Derek Priestley

Mark Robinson, entries are now open for you and everyone else racing Radio A class. Come along with your Sword!!

YACHTING MONTHLY CUP Model Yachting’s equivalent to the “Americas Cup” In 1922 there was an active model yachtsman in the London area, Bill Daniels, who challenged “any model yachtsman world wide” to meet him in a race or series of races. He convinced his friend the editor of the sailing magazine Yachting Monthly, to donate a trophy for this contest and the “Yachting Monthly Cup” annual event was born. The yachts used for this challenge, which we now know as A class, were built to a formula, devised by the editor and Bill, and was loosely based on the 6 metre rule at a scale of 2 inches to the foot, and produced boats with an overall length limit of 19 feet 6 inches! although most were around 6 feet in length. The class was called the “Yachting Monthly 6metre” There was a club founded for this class The YM6mOA (Yachting Monthly 6 metres Owners Association) was founded in 1924, probably by Mr W J Daniels at the Rick Pond in Home Park Surbiton, south London. This club still exists but is now known as Hampton Court MYC. The first event was held at Gosport MYC in 1923 and was won by Bill himself sailing a boat he had designed & built for its owner J Scott Freeman a solicitor and keelboat sailor from the Upper Thames YC. Daniels went on to win the next two years securing the YM cup outright for his owner Scott Freeman, who donated the cup to the UTYC for competition in 14 foot dinghys, where it remains to this day. That could have been the end of the story, except that Yachting monthly very kindly presented a further very grand silver cup in 1926, which cannot be won outright and this trophy is still raced for to this day. The Yachting Monthly Cup centre. The Cup was challenged for every year in a similar format to the America’s Cup with the previous winner defending and a new hopeful skipper challenging. Many Americans challenged unsuccessfully as is reported below from a story in an American Model Yachting publication. In some articles, John Black, who had represented USA on several occasions, was described as the “Sir Thomas Lipton” of the model yachting world, in that he failed to win the Cup, time after time. According to a later article in Marine Models of 1937, this point was echoed: “a well-known model ”. yachtsman has said that this Cup has caused as much grief to America as the America’s Cup has to England The point being made here is that it was a period (1923–1948) when America would dearly have loved to win; it was by far the biggest challenge in model yachting. A win for Bill Bithell and Fred Pigeon in 1948 on British waters would be momentous indeed. This is just what happened. The Event continued every year and reached it’s zenith in its 50th anniversary year, 1973 at Fleetwood when 56 competitors raced for the MYA National Championship and 13 boats from 8 nations challenged for the YM cup. As time passed interest in the A class fell but the National Championship survived and celebrated it’s centenary in 2023 at Gosport. Although the large number of entries are a thing of the past, there are a dedicated number of about 20+ boats racing each year with many 2 & 3 generational families taking part. The 2nd YM Cup which celebrates it’s own centenary this year is still raced for, although not in it’s original challenge format. In 1986 as overseas entries dried up, the event was changed to a knock out competition held on the Wednesday of the Championship week, and was won the first time by a boat from Portugal! The Fleetwood club, the centenary hosts look forward to welcoming as many boats as possible to the centenary celebration regatta. Derek Priestley President Fleetwood MYC & MYA

Entries are now open for both A National Championships, and they're coming in steadily. have you entered yet?

Gary Dickens, That would be amazing. In 1976 there was a tie for 1st place between David Andrews (Whirlwind winches) and Derek Stevenson resulting in a sail off for the trophy with everyone watching. A much better, more exciting way to settle a tie than today's countback!!

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/s/homes?dynamic_product_ids%5B%5D=1173826328498577944&omni_page_id=36021 New airbnb house on Fleetwood promenade half mile from lake. 47 the Esplenade. 5 bedrooms 3 bathrooms spectacular sea views from Gin & Tonic balcony Recently tested & approved by Gosport MYC classic & vintage marblehead sailors!!

FLEETWOOD MODEL YACHT CLUB A WEEK & THE CRABBERS Those who attended the Vane A Nationals at Fleetwood in 2024 will remember the problems caused by boats fouling crab lines and sailors struggling to attend to their boats on the bank due to families populating the bankside. In order to try to remove this problem, we at the club have consulted with council officials and obtained permission to “rope off” the lake as much as possible and erect notices to the effect that from Sat 25th July to Sun 2nd August the Model Yachting lake is closed and “crabbing is in the boating lake” There will be at least 20 of these A3 sized notices placed around the lake and at the entrance to the carpark, and on the walkway to the bridge. We hope that competitors will understand that we, the club, with the support of the council are doing everything we can to solve this problem. Thankyou for your understanding. We look forward to welcoming you all to our “9 days of A’s” vane & radio A regatta. Derek Priestley Fleetwood MYC

Gents, Nowhere in this discussion have you mentioned the common problem where, with WW & spreader, the incidents where 1 lucky boat gets away and the rest is just a pile up caused by port boats not giving way to stbd. I agree that a mark say 6 lengths to leeward will reduce the problem at the WW mark, but it still creates the same problem at the new mark. (Believe me I've tried it several times) Until the umpires start giving some Rule 2 DSC's to the port boat chancers, (if they can identify them) the problem will never go away.

Hi Nigel, welcome back to Fleetwood. the NOR is being prepared and will be posted soon. Then you can enter and have your spots!! Looking forward to seeing you. D

hi Jeff, You'll need it fixed for the big event in July!!

I already told Norman it's a KLUG, made in Germany in the 1970's They also made a Marblehead (Gibli) and a 10r but I can't remember the name. Nice to see that you' ve got it together.

Gents, A little "ranking" history. Back in 1986 Fleetwood were hosting the RM worlds, in May. The RM Nationals also held at Fleetwood at Easter was chosen as the qualifying event for MYA sailors, for the worlds. It worked O.K. and the top 10 ish got places in the Worlds in May. The worlds happened the French sailors were victorious & the rest is history.; But it was pointed out that a "one shot" qualification isn't enough, so the ranking system was designed by Mr Bantock with the idea of almost "forcing" the top sailors to compete against each other a number of times a year. Single race days scored 100 points & the nationals scored 200 points. GB devised a "simple equation" which anyone could do on a *** packet!! All was well for many years until it was pointed out that someone couldn't do the nationals due to family commitments, so unbeliveably the system was changed to accommodate them. But surely, if we're trying to find the best sailors we should make the ranking as tuff as possible? Olympic sailors don't get free rides!!

Hi Brad & graham, I've been pushing for some time the return to having double ranking points for the Nationals. Brad..you yourself said some years ago that it cannot be fair that someone who may win a day's ranking race of maybe 4 races (as I did once) shouldn't get the same reward as someone who is consistent over 3 days. Maybe the wrong formula has been used Maybe we need to go back to Mr Bantock's original instructions from 1987? Either way I believe that the 3 day Nationals should be worth more than 1 day.

I try to avoid using rules 30.3 & 4 if at all possible but if you're up against a time restraint i.e. no race will start after 18.00 and you have A fleet having multiple general recalls, sometimes you as RO have no other choice to get the race off. The problem sometimes is, if a boat misjudges their approach and is early they will bear away to avoid crossing the line at the risk of fouling another boat to leeward ruining their start also, but crucially avoiding dsq. So, rules 30.3 & 4 should be viewed as "last resort" as RO when you're confident that the line is correct and you've tried everything else.

100 years of the BIG Yachting Monthly Cup.. After Bill Daniels won the original YM cup outright, the magazine very kindly presented a second one in 1926 (100 years ago) We're hoping to celebrate this important anniversary at Fleetwood on the Wednesday of vane A week (25th to 31st Juy). So please come & help us with this important celebration in the history of the A class, the foundation of all International Model Yacht racing. At least 5 radiosailing World Champions will be taking part. Charter boats may be available.

That brings back memories!! Good luck with the "pimping project" See you at Datchet D