Darin Ballington

I was at both events and personally favour an in/out gate with a set of spreader clearing marks. If we are honest, all options can create issues due to the control area and its proximity to the marks of the course with the prevailing wind direction. This is one of the limitations of our discipline. The higher the level of competition the more that the windward marks become an issue, the boats and skippers tend to be matched more equally and the competitive spirit higher, leading to more skippers arriving at the same time and more carnage and frustrations. We all know the issues and all fall foul of a misjudged lay line and the resultant pile ups, although never our fault!! If correct then the windward gate should reduce this by offering two options splitting the fleet, however as we know the gate tends to be used when the course setting is not easy so getting a fair split becomes difficult. To minimise the unequal gate they are usually placed closer together which then pushes more of the problem to leaving the mark. IMO the clearing mark option with an In/Out gives a further option to split the fleet equally as these can be offset to allow the gate itself to be within a visible range, and using the clearing mark to create a more equal next leg of the course. Pierre and team did this very well in France IMO and is the option I try to use when setting a course in difficult conditions, although it does then require more vigilance by skippers and race team to police.

Action starts on Sunday 17th, with build up on site from today. All the results, reports and media can be found via the event website. www.iomworlds2026.com

Hi Colin, the rankings have stood the test of time and work well. The recent “tweak” is just a blip and just needs a readjustment to bring it back inline.

As has been said, I think the principle is correct, the numbers are probably slightly off. It should also be noted that the actual ranking regulations can be amended easily, however the software to implement this has been in existence for a long time now and even a simple change like doubling the points has taken longer to record than was anticipated due to its complexity, hence why the 2026 ranking positions have only just been published. Any change that is considered requires either a simple solution, like Brad's option 3, or will require a complete rewrite of the software. Obviously there will be plenty of people who say "that's easy" but they will also have to follow up on their words... If we can agree on the weighting it can be introduced for 2027.

And I would anticipate that a sailmaker who makes a sail that is out of "spec" will offer to rectify- like any other business. That is different to have a certification mark on the sails. IMO it is a difficult subject where we either want to play by the "big boy" rules or we do our own thing, however it cannot be right to pick and choose which rules you adopt. I think the convention - certainly in the clubs I am a member of, is that measurers will offer the service to club members for free but may charge (usually donated to the club) for the non members.

Hi John, Give me a nudge on Sunday, I have a sheet of material that you can cut a couple of lid spacers out of in my gear. Darin

A straight plug connection is the easiest if you have a pot. Just make sure you “twitch” the rudder before launching to check you’ve plugged it in!

I’m sure that if you worded your enquiry appropriately and requested that any advice be posted on the MYA website that the TO would facilitate this. If you copy me in I will ensure that this is dealt with.

It’s not my place to advise this, but maybe a request for the Class/ MYA Tech Officer to ask the question of IOMICA would be useful. Graham doesn’t follow this forum so an email to him may be best.

Hi John, all good here in the frozen midlands! Well it did snow for a couple of hrs:) I think that you would need to ask the question of IOMICA but my take is that the rules are not changed by the 25 AGM at this time, and as long as the fitting complies with these then it’s still good.

Richard, who has informed you that it is illegal?

All good points, but they still need a paper copy at the finish line as a paper and pen can write the results down quicker when there are a bunch of boats finishing together.

Hi Stephen, You won’t go far wrong if you start with BG sails and design IOM rig setup guide and top tips. The MYA handbook for 2009 also has a good explanation of the basics as a great reference document. https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/kb/sail-trimming-before-going-afloat/ Each design has its own nuances but the basics of rig building and set up are common across all IOM. Once you have a rig set up that is constant and repeatable you can make changes and find the best results.

Having been caught out before, I always book accommodation with a refund option. Hopefully everything is ok for Woodspring.

Put a small triangle/ half circle of deck patch over the front of the pulley to allow the sheet to ride over the top.