SimonCornes

Thats interesting Larry. I last measured an IOM about 30 years ago and the sails were by Sails etc and were perfect! I am surprised - and disappointed - to read that professional sailmakers are producing IOM sails which don't fit the Class Rules these days but you can only say what you have experienced so I guess those manufacturers need to pull their socks up! With regard to that particular problem with head and mainsails I assume that a scalpel and a straight edge solves the problem and the owner is very surprised? As Womble says, a measurer can't measure their own boat and never should. In my Club we had two measurers so that the pair of us could measure a boat or I could measure his latest and he could measure mine and we never expected any kind of favours from each other - what would have been the point? !!

Yes, of course, it just says A,B and C !

Thats a fair point of view and very relevant to a some NCA's where the application of the class rule defines the sail area so it is incumbent on a measurer to ensure that the sail area is correct but with a class such as the IOM where the sail plan is defined in its external dimensions, if you are buying a suit of sails from an established sailmaker - and the sails are branded accordingly by them - then you would expect that the sails would satisfy the class rules as a matter of course and I imagine that any measurer of IOM's would confirm that that is the case? I have never found a suit to be lacking when measured in accordance with the rules anyway.

Thanks David, so a few unsigned sails about. I guess boats are built and sails measured and then sails replaced and not signed. Logically in that situation the sail maker aught to sign and date it because they have made it to spec and then the registration cert should be updated to reflect just that. Maybe one day it will be possible to update the cert online and just download it so no need to trouble a measurer?

What are the rules now on sail measuring? I used to measure IOM's last century and in those days I signed and dated every sail I measured. Nowadays I see lots of sails without signatures or dates so is that now the accepted norm? Many thanks Simon

Thank you Lester. Firstly this boat hasn't been measured. Originally I was thinking of taking a hacksaw to the boat to remove a piece maybe 4- 5cm long and at least 13mm at deck level and roughly following the taper of the profile to make a mould for bath silicone. Using a rubber 'power ball' might be a much easier way to achieve the same effect without touching the hull and I have see that kind of thing on 6's and A's from time to time. I do feel though that having a bumper of some sort is pretty much an essential to be properly sociably responsible when sailing with others, irrespective of class rules.

Work proceeds on this boat at a snails pace but I have a question to ask about bow bumpers. This boat doesn’t have one - just hard, cold white fibreglass. In theory it should have a bumper made from an elastomeric material which in my book is bath silicon or carved from a flip flop but I wondered if a hollowed out squash ball held on with dynema would be acceptable? If so, would you unhook it for measurement purposes and then use said dynema ‘bridle’ to hold it over the very pointy bow?? Many thanks Simon

Thank you John

Thank you Wayne. I wonder how many people who race every week were wondering?? I suppose those aiming for the leeward side of the start line are automatically always ‘safe’ ?!!!🤣😂

Simple question— where is the start line? My initial thought was the leeward side of the buoys on the water marking the ends of the line, not a mark on the far shore or on the shoreline used by the skippers or observers. Someone recently suggested the centreline of the two buoys but I googled it today and Google AI says the windward side of the two start line limit buoys and I’m inclined to believe this but we know AI can be a very convincing liar!!

Thank you for your suggestions. I’m currently emailing K7 to see how much we’re talking. My quibble with RMG is the open nature of the winch - I like things in boxes or pots - but I know they work perfectly well!

I have an Alioth with a Revolution winch. It’s been great for 12 months but yesterday I switched the boat on and the winch was s..l..o..w !!! I had a bit of a fiddle as the sheeting had moved out of its normal range so the sails weren’t fully in . No joy with altering the end point on the TX and now the winch doesn’t move at all! I’m hoping it’s fixable and I know a man who can, maybe, but if it has gone to join the winches in the sky, what do I replace it with ? RMG 280? Red Ant Stinger? Chinese winches don’t seem to be an option as my iPhone refuses to accept SMS from Ali Express so an S100 isn’t an option!! I know Bill G is the agent for RMG but is there a U.K. agent for Red Ant? Or can you something better?? Many thanks Simon

In some DF95 Opens I've sailed in, accidental contacts with marks too far away to judge were permitted although contacts between boats were not but then, at that distance, it's one opinion against another!