rub down the hatch seal tape after applying, especially at the corners. Put some vaseline around the rudder, switch, and sheet entry points in the cockpit. Should not get more than a few drops even in nose diving , chinese gybing conditions. Where the few drops come from, I have no idea. Mike Ure

Thanks John. That is the way I see it . The problem for everyone is that in radio sailing there is always a crowd at the windward mark, and it is impossible to see and remember exactly what happened. Part of the fun of radio sailing! I am learning to sail conservatively and avoid likely congestion. Mike Ure

The question I am really asking is the tolerance of the meaning of "Close Hauled". Boats may have full sails sheeted in, but have variations on sail chord depth and sheeting angles. The boat (boat one)on starboard, from entering the zone, is sailing what is considered it's optimum VMG close hauled sailing course. The boat (boat two) approaching on port tacks onto starboard, then sails with reduced sheeting angles (but filled sails) to make the mark. The boat two sailor considers this to be their optimum VMG close hauled course. To avoid a collision boat one has to luff above her chosen close hauled course. Both boats are close hauled, however the course through the water may be 3 to 5 degree different. Boat one claims it has had to luff above close hauled, and boat two has infringed 18.3. Your consideration? Mike Ure

There is no definition of "close hauled". "Fetching" is when a boat can pass the mark on the required side without tacking. Rule 18.3 states a boat tacking on to starboard cannot force a boat( that entered the zone on starboard and is fetching the mark) to sail above close hauled to avoid contact. This is quite clear when the tacking boat tacks in front of the starboard. It is not clear if the tacking boat is tacking under the starboard boat. Question . 1. A Starboard tack boat enters the zone and is fetching the mark. She is close hauled in her best VMG mode as she has sailed the entire windward leg. A port tack boat tacks on to starboard and pinches up to the mark calling room on the above starboard boat. Both boats can claim to be close hauled! Can the existing starboard boat be forced to sail above her normal windward close hauled sailing angle.? Mike Ure

Thanks John. Your diagram is correct, and the overlaps were long established, so your summation is accurate. Mike Ure

Three boats running but not within the zone. Boats are overlapped and roughly abeam. Looking from astern the two right hand boats are on port gybe. the left hand boat is on starboard gybe. The right hand boat luffs up the centre boat. The left hand boat claims starboard rights. The centre boat is unable to respond to either call and remain clear of contact. What rights are involved and under what rules? Mike Ure

Patches (reinforcements) are used to spread the point loads at the corners of a sail out on to the body of a sail. Finger patches are one way of doing this. The head of a sail is flat. Tack and clew have minute amounts of camber. On yacht sails finger patches were used in hand sewn cotton sails. Tapering reinforcements and fan patches were used on polyester sails . Sails are now made up of continuous fibres that follow catenary lines and therefore concentrate in the corners providing reinforcement that spreads evenly throughout the sail. The lightest reinforcement that takes the load with no detection in the sail is the best. Fashion is very popular in sailmaking as well as clothing. Mike