Graham Elliott

Not sure any class has a COG, Malcolm, Gavin, Steve, Nick and myself tried for over 12 months to become the IOM COG but in the end we did not reach the standards the MYA wanted, even though they never actually told us the standards involved. Vane group have an umbrella COG but that's it I think. No volunteers, battle to get clubs to run the larger entry races for IOM, measurers running to the hills, future MYA council meetings held in telephone box with room to spare. Alarm bells ringing for me, anyone else feel like this? MYA numbers may of increased but only being propped up by non adopted classes with these class's not wanting to go anywhere near.

Age, Covid and computerisation are very small factors regarding me as a measurer. Main factors are, spending a day at a weekend in a classroom where the relevance of the content is a small percentage of what I am required to undertake as a MYA measurer, if not at the weekend, I have to use annual leave. It also does not sit well with me that members annual fees are used to pay for something that does not effect them one bit, countless club members that enjoy the sport for what it is and have no intention of ever getting there boat measured or sail in a class that is self measured.

Cheers Larry, £47 per annum sounds quite high for an individual volunteer measurer to pay to measure somebody else's sails. Costs me nothing at the moment and never charged a penny, though Jen Hand did kindly donate me some Guinness last year for measuring a suit of IOMsails which was gratefully accepted and drunk. Think I may give this one a miss and just measure away until the deadline is reached and I can no longer measure without a licence.

I am presuming, RYA measurers have to be affiliated to the RYA? No idea of this cost but I also presume this will be an annual payment? Does the MYA pay this cost or is it down to each measurer to pay this then have the embarrassment of charging to measure each boat? Can someone on council at least have the courtesy to respond please, at this rate we will be lucky to have a dozen measurers in operation throughout the country once the deadline kicks in.

I have just received my email from Graham Bantock (MYA tech secretary) regarding the need to participate on the RYA sail measurement course. Few questions. 1. Is this now a classroom course? I thought we were looking into an online course dedicated to model yachts? 2. If any current measures do not participate on the course, what time restraint is there before they are excluded from being a measure? 3. The course is just a sail measurement course and does not include hull measurement? 4. What financial package does the measurer receive for participation on the classroom course?

Trevor, as you are a newbie you will have enough to think about besides from all those rules. Just duck a few transoms when you are on port until you are happy to tack onto the starboard lay line, start thinking about this 20+ boat lengths from the mark to avoid a windward mark raft of boat soup. Always two options, easy option and correct option, one causes mayhem and the other will gain you respect within the fleet.

Well, if it is it will be extremely damaging to the UK sail makers.

Practice, practice, practice. Train alone if needed, hold your boat in position for 20 seconds, then increase time upto 1 minute without being in irons when you sheet on. This one minute can be as much as 90 seconds at Euros or Worlds depending on how critical positioning is on the start line.

316 marine stainless steel is needed, you have been sold inferior stainless bearings, send them back.

So, having been on both defunct websites it has the following names listed as the exec. Marblehead. Chair.....Phil Holiday VC.......Selwyn Holland Events.....Matteo Longhi Tech.....Graham Bantock Finance....Thomy Blatter 10r Chair.....Selwyn Holland VC......Phil Holiday Events....Henning Faas Tech....Gerd Mentges Finance....Thomy Blatter We have been told that Graham Bantock and Phil Holiday are no longer part of the exec, have they been replaced? If not, that leaves 5 people on the exec of both organisations. As Phil has pointed out, this application is the first he knew of it and he is the GBR point of contact, who was asked there oppinion on this matter outside these 5 people?

Darin, agree with you except the bit that says 'if I were to be asked to vote'. Applications in and being discussed in October WS meeting. IRSA already made the transfer of funds which I am sure will alarm everyone. NO DISCUSSION, NO VOTE. Bloody disgraceful behaviour.

Hi Solent, thanks for answering what you can. Where you mention that IRSA take a large cut of the proceeds of a World Championship, do you know this is £15 per boat entered, I don't feel this is a large amount and you can bet your bottom dollar WS recognition will cost far more than this per boat, will WS also want each boat to be registered with them and a little sticker placed on the boat to say as much? Please do not get the wrong impression of my posts, I hope this venture works out but just cannot endorse the way it has been brought about, zero transparency. Up to 8 entered for the Nationals now, great lake for the 10's to stretch their legs on but feel I have done more to market the race in my forum posts than the whole of the foundation put together.

I feel free so would like to ask a few questions if I may. What are the names of the foundation executives and who voted them in place? Applications for the two classes have been made to WS and this was voted on and agreed unanimously by the foundation Exec, was anyone else in the World that sails in these classes asked to vote? Or even any input/discussion outside of the foundation? The right to hold World Championships not linked to IRSA regs, IRSA regs allow each class to hold a World and Continental Championship biennial at the moment, do the founder exec plan on more events if part of WS? £1000 joining fee and several hundred pound membership for each class, how much is several hundred pound, £200 or £900 each year? This membership could cost £3800 to start up, is this money coming from IRSA to begin with? At present IRSA allow costs for representation from an official from IRSA and another official from the ICA to be present at World Championships, is this representation, but only one from the NCA, going to be continued? To sum up, what exactly is the advantage of this application because to me it looks like a highly costly affair to get 2 seats on the top table. At present it is the IOM class that is the main contributor to the IRSA and I just want to know how the 2 classes plan to raise finances each year to cover the costs. Please remember this, we have 4 entries to the 2021 GBR Nationals...

6 positives but no negatives listed, too good to be true surely? Power mad people making decisions that will eventually kill the class's they get involved in. 4 entries for this years 10r Nationals so far, channel your energy into boosting numbers. The milliner will be busy.

And it's my horse that comes in. Nice one Martin.

I had a great incident that I will never forget back in the 90's at an IOM Worlds in Portugal. Sailing to the finish line in around 4th place in 'A' fleet and feeling very chuffed, the boat in front of me (Paul Jones) was obviously sailing to the wrong finish line ( they had 4 buoys out and changed lines according to wind) so I gave him a gentle nudge, unfortunately for me a fellow GBR skipper and observer to the race witnessed this and proceeded to protest me. The protest was heard and I was DSQ'd, Jonesy got his 3rd/4th place and bought my beers for the rest of the week. Guess you can take what you want from that, demotion and free beer or great place, you choose but I certainly learnt my lesson and had a few pints.

Well if you have, go to the link below and have a go at the rules quiz with boats that actually move and incidents that really happen in every event you enter. https://birkenheadrspc.co.uk/ Just scroll down and you cannot miss it.

Well done John, great read, thanks. Lets hope there is not another lockdown and you can get all those ideas on the water racing.

Birkenhead are back this weekend, sailing IOM, 6 skippers, social distancing, pre-entry, carpark locked after the 6 are in. Not a formal calendar club race but a way to ease us back into sailing.

Getting back to my club history I thought this bit might be relevant- “On 10th January 1940 the club secretary Wm Carpenter sent a notice to members stating that owing to war conditions it would not be possible to carry through the usual club events or fixtures. There was an AGM held in the boathouse on March 16th 1940. A special AGM on May 2nd 1942. Another special meeting on June 6th 1945. Another on 4th February 1946. Then club sailing settled into a routine, with racing on Saturdays again. However I think the lake could be used during the war, as there was permission for members to use the Air Raid shelters in Gautby Road school. This was from one of our longest serving members of Birkenhead, Joyce Roberts (Martins Mum) And we think we have it bad, have a thought for those poor folk. At Birkenhead the committee are in talks about how sailing will start up again, once it is safe to do so, all the ideas from this forum are being considered including match racing and 3/4 boat fleet sailing, pre-register for club races so we can limit numbers, rigging on the bankside and not the clubhouse, masks, gloves, staying a Marblehead top suit away from each other, etc.

I think the push for the SHRS system of scoring is because of the 'hot water' that is created by only having one seeding race with HMS and now a few skippers have come up with an alternative system that rids us of this 'hot water' one race shoot out that so often shapes your whole event. The simple and ever so popular fix to this is to revert back to the original 3 seeding races within HMS. Indeed when I asked everyone i could find at the IOM Euros in Garda which was over 30 skippers, only one person was a fan of the one seeding race. I must admit, I did want to sail at an event that used the SHRS system so I could give my opinion on it after experiencing it first hand but did not fully understand that a completed round of races had to be completed before the next round of races could be sorted and think this is a recipe for disaster and needs fixing, you would get 70 plus skippers waiting round the fleet board awaiting to see which heat they next sailed in, it also leaves no time at all to get yourself 'in the zone' if you find yourself in the first heat.

Hi Garry, Mandy was owned by Joe Sixsmith of the Birkenhead club, she had a very short overall length if I remember correctly. Dave Potter also sailed her a few times and if I remember on I will dig out a great photo I have of her sailing downwind towards the clubhouse with full spinnaker and Dave in hot pursuit with pole in hand.

Hi Ian, the Britpop! design has been making me look quite good since 2011, the top guys are opting for this design because they want to be the top guys and are not going to be the top guys with slower designs. The choice of winch at the moment is the RMG 280 ES or EF because it is so reliable and does exactly what it says on the tin. When this winch is put inside a dry boat, that is aired between races it will not let you down. The favourite choice of masts seem to be the Pierre Gonnet ones from France, they are light and stiff and come in 3 colours, you can use the off cuts for the main and jib booms although on the top suit, many use Easton arrow shaft as it is lighter again. Batteries seem to be a mixture, get in touch with Ken Binks (K-Bits) for some expert advice on this and also TX and RX.

Thanks Val, some relevant points from your experience. The MYA have obviously given the IOM class the opportunity to break free from the shackles and to move the class in the direction the owners wish it to move forward. Mike Ewart made a fair point, how do we fill the roles of any NCA when we cannot fill the roles on the MYA council? I for one have absolutely no wish to sit on the MYA council but would be willing to be part of an IOM NCA and i am sure others feel the same passion for there class ,as Keith has pointed out about the DF65 and 95, they had no problem finding 4 skippers to make up there NCA. To get things moving and off the ground i have a small group of dedicated and able skippers from the class, who i believe will do a good job and cover most bases, myself, Gavin Watson, Colin Goodman and Victoria Gibson. Graham Elliott

Hi Keith, in your post you mention you have created a strong class association for the 65 and 95. Is this the RG65 class and DF95 class? Graham