John Ball

The American Model Yachting Association sponsored a free online rules webinar for model sailing enthusiasts on March 25, 2026. This is the recording of the event. Dave Perry is well known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style for sailors and race Sailing. He is one of the sport’s leading coaches and rules experts, serving on the US Sailing Appeals Committee and being the Rules Advisor for the US Sailing Team at the 2024 Olympic Games. Dave Perry Racing Rules Webinar Mar. 25, 2026 Part 1 of 2 https://youtu.be/fCuJD0LUzbI Dave Perry Racing Rules Webinar Mar. 25, 2026 Part 2 of 2 https://youtu.be/KahN5d3x4Wc John

This usually refers to the hull registration number assigned by your National Authority. John

Hi Gary, this is a question for your IOM class measurer or Class Secretary. My opinion is that it should not be compliant with the class rule - the slash is not part of the font and is used to differentiate an O from a 0 where there may be confusion. However the sail number is only numeric, so the slash serves no purpose and as you say, may be confused with an 8 John.

The Consumer Protection laws may differ from country to country, but we have a law in Canada that refers to ‘suitability to purpose’. I take that to mean that if the seller says that are selling you IOM sails, those sails have to be compliant with the class rules. If the sails fail to measure in, they are not class legal IOM sails and the seller has failed to comply with the ‘contract’. So if the sail maker advertises IOM sails, they are obligated to provide class legal sails. John

Here is the discussion on this topic copy/pasted from the IOMICA forum. John Certified sailmakers Post by Art Prufer » Sun Feb 15, 2026 9:02 am According to this rule: G.2.2 CERTIFICATION (a) Except where sails are certified as in (b) the official measurer shall certify sails in the tack and shall date each with the date of certification control. (b) An MNA may appoint one or more persons at a sailmaker to certify sails produced by that manufacturer. A special licence shall be awarded for that purpose. AND ON THE RIG MEASUREMENT FORM: MAINSAILS 31. G.2.2(b) If the sails have been certificated by a manufacturer awarded a special license, then omit steps 32 to 60 HEADSAILS 60. G.2.2 (b) If the sails have been certificated by a manufacturer awarded a special licence, omit steps 62 to 86 Where can we get the list of manufacturers who have been awarded this special licence, and what sail markings are required to indicate that they have been 'pre-certified' ? Last edited by Art Prufer on Mon Feb 16, 2026 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total. Art Prufer CRYA #1189 Can 42 https://westcoastradiosailing.ca Top Andrew Crocker Vice-chairman (Technical) Re: Certified sailmakers Post by Andrew Crocker » Sun Feb 15, 2026 2:14 pm Hi Art - thanks for the question. It is an interesting one. I will do some follow up on this and post a response once I have it clarified. Regards Andrew VC Technical Re: Certified sailmakers Post by Andrew Crocker » Thu Feb 19, 2026 1:45 pm Hi Art, Thanks again for your question. The short answer is that there are no licensed IOM class sailmakers in the terms of Class Rule G.2.2(b). G.2.2(b) was adopted into the IOM Class Rules from the World Sailing Standard Class Rules (SCR) and refers to the World Sailing In-House Equipment Certification (IHC) programme – see https://www.sailing.org/inside-world-sa ... ification/. At present, the International One Metre class is not a participating class association and, given the way in which the IHC programme operates, it is difficult to see how it would be feasible. As a result, there are no certified IOM sailmakers. The VC Measurement is reviewing this process with a view to making it more relevant for IOM sailmakers and owners. Regards Andrew

Recently I was asked about Redress – What is it? Who may get it? How to be successful when claiming it? I had held of writing about in the past as it is such a big and complex issue with lots of conditions and options. However I decided to give it a go, and here is the result – an overview of redress, and the conditions under which it may be awarded or refused. As it may only be awarded as part of a protest hearing process, I put it on my web site under Chapter 7 The Protest as a bonus item. https://sites.google.com/site/johnsrcsailingrulesandtactics/ I hope this helps. John

I have added a new short item to my web site about the question of what happens in the zone when there is conflict between Mark Room and Room to pass an Obstruction. This discusses which rule(s) take priority when R 18, R 19, and R 20 apply. It may be found at the bottom of the home page in my Appendix section as item E Conflicting rules at the weather mark R 18, 19 or 20? Mark Room vs Obstruction John Johns RC Sailing Rules and TacticsThese articles are written for beginner to intermediate RC Yacht Racing Sailors yet may be a good refresher for those with more experience. They have been updated to reflect the Racing Rules of Sailin

Additional homework! Read the Call Book for Radio Sailing, Call P5 and especially answer 2, and also Call P6. John

Hi Colin, after some thought I want to revise my answer. R 21 says a boat must stay clear of a boat - no reference to the mark. So I now think that if you completed your tack and gybe, (promptly and in either order), then your original penalty is satisfied - but now you hit a mark on a leg of the course, so you owe a new penalty. I had one other thought - which side of the mark did you hit - the high side - ok - but if you hit the low side, did you 'unwind' and so have not actually rounded the mark (r 28 and the string rule). John

In that sense, were they arguably not making adequate effort to keep clear'...? That would be up to a Protest Committee to decide - my take is going straight on for a couple of lengths before starting to luff up for a tack to get clear of the mark may be ok. John

My view is that if you hit the mark while doing the penalty turn, you failed to get clear - so get clear and then do your penalty. I see that as two separate incidents so I think you need to do two turns - one for the original foul and one for hitting the mark. John

Hi Colin, I think the appropriate rule here is R 21.2. 21.2 A boat taking a penalty shall keep clear of one that is not Bottom line - the boat is not subject to R 21.2 until she is clearly starting to take her penalty turn. Until then she has all the rights and obligations of a boat that is racing. So the boat that is slightly overlapped to windward has to stay clear under R 11. For example, if the boat began to luff up prior to tacking, and complied with R 16.1 Altering course, the windward overlapped boat must stay clear. Proper course does not apply as there is no mention of proper course in the rules that apply here. The main question is 'is that boat making any effort to get clear 'as soon as possible' to being taking their penalty? An incident at the weather mark or on the offset leg is always a challenge as the leg is very short, and as boats bare away to reach to the offset, they speed up - often beginning to plane. John

I use this coiled lead, available in Canada. There is room in the 11mm mast to fit two strips side by side- figure the weight, and cut a strip - then cut it in half -may have to tap a bit with a hammer to flatten the lead to get it into the spar. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/danielson-coiled-lead-1-lb-0789899p.html You may find a similar product in fishing stores in the UK. John

Stuart wrote I've read that this is also an advanytage with carbon IOM's, by increasing the keel ballast by even a fraction the boat stays more upright than a boat thagt does not have a carbon hull. Note - Carbon is not permitted in IOM hulls. John

amya1min.mp3 Hi Fastwave, please look at the second post in the topic iPhone based start countdown 1 minute right click on the mp3 sound file and then 'save as' to your computer. Then email to your iphone and save as a file. This let's you put the mp3 file on your iphone without using itunes. This also works for android phones. John

The latest World Sailing Case book contains a new case Case 140 which covers an incident on the start line when 30.3 or 30.4 are in effect. However the wording of Appendix E 3.7 prevents radio sailing from applying the benefits covered in Case 140. I have written a summary of the situation attached, together with a solution which the regatta organiser may apply to fix the problem. John Appendix E3.7 and Case 140.pdf

I run Afleet on my android smart phone. John

I use a laser leveler and set the beam at the tip of the bow (below the bumper) and the bottom tip of the transom to represent the water line - see the marked point on the pdf attached above. The laser has a right angle vertical beam that I use to set the mast. John

The CRYA IOM Class Championship regatta was just held at the Saltspring Island Sailing Club (SISC) on Sal Spring Island, on the west coast of British Columbia. links to photos and youtube videos of the races may be seen on the West Coast Radio Sailing Club web site https://westcoastradiosailing.ca/ There was a regatta within the regatta for a fleet of 'woodies'. Enjoy! John

Is there a 'mark all as read' button? I have not been able to find it Thanks John

Yes. John

I suggest that the boat would be non-compliant. The intro to Part C of the class rule says The competitor and the boat shall comply with the rules in Part II when racing. To me that means that with its heaviest rig and battery, the boat 'when racing' be a min of 4000gms and will not exceed the 420mm draft - and to show that it needs to be floated with that weight. Other classes that use a waterline mark on the hull may be able to measure with surrogate weights , but not IOMs. John

This question was covered in a Q&A about the class rules and is found on the IOMICA web site. https://www.iomclass.org/iom-questions-and-answers/ and scroll down to . . . Is it permitted to have the forestay and headsail halyard both connected to the ring of a swivel hook made as shown in the graphic below? John

Part C is conducted under the control of the event organiser. How much of Part C that is actually checked is at the discretion of that committee, for example, at Word Championships, there is a team of measurers who check everything. I found this document on the MYA web site some years ago- there may be an updated version, but the parameters for Part C have not changed, so it should still provide guidance. In Canada at championship events, we may weigh each rig and the boat batteries and establish heaviest and lightest. We weigh the fin/balast and rudder for min/max. Then we weigh the boat ready to race with lightest rig and batteries for at least 4000 gms. Then we float the boat with its heaviest rig and battery to check for depth compliance. John 2014-05-23_ADVICE_FOR_MEASURING_INTERNATIONAL_ONE_METRE_BOATS.pdf

The intent for floating the boat is to establish that it does not exceed max hull depth below waterline, nor max draft. Also confirms min draft and LOA. To do this the boat has to be race ready, fully rigged and its heaviest battery in position. John