Darin Ballington

Hi Gordon, This approach appears to have changed over recent years. Can you advise where this interpretation is written or if this is your personal view. cheers Darin

Hi, The answer is not as simple as it may appear and depends on what the event is, and what the Notice of Race states. 1. MYA ranking/Nationals and most district events will note that the event is governed by RRS, MYA SSI’s and HMS along with class rules etc. in this case the MYA SSI’s give the answer which is no time limit except the last race of the day if it runs into the last race timings. They also state that the only abandonment is due to thunderstorms-although in reality this includes dangerous weather conditions. 2. Club racing/Open events can have their own NoR and SI’s, which can have a time limit and shortened courses/ abandonment written as something different. so, I suppose the question is, why do you want to know and do you want to include them in your race events?

Visiting the AGM gives you the chance to hear the opinions of the council and other members straight from the horses mouth, so to speak. I have always found them to be interesting and a chance for even the newest member to ask a question of the council members. Visiting the trade show is a good way of putting a face to a name, and getting to chat with other members and suppliers. From experience its also a good place to buy those items that are either too long to post, or too small to be bothered ordering. Tea and biscuits usually provided and I am sure there is a buffet for those staying for the AGM.

I’ve been to open meetings all over the country since I started Radio Sailing and have always been welcomed and had some fantastic racing and met some wonderful people. I do appreciate that it isn’t for everyone but remember that not all open meetings are cut throat racing and full of intimidation. Most are just skippers from local clubs getting together to race with neighbours. Why not start a small inter club series with local clubs as an introduction to sailing with “strangers”😝

Check the definition of “Racing”, although you may have finished when you cross the line, you are still racing until you clear the line.

What I don’t understand is why the removal of the use of observers is being proposed. The rules clearly state that their use is at the discretion of the organisers. Therefore leaving in makes no difference if a club or country wish not use them. seems to be a case of changing a rule for the sake of it.

It doesn’t really matter which system you use as long as everyone is agreed, personally I prefer the MYA ranking system as a way of scoring a series as the maths adjusts the score to take into account the number of entrants, such that a 3rd place on the day with on 5 entries does not score as much as 3rd place with 20 entries. This to me is the simplest way, but others will have a different view.

The idea is that you “check in” with the equipment you are going to use for a single sailing event. The class rules will state how many sets of each item you may check in for the event. As John says for all the classes I am aware of this is a single hull, or set of hulls for multihull’s , fin, ballast and rudder. Multiple rigs are allowed in most classes with the number varying. The reasons for this will be fair sailing and control on costs.

Nigel, the Oakwood Hall Hotel is not far from the lake and great value via booking.com

Hi, With just over 2weeks to go I have had a chat with Derek and the team at Fleetwood who say that everything is looking good and preparations well underway. However, they have put out a request for volunteers to assist with check measurement on the Friday of the event. If you are visiting or competing and can assist for a few hrs it would be greatly appreciated and help the organisers in running the event. Contact Derek directly or leave your name on the forum and the race team will make contact. Thanks.

The finish is the course side of the finish line or transit. This may or may not be perpendicular to the last mark. the important thing is that the race takes place between the start marks and the finish marks on the race course side of each.

This Sunday is the 3rd round of the MD IOM series and MacCollyer Open meeting. Racing will be from 10.00am through until 4.00pm All MYA members are welcome and entry is open until Thursday evening. 16 skippers are currently entered with plenty of room for more. if it clinches the deal there is free tea and coffee for all competitors! Enter via the MYA website or link below. https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/events/#events/event-details/638b0f1c7591d307868a5e3d/

Honda 2.4hp or similar is just the right size and easy to carry/ handle.

As we know the stiffness of masts can vary between masts. How do people decide which mast to pick from a batch?

Yellow does not have to anticipate any action of blue, but when blue has gained ROW yellow must respond in a timely manner and if this means only tacking is timely then that’s what has to happen. If yellow is concerned about blue tacking then it should be sitting on blues hip to prevent them tacking until yellow is ready. next time this happens and you wish to go behind then release your sails, the boat will slow and you can duck the blue boat.

When does the speed of the winch really matter? IMHO it is most noticeable on the run when gybing, but if you can find a suitable technique to mitigate this then carry on using what you have and get pleasure from getting the most out of the boat.

It would be interesting to understand how those racing came to the conclusion they did. Was a hearing held?

The other option is to make friends with someone with the spares🤣🤣🤣

Boat build and design has progressed a lot in the last 10-15 years, and most boats nowadays can be made to be watertight, but you still get moisture inside, even if only from the sheeting lines or up the rudder post. So I always remove the pot lid, and a patch. Even if I am away and sailing for two days, I will take the boat out of the car and dry it in the room I am staying in. If I am sailing in salt or brackish water I will, once finished, rinse the boat out with fresh water, usually with a dash of detergent and then remove all patches before leaving to dry. When dry I spray a PTFE lubricant on the winch. From experience if you don't do this then you spend time inside the boat when everyone else is racing, which is no fun at all! For me the big advantage of the RMG is that even the worst example can be resurrected and used for years, even if it becomes like Triggers broom

I see buying any of the open or restricted classes as being like buying your 1st car. You can get on the waiting list for your Ferrari, or pay a premium to jump the queue, but you wont be able to get the best out of a Ferrari or you can buy a decent second-hand car that gets you behind the wheel whilst you learn how to deal with the road and traffic preparing you for something better. Radio Sailing is no different, get a decent 2nd hand boat with good gear and you will be sailing something that is better than the skipper for a number of years. In that time you can look at your options and the designs available, make your choice and then get on the list for a new boat whilst still enjoying yourself with sailing mates. If you are thinking of joining a club then they will sometimes have a boat you can borrow for a few weeks until you find a decent 2nd hand boat, or a member may have one. Don't lose heart, keep your ears to the ground and ask around, there will be a decent boat pop out of the woodwork sooner than you think.

A short report on what has happened so far in 2023 for the M class has been posted on the M website (HERE) Take a look, but as importantly please forward any news you have to the M website admins who will keep everyone informed.

The 2023 MYA Yearbook will start to drop through members doors from early February. If you haven't got your subs in yet, please do so to avoid delays to your Yearbook.

We will be driving, but not sure how much space will be available once I've put the budgie smugglers and snorkel in.

An update has come out for anyone interested in attending the 2023 Worlds, although sent to those near the top of the MYA ranking lists, please contact Phil whatever your position if you would like to be included on the provisional list. Dear Skippers, I am writing to you because you are in the top 15 skippers on the Marblehead Ranking list and, or, in the top 10 skippers on the 10 Rater Ranking list. If you know of any other skippers who would like to take up a place, if available, then please forward this email to them. The combined World Championships for the Marblehead and Ten Rater classes takes place from the 22nd April 2023 to 3rd May 2023 at Castiglione del Lago, Italy. The Marbleheads will race from the 22nd to the 29th April and the 10’s from 1st to 3rd May. The entry process has been delayed slightly to make sure as many countries as possible have been able to join the IMCA and ITCA and send skippers to the Championships and, as a result, the entry forms and the allocation of places are not yet available. It would be of great assistance to the MYA in organising the GBR entry if you could let me know as soon as possible if you wish to apply for a place at the Championships and let me know which, or both, classes you would like to sail. The provisional NoR can be found here, https://www.m-10rworlds2023.com/notice-of-race/, and as soon as entry forms are available I will be sending them out. The GBR entry will be chosen from the Marblehead and Ten Rater ranking lists as shown on the MYA website at the end of 2022 in the order of the ranking positions shown therein. Brad Gibson, as the reigning World Champion in both classes, will have an automatic entry which will not affect the GB allocation. Many thanks Phil Holliday

Lots of good reference information in the MYA knowledge base, worth looking for the 2009 Handbook in the Newcomers section, or there are a number of articles in the back issues of The Acquaint. Knowledge Base – Model Yachting Association Great Britain (mya-uk.org.uk)