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osNGLEB See pore en BAJIMA LOGBOOK Model Yachting Association News A most idyllic venue for model yachting. the lake at Gjersoen a few miles south of Oslo where the Norwegian championships were held in August 1982; leading boat N22 Lost Love and own design model by Torvald Kiem. Photo courtesy Karsten Bundgaard. UR request for details of club waters — how to get there, restrictions, club sailing days, etc. — saw us, as half expected, totally overwhelmed by apathy. The magnificent total of .6 Approach on A12 from ‘Army and Navy’ round- ditions of the day could walk it. Since a good many about. Shortly after start of dual carriageway, fork RMs are now close to (or less than) the 12Ib. dis- left down to traffic lights by ‘Oasis Garage’, turn placement right Pump equipment should offer no problems and with per cent of clubs responded. Now you know why Lane over railway bridge. Proceed through two adhesive sail numbers, a second or third suit from all well-intentioned efforts to compile a comprehensive guide to club waters and activities have failed. As usual, an example was set by the hard- roundabouts and after about another mile turn an M could make a 36 top suit, so for quite a right into Belsteads Farm Lane (S.P. on corner number of yachtsmen, getting a boat for the event then almost immediately left into allowed for the 36, transfer of Drive to top of lane and need only mean a hull and lead, and there are in- opposite Golf Clubhouse turn left down gravel expensive g.r.p. hulls about if time doesn’t permit working M.Y.A. Chairman, Norman Hatfield, who sent in details of his club: Che/msford R.Y.C. Lake is a gravel pit in the middle of Channels Golf Club, Little Waltham. Rectangular, about 200 x 110 yds., fresh water, irregular depth, shelving to grass bank on two sides, steep banks on other sides; parking area, small clubhouse and race officers’ caravan, launching ramp and dinghy. This is a private water, suitable only for radio control and its use is restricted to members only. Club sails all radio classes but mainly RM. Membership is also open to those wishing to sail scale or semi-scale models using electric or steam power only. Racing on Sundays fortnightly, track over golf course (S.P. on corner ‘C.R.Y.C.’). construction of a wood one. commencing 2 p.m. for club races, 10.30 a.m. for Ms and with no restrictions on sail area, the members only. The club sails most weekends. All open races. Apart from cup races, most club races chances are that the entrant who has alittle radio vane classes are Sailed. In radio classes RMs are are handicap for all classes. experience and gets his sail area right for the con- the most popular, followed by R1ORs. There area January 1983 ‘Radio Yacht Club’). Take care to observe speed limit 10 m.p.h. and The other club which is on the ball for give way to golf in progress. Follow track and road promotion and publicity, Leeds and Bradford, also round to sailing water on right. sent details, from the new Hon. Sec., Gordon Approach from North on A130 — on reaching Great Waltham, turn right at junction of A131 and Barrett, 10 Grange Avenue, Shipley, West Yorks. BD18 4BT (0274-585233), who says: after about 2 miles turn left down Mill Lane. Turn The Leedsand Bradford Clubcanbe foundonthe left at T junction (white house on corner) then im- A658 Harrogate Road, just south of the Leeds and mediately right into Belsteads Farm Lane. As it happens, this could be a useful reference Bradford airport; the club’s water is Larkfield Tarn, situated at the top of the rise in Canada for those who may be tempted to have a go at the Road, Rawdon. A landmark to some is the Stone first Trough Public House on the corner of Harrogate R36R Championship, which will be held there in 1983. This could be an interesting event, as 36s are if anything more difficult to sail than and Canada Road. The club leases the Tarn and sailing is for 23 ‘Fleet system’, they had to be resolved before continuing with the next round, but the skippers had only themselves to blame for not observing the rules. did, Things however, gradually improve, until, by the second half of the week, everyone had settled down and there were no further problems. This can be attributed to several factors: (1) The knowledgeable and experienced team with whom | had the pleasure of working with — Roger Coustillet, Secretary-General of the F.F.V. and Jaques Simon, an F.F.V. Federal Judge. Members of the second group were two other Federal Judges, Claude Vidal and Mons. Roussat and the Chairman of the Dutch National Authority (NEMOZO), Hein ten Harmsen Van der Beek. |am perfectly satisfied that the decisions made by the team were strictly impartial. (2) Our interpreter, Michele Lahure, who was on duty every day from 9 a.m. to 7.00 p.m., helping out with language problems. Without her help the Protest Committee could not have functioned effectively. (3) The first-rate organisation of the Race Com- mittee under Alain Bartier. (4) The excellent system of appointing three youngsters, twogirls anda boy, as ‘Secretaries’ to each of the Race Observers, their job being to note down all the infringements, penalties and protests as and when they occurred and, at the end of each race, they compared notes to cancel out those incidents which had been absolved by penalty turns. The remaining notes were then used as evidence in judging written protests, which had to be handed in within 15 minutes of the end of the relative race. (5) The video-taping of all races, the tapes being few RAs in the club and one or two R36Rs; 575s are making a few appearances. The Tarn is 265 yards long by 110 yards wide, depth 2 to 8 feet, and the water is divided into two parts. The long pond is 230 yards by 110, the small pond 35 yards by 110 in the shape of a big ‘D’. The large pond is rectangular. The pond is edged with wooden boards as a walkway. The clubhouse has good canteen facilities, and toilets are nearby. Parking can be found 100 yards away. Anyone who comes to our club can be sure of a to any good welcome and help will be given gladly newcomer to model-yachting. The ‘World’s’ in Retrospect Norman Hatfield attended the recent !.M.Y.R.U. World RM and R10OR Championships both as Chairman of the union’s Executive Board and as a hard-working member of the Race Observer/Protest Committee panel. He has kindly given permission for us to reproduce his views and impressions, which embody a number of points which should be assimilated by all race organisers, as follows: “Having spent eight days as a member of the panel of six Race Observers/Protest Committee at Armbouts-Cappel, | think readers may be interested to hear how it all worked out and what lessons the experience has taught us for the future. Firstly, let there be no doubt whatsoever that this was a superb exercise in organisation on the part of the host country, those responsible being the 0.0.D., Alain Bartier, the Secretary, Jacques Porisse, members of the Yacht Club Flandre Artois and the Federation Francaise de Voile, all of whom deserve the highest praise for all their hard work and efforts, which resulted in the best R/C World Championships so far. Other reports 24 A closer view of Torvald Klem’s Lost Love rounding the mark at the Norwegian RM championships. Photo: courtesy Karsten Bundgaard. will no doubt deal with the racing and the boats and skippers taking part. This report deals only with the race management. The Race Instructions in French, consisting of 12 pages and including a sample printed Protest Form, had been issued to all competitors in advance. However, the instructions referred to a ‘Jury’ being composed of six ‘Judges’ divided into two groups, each of which would alternate as ‘Judges’ and ‘Jury’, mornings and afternoons. The error here was that under IMYRU rules there are no ‘Judges’ but Race Observers and this resulted in the preliminary races during the first two days being judged on the spot and penalties being called by the chief Judge by radio relayed over the P.A. system. This was not in accordance with IMYRU rules Part Il, rule 2.2, Part IV, rule 33 and the first part of Appendix II. However, before RM fleet racing commenced on the third day, a meeting was convened between the 0.0.D. and members of the Executive Board and the problem was _ resolved immediately. All competitors were informed that races would no longer be ‘judged’ but ‘observed’ used to assist the Protest Committee to arrive at decisions in difficult or border-line cases. Competitors were not allowed to view the tapes. (6) The use of a computer for scoring and pro- ducing the results. (7) Excellent boat storage, transmitter pound and launching, recovery and rescue facilities. (8) Clear and precise 3-minute countdown, with opening bars of Tchaikowsky’s 4th Symphony used as a warning ‘jingle’ for the commencement of the next race. (9) Easily distinguished marks that rotated at a touch. However, an event of this size can never be perfect in all respects and some improvements could have been made which would have benefited the racing: (1) Courses: Full Olympic courses with port roundings were not set until the last two days. The reason given for this was that the wind direction was unsuitable, but | think the problem could have been overcome. A starboard rounding course involves right-of-way boats breaking into the line of port tack boats that are already on the lay line, resulting in a potential multiple-protest situation, especially at the end of the first beat. When an Olympic course was eventually set for the final races on the last two days, it resulted in better racing, fewer protests and easier observation of overlaps, besides providing an excellent view for spectators, with the fleet short-tacking and in cases of infringement the Observers would simply call ‘Contact’ and the relative boat numbers. Unfortunately, this change to the correct procedure led at first to an undue number (2) Visibility: The siting of the control position was such that good visibility became impossible late in the afternoon because skippers were tomed to our rules. There were quite a few written (3) Water Depth: This was inadequate at the edge of the course and boats ran aground too easily. of protests from skippers who were unaccus- protests for ‘starboard refusal’ simply because skippers did not do their penalty turns and there were several cases of disqualification because neither skipper protested an infringement. The excessive number of written protests caused delays in the racing because, under the along the shore. looking directly into a setting sun. (4) Racing Marks: The marks took far too long to move for a course change and at least one race had to be re-started because a start line mark broke adrift. Also, at times there was insufficient port bias on the start line. Model Boats (5) Measuring: This took place over two days, which was an improvement over the three days wasted at Ottawa. Even so, the time and effort involved in measuring very nearly 100 boats does not seem to be justified. As in Canada, Rating Certificates were ignored and fresh Certificates completed, so what is the point in having one? Surely, spot checks should be sufficient, with full measurement of the first three boats immediately the final results are known, which was, in fact, done. At least a couple of unfortunate RMs had about 1,” chopped off their sterns because their overall length was deemed to be excessive, until a check revealed that they had not been measured parallel to the W.L., so the ‘bits’ were stuck on again! All cork bumpers had to be replaced with Dow Corning bath caulk, which seemed rather a pointless exercise. It is not the material of which the bumper is made that causes damage, but the weight behind the impact. Another ruling that caused dissatisfaction was that competitors were not allowed to sail and tune up before being measured and there appeared to be no good reason for this. (6) Protests and Witnesses: There was some criticism about a ruling given that only the skippers in a race could protest a yacht with which they were not actually involved in an incident, but which they had witnessed committing an infringement. The same ruling was made in regard to the calling of witnesses to a protest. Rule 68 states that a protest can be made by any yacht against any other yacht in the same regatta, for an apparent infringement of the rules or sailing instructions. This is all very well for acomparatively small entry, where skippers not actually racing have more or less the same viewpoint as the Race Observers, but at Dunkirk the non-racing skippers were kept behind a barrier amongst the spectators and, if the O.0.D. had allowed protests from them, we could have run into all kinds of trouble. So, in this case, I think the decision was right, but it needs looking into for the future. (7) Fleet System: It is by no means certain that the ‘Fleet system’ as a method of running a World Championship is preferable to a full tournament schedule and, from remarks | overheard, many competitors favoured the latter. The ‘Fleet system’ has several disadvantages: (i) Racing is delayed while results of written protests are awaited. (ii) The method of scoring is disproportionate and results in too great a handicap for those skippers relegated to the lower fleets. (iii) The system is complicated to administer and needs a computer to run it. It is reasonable to expect that access can be had only to aninexpensive computer and experience shows that such computers break down quite frequently or lose the programme, which could be a disaster. Any system used should be simple enough to be manually scored, using the computer only as a convenience. Further, because of the complicated nature of the matrix used, it was impossible for competitors to keep check of their scores. If errors were made at any time by officials, which must be quite a strong possibility, then they could go undetected and alter the results of the Championship. (iv) IMYU rules stipulate that discards must be allowed, but this is impossible under the ‘Fleet system’. It should be noted that it is not possible to discard a disqualification. (8) Frequencies: \n view of the fact that at least two competitors suffered severe radio interference, much better advice must be offered to international competitors regarding frequencies, such as the type that can be used and those that must be avoided at all costs. January 1983 (9) Race Observers: The identity cards issued were insufficiently conspicuous to enable the competitors, who stood behind the Observers, to instantly recognise them and it would have been better to have issued the Observers with armbands in addition. (10) Language: Although no real difficulty was experienced with the language barrier, this would not necessarily be so in a future host country. The IYRU Constitution states that the official language is English and it may be a wise move to follow suit. This needs to be put to the vote by member countries. None of the aforementioned criticism is meant to detract in any way from the overall picture of efficiency. This was only the fourth Championship of its kind and we have learnt a lot in seven years and are still learning from our mistakes. Maybe the 5th Worlds will be even bigger and better, but as yet no country has applied to host them and whoever does so will be hard pressed to emulate the Y.C_.FA. and the F.F.V.~ Norman adds that the event demonstrated the fact that the I.M_Y.R_U. is now unchallenged as the world authority for model yachting. Major reasons advanced by countries who have recently affiliated to the union are superior administration and, particularly, the closeness of the rules and tournament conditions to those of the LY.R.U_ All competing countries were in favour of standardising the sport’s rules along the lines of the |.Y.R.U. and, as reported, the G.M. resolved that in future |LY.R.U. rules will be used with the few |.M.Y.R.U. proscriptions and amendments added as an appendix. Another correspondent, Tim Fuller, submitted points which appealed to, or affected, English team members, viz. ‘Several of the European entries put both their batteries and receivers into balloons, after first putting some talcum powder into the balloon. Both items are therefore kept dry and condensation-free, the neck of the balloon being sealed with an elastic band. Thisisa system | have adopted with great success. | also noticed that several skippers used loud-speaker din plugs and sockets (one flat and one round pin) for their batteries. Besides being big enough to handle easily, even with cold fingers, these plugs and sockets only cost 10p each against the usual £1 for Japanese plugs. Going one step further, I find the plugs are strong enough to enable you to plug the batteries in for each race and do without a switch, saving weight and the possible failure of an unnecessary component. The din plugs, by the way, are usually marked + and —. The French insisted that everyone have a rubber bumper, and skippers had to make them on the spot from Dow Corning, if they arrived with a boat with a too hard bumper. This type of action can only be good news to all skippers, as | feel an efficient bumper can only be one made of some form of synthetic rubber (which is available in small tubes and not difficult to mould). There are too many bumpers made of layers of cork, resined to forma battering ram, together and painted over rather than a protective bumper! On the third day of sailing, with winds getting up to 38m.p.h., the fin of my R10R broke loose from the hull, which started to fill up with water. The boat was rescued before it sank, but not before the radio equipment became saturated (no balloons!) and | missed several races while drying out the receiver. | used WD40to repell dampness, which seemed to work well, but | still had glitching problems throughout the meeting. When| arrived home, | examined the receiver in greater detail, obviously now perfectly dry, but | still had range problems which |didn’t solve until | changed the I.F. transformers, which put the radio back in full working order. | inspected the old transformers and it would appear that the WD40 had in some way reduced the OQ or selectivity of these coils, so that amplification in the receiver was greatly reduced. The moral of the story is that one balloon is worth 20 tins of WD40! (Wet radios which sustain permanent damage nearly all find it in the IF cans – Ed.). Everyone agreed the French ran a very good meeting, but | must agree with Norman Hatfield in his comments about the fleet system, except | would be a little stronger in my condemnation of this sytem of racing. Almost a day’s sailing was lost in total, due to the wait at the end of each set of fleets, while protests were heard, but worst of all is the bad psychological effect of a skipper going downa fleet and getting a big score. In the to say there should have RM racing | think it is fair been at least 3 more skippers up there fighting for the winning place, but after getting bad luck and going down a fleet these 3 gave up and lost that edge to their sailing which is needed to keep up front, a bad fault of the system and not of the people who ran it. The fleet system is quite good in the eyes of those who would expect to get inA fleet all the time, but not very good for everyone else and it definitely reduced the quality, or overall enjoyment of the meeting by the majority of skippers who have the certain knowledge, almost right from the start, that they cannot possibly win.” Report from the Norwegian Championship, 21st/22nd August, 1982 by Torvald Klem The championships were held on Gjersgen, a lake just south of Oslo, and 16 boats were entered for this year’s event. Jan Dejmo’s system for fleet racing was used, making up two 8 boat fleets after the necessary preliminary heats. Winds on Saturday were very light, with the hills behind the starting line creating turbulence ona large scale with the wind that was available. Boats tacking, reaching and running on the same leg at the same time was not an uncommon sight. The boats to beat were definitely the recently returned World Championships entrants, although few had hopes of beating T. Klem with his o.d. Lost Love. After the first day Klem was lying first with four firsts and a fourth place, with O. Wickstrgm sailing his Deception to one first, two seconds, one third and one sixth place to finish the day in second place, with B. Nygaard lying third only 2.7 points behind. The Sunday started off with the same miserable conditions, but in the afternoon the wind increased and was reasonably steady at about 5-7m/second. Much of the light-weather sailing was plagued with too close sailing under difficult conditions, maybe a touch of nerves and inadequate knowledge of rules. The battle was for second, third and fourth places, Kiem managed to stay out in front and out of trouble most of the day. As regards the fleet system racing this has a few undesirable side-effects, and under these conditions it was felt that the penalty awarded to boats not finishing within 3 minutes of the first boat was unduly hard, particularly if only one or two boats managed to finish, with the rest of the A-group collecting 17 points, as if they had not been on the water at all. We intend to do something about this rule before the next major meeting. Final placings: N220 N16 29.4 1. Torvald Klem 2. Gunnar Karlsen Lost Love Trapper 4. Odd Wickstrom 5. Bent Nilsen-Vig 6. Thor-Arne Agnalt Deception N30 37.8 N6 54.7 Trapper N17 73.0 Trapper 3. Bjorn Nygaard Trapper N13 36.8 25
