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March 1981 55p (U.S.A. & Canada $2.50) D> MAGAZINE ‘mmeueees ta . ae fee ra VORTIGEeRy = Epon Test | ‘Mickey Finn’ in the accepted sense of the phrase is to surrepticiously inveigle a drug or strange drink onto an unsuspect- ing third party. Now, we are not suggesting that is the object of this yacht as far as the M.Y.A. is concerned, but we confidently predict that the class is going to establish itself very rapidly as a first class introduction to R/C yacht racing, bringing a large number of newcomers into the sport and subsequently, we hope, the association. The boat has been around now for well over a year and appeared at a number of inaugural races, including a Championships, during National 1980, so many readers will be aware of its somewhat different aspect, that is a balanced single sail sitting on a 36in. hull (36R class). The concept of this one-design boat is an attempt to reduce some of the pitfalls and expenses which frustrate many would-be yachtsmen from taking the plunge, so to speak. The major problem areas are provision of a sail winch (relatively difficult to make and expensive to buy) and the conventional standing and running rigging which requires a considerable number of fittings and time to construct. Obviously, a balanced single sail does not require the latter and by careful design, generating not only a mechanical but practically a dynamic balance, a standard servo is capable of handling the sail sheeting requirements. So, how does the kit go together? Assembly A set of instructions are included with the kit, together with an exploded view of the general construction, a close-up detail of the sail arrangement and the servo saver, plus a useful parts list, keyed to the general arrangement drawing. Further paperwork defines the Mickey Finn Class Rules which are basically very Left and right: details of gooseneck fittings and springloaded clew adjuster. Knurled plastic adjuster at extreme right of boom tensions kicking strap. 158 straightforward. However, we wouid suggest you read this before commencing con- struction as there are a number of important points to bear in mind. The hull and deck is supplied ready joined, moulded in g.r.p., and comes com- plete with fin and a hardwood strut glassed in for attachment of the bulb. The moulding is self-coloured and is as thin as possible to keep the weight down. As a result the hull is quite flexible and requires a reasonable area of support otherwise permanent damage can occur. Hence, at this stage, before any installation is started, we: suggest a suitable stand be fabricated using wide (3in.) webbing as a support. The first thing we did was to remove the joining bead along the deck by means of the tip of a file. Strips of masking tape were placed alongside the bead during this process to prevent scratching of the deck sur- faces. A final sanding, finishing with ‘TCut’ polish, resulted in a smooth matching surface. The next task was to cut the access for the radio hatch. There are specific dimensions laid down in the class rules as regards longitudinal positioning and we elected to cut the deck leaving a 2 in. supporting area on the plastic hatch cover supplied. A strip of hardwood to reinforce MODEL BOATS the edges of the hatch and athwartship is supplied and this was cut to the requisite lengths and fixed to the underneath of the deck with epoxy resin, held in place with clothes pegs until dry. Installation of the radio gear highlighted the only fault, if that is the right word, we found with the kit. Our original intention was to fix the lid of the radio box supplied to the underneath of the plastic hatch. How- ever, the lid is too large to allow removal up through the maximum deck hole that can be cut to suit the plastic hatch cover pro- vided. Hope you got that! So… we decided to dispense with the lid and mount the servos and switch on the hatch cover itself, using waterproof servos of course. One of the class rules defines that the rudder link must be above deck anyway. The remaining radio receiver and battery was placed in the bottom of the radio box and the whole sat directly on the hull bottom with the remaining timber strip from the hatch cover epoxied to the hull in such a manner as to provide locators. The rudder linkage is quite straightforward using the materials supplied. The sail sheet runs through a pyramid shaped hook which has to be bent and fabricated. We silver soldered ours for strength. This bolts to the deck and we felt it advisable to fit a ply plate under the deck to spread the point load at the pyramid bolt attachment points. The drawing for the sail sheet servo saver is quite explanatory and it works well. The hatch could be fixed with screws or similar. However, we elected to rely upon sticky insulation tape which has proved amply strong enough and waterproof inthe strongest blows. removed by destroying it and turning up a new one (we know — we did it!) The boom is also preformed andis quickly assembled. Kicking strap and the various hooks and eyes are formed from the stain- less wire supplied — again no problems were experienced as long as care is taken in using the correct thickness of wire as detailed in the instructions. The sail, (a top suit is supplied), is fitted with a luff pocket which slips over the mast and all eyes are formed. Self-adhesive decals incorporating the class design and the racing number are also supplied. The racing number is allocated to each boat during production and is glassed into the is to use a slow speed and paraffin as a lubricant. The lead was fitted using the screw and plenty of epoxy filler. Apart essential from painting After an overnight charge — we used a 500mA Deac as receiver power — and a check that all systems were ‘go’, we hastened to our local lake and were pleased to find a light breeze, say 5 knots, ideal for able extras. A ready assembled adjustable clew hook is slipped onto the boom as can be seen in the phtotographs. Lead The first task was to seal the fin with a filler of some sort. We used glassfibre resin Saturated with filler powder. lsopon or similar would suit. At this stage apply some filler at the top of the fin inside the hull, between the hardwood support and inside of hull to stop flexing of fin — something we only discovered on completion of course. The lead was cleaned up with a file and then fixed temporarily to the fin/hardwood strut — a slot is cast in the lead to accept the strut — with tape. The mast was assembled and with all components fitted to the hull, the model placed in the bath. The water should just kiss the bottomof the boat at the transom, and relocating the lead until this pays dividents re-performance. Once the correct position was located, the lead was Swivel arrangement. The mast footstep is already glassed into the hull bottom during manufacture. The nylon swivel is fixed to not she Sailing available as lead, was ready to go. testing with the top suit. Heavy weather and storm suits are the but aesthetically pleasing, inside bottom of the hull. Our example was 85. position was found was troublesome but Sail and Mast The next step is to assemble the mast and marked and a drill run through to coincide with the hardwood strut and accept the fixing bolt supplied. A tip when drilling lead The acceleration of the boat is remarkin such light conditions and she handles well, responding quickly to rudder. Slight adjustments were made to the mast shape — tension on the backstay creates a mast bend to match the sail luff — and to the flow by means of the clew adjuster to gain the best performance. No problems were experienced with the sheeting system which is controlling some 740sq.ins. of sail, not much less than a Marblehead, which highlights the excellent of the balanced rig. Sailing on design another occasion in fresh winds was practically impossible with the top suit, as would be expected, but the conventional servo was still capable of sheeting in. Obviously, with one design racing everyone starts off with the same potential per- formance and the boat will not be upstaged next season by a new design. It is up to the skipper to get the best from model and conditions. We are sure that many newcomers will spirit and fun of competitive racing with Mickey Finns and that those enjoy the already converted to class sailing will find racing an M.F. rewarding also. Designed by Dave Hollom and Eric Nuttall, Mickey Finn is manufactured and distributed by Rojair priced at £66.00. the deck by Phillips’ screws and a smear of epoxy adhesive. The mast comes in two sections and is pre-drilled and shaped. A number of small tasks have to be completed, i.e., insertion of a sliding fit smaller tube to facilitate joining of the masts (so arranged that mast can easily be dis- mantled after sailing, for storage), insertion of a pin to locate mast in deck swivel, etc. The clear installation diagram reveals all, but make sure you do assemble the inserts at the bottom of the mast in the correct order. Once the nylon locating socket is pushed into the mast base it can only be March 1981 Above, lead fixing screw holes epoxy filled after final positioning. Below, left to right: radio box details, note servo-saver constructed from piano wire as described in instructions. 159 pondent Jack Knight via Dave Hollom, invited several model designers to produce designs for 12m models at 1/10 scale; models will be built to the designs (plus the 1980 British and Australian contenders) and extensive trials under radio will take place. The designers involved will be Graham Bantock, Chris Dicks, Dave Hollom, Dick Priest and Roger Stollery, and the boats will come out at around A Class size but with scale sail of about 2600sq. in. Trials will be on large reservoirs or lakes with very long beat and run legs etc, ideally in winds of around 6k, which is about scale average, the long fetch across a big area of water being necessary to raise approximately scale waves with this strength of wind. Quite a lot of MYA members will be involved in the programme, which will give model yachting an opportunity to show how advanced are its design concepts and how it can be used to influence full-size development. New officers (following resignations) are Publicity, Ken Shaw, 198 Bramhall Lane, Davenport, Stockport, Cheshire SK3 8TX. Tel. 061-4834696) and Racing Secretary, Jack Lee, 58 Urwick Road, Romiley, Stockport, Tel: 061-494-9326). Other officers were re-elected. Vice President Clive Colsell (who supplies MYA sweat shirts and over-20 boat free sailing schedules) mentions that his address is now 22 Orchard Road, East Preston, Sussex. Under motions, (2) Roger Stollery was elected Vice President, to an ovation, and(3) the new post of Exhibitions Officer was created, Graham Bantock being elected. Motion 1, advance sub- mission of new nominations for VP, and 4, a minor deletion in SR and GRR25(i), were also carried nem con, but 5, the banning of spinnakers for R/C yachts, created huge discussions and was eventually lost. Much of the confusion was procedural, there being an amendment proposed with the best of intentions but worded in a difficult way.It would seem a sound idea for future Model Yachting Association News 1981 RM Nationals This meeting is this year being staged by New Forest RCMYC at their delightful private water at the Kingfisher Country Club in Ringwood, Hants. Now, as will be realised, this is in the middle of the New Forest, a popular tourist area, and is over the Bank Holiday, May 23-25. The club can cater for skippers wishing to caravan or camp, but those seeking B&B or hotel accommodation should do something about it now; contact the club‘s accommodation secretary, Mike Clark, c/o King- fisher Club, Ringwood, giving your requirements so that you can be booked in well in advance. Apart from knowing that you have a bed etc, this will enable accommodation to be arranged as close to the water as possible. The club car park, incidentally, will provide free parking for all entrants. Overnight boat storage has been arranged, with some charging points, anda marquee will be provided for protection from the weather. There are two launch/recovery platforms, so you won’t need boots, and all entrants will be temporary members of the Kingfisher Club for the weekend, enabling them to enjoy club facilities including the bar and evening functions which have been arranged. There will be inexpensive hot lunches each day, but there probably won’t be any break in the sailing as it is hoped to get through a 90 race schedule over the three days. Anyone with any queries about the event can ring Tim Fuller, the club secretary, on Southampton 766055. March 1981 1982 The next IMYRU World Championships for RM and RIOR will be held in France, at Dunkerque, in 1982, almost certainly in July, but the actual date has yet to be finalised. The excellent lake is about 5km out of Dunkerque (or Dunkirk) and was the venue for a very successful international meeting last year; the half-dozen British skippers who competed were very enthusiastic. Further details will be given as they become available, as at the time of writing official accep- tance of the French offer to stage the meeting is barely a fortnight old. MYA AGM There was a good turn-out at the AGM on December 6 with all districts represented, and as anticipated the meeting finished a little earlier than usual. From the general business, apart from motions, some particular points emerged, and possibly the simplest method of reporting them is in note form. Thus, there will be no increase in subscriptions for 1981 and the Association’s finances show a distinct improvement from the last year or two. The winning individual and top club in the 1980 R/C League are Robert Smith (Leicester) and Leicester club, while in the Vane League Walter Jones (Birkenhead) was top individual and Fleetwood the top club. (Fuller results await a written listing — they were read at the meeting but too fast to get down accurately). A major item of news is that the syndicate intending to challenge for the America’s Cup has, through the good offices of top yachting corres- amendments to be put in the form of the original motion plus the amendment, ie a firm wording that can be voted on yes or no; voting must be on the wording that appears, not on the intention behind it. Motion 6, on retaining unamended for a fixed period, also sank on somewhat similar grounds; it also clashed somewhat with 7, regarding not adopting rule changes until submitted to and adopted by the IMYRU which was passed. The weakness here seems to us that a rule change cannot be tried out (at least officially) to see its effect before submission for international adoption; changes sometimes throw up unforseen and undesirable snags which may emerge only after a period of wide use. Use of unofficial rules on a wide scale could lead to confusion at national or even international events. Although the action is desirable, it does therefore have a side-effect, and should any club or district be running events with an experimental rule change, it is hoped that this will be made absolutely clear on the entry details. Motion 8, on a three-year stint for elected officers followed by year-to-year service, was not passed, since officers serve on a year-to-year basis at present and none is likely to take offence if another candidate is nominated. Motion 9 was not gone into deeply since no-one from the proposing club was present to argue for it. The late inclusion of these two motions was a result of a semantic argument on that part of the Constitu- tion covering council’s vetting of proposals to be put to the AGM, the intention and wording of which will now be re-examined. Marblehead Rules Following the close of the official business the opportunity was taken to hold an informal discussion on the M class rules. An international com- 165 mittee is currently looking at them with a view to tidying up the presentation after several years of (relatively) minor alterations, and a number of suggestions from various countries had been circulated semi-officially to gauge opinion. This * {1 MODEL power Boat discussion generated quite a lot of excitement and threw up the different approaches of vane and radio exponents, for example with regard to alternative rigs. Radio sailors in a number of countries would like simplicity — one rig only, and _ smaller suits not to exceed any top suit dimen- sion. Not so long ago, in a conversation, one over- seas skipper mentioned that none of his clubmates had more than one suit anyway, and in the unlikely event of it getting too windy, sailing packed up for the day. The original approach to sails of the EC12 class was on similar lines. It thus seems possible that the attitude to rules is more influenced by climate than most people realise, and the desire to have a variety of sails exhibited by long-time English skippers is aresult of the inconsistent weather patterns to which we are exposed. Radio skippers in Britain appear to see less need for three alternative rigs (of three or four suits each) and it is suspected that many club skippers of vane boats would be quite happy to abandon the multi-rig situation. How many skippers do you know with C rigs? It would be possible — even sensible — to vary the permitted sails/rigs between vane and radio, leaving vane as it is but simplifying the rule in respect of RMs. A logical and it is submitted, acceptable compromise would be, for RMs, one working rig or as many suits as the owner wished, no dimension of second or third suits etc, to exceed top suit dimensions, plus one high aspect suit (not rig) for light weather. This, after all, is tocompete nationally or what most skippers likely internationally already have. If it comes to that, it is what most vane skippers see as adequate, but if some feel that development is possible by having more choice, it would do no harm to leave the rules as they stand. What is certain is that the IMYRU committee has an unenviable task, and one which may well be less simple than it seemed initially. In turn, model yachtsmen are going to have to takea more global view and realise that their local conditions and experience are likely to be very different from that what andd, those on the other side of the worl may seem unnecessary clutter inone country can be essential for successful racing in another. To illustrate the principle with an example taken to absurd extremes, of ten per cent of the world’s M population could only sail for some reason with a 12in. (305mm) draught, the rule would have to take this into account or it could not be truly international. British influence on the rules rests on two main facts. We have longer experience of. large-scale organised racing than any other country, and we are geographically at the conjunction of polar continental and maritime and tropical continental and maritime air masses. Thus we get extremes of weather not regularly experienced in most other countries, often changing within hours rather than days, and this is bound to affect the requirements of the yachts. Rules have to con- sider extremes, even if some provisions mystify those living in settled climates hundreds of miles from the sea. Changes of address New secretaries notified are as follows: Poole MYC, N. R. Carey, 26 Felton Road, Poole, Dorset. Three Rivers MYC, Mrs. W. Hinchliffe, 8 Lambert Walk, Lea Park, Thame, Oxon OX9 3DT.A newly affiliated club is Rugeley Power Station MC, L. D. Edwards, 3 St. Aidans Road, West Chadsmoor, Cannock, Staffs. 166 MIPBA News from Jim King» he Annual General Meeting of the MPBA is now in the past and it is a long time since we have had one so acrimonious in its content. Discussion over the controversial change to the rules to enable them and the articles of incorporation to be identical produced more than the usual lively discussion and it is to be hoped that now that the dust has settled we can get on with the more important need to organise the running of boats. Perhaps Ted Blacknell of the Welwyn Garden Club put it right when he said that ““most were tired of the argument and that in common witha lot of others he only attended the AGM to find out what was going to happen in the coming season.” Ted is not noted for rising to his feet at meetings and his words need to be heeded so perhaps we can leave the matter to rest, and as | said before, get on with the real business of running boats. Only major change in the Executive was the election of Greg Metcalf of the Hertford Club as General Secretary in place of Gerry Colbeck, who everyone knew was going to vacate the office after so many years of service. Both Gerry and Joy Colbeck received small tokens of thanks from the Association for their past work and good wishes for the future, something that all will echo. It would be appropriate for all to make a note of the new secretary’s address right now in order to save unnecessary correspondence, so note books out and here ‘tis — Gregory Metcalf, 36 Broadmeads, Ware, Herts., SG12 QHU. Telephone Ware 5605. Perhaps this will also ensure that so much of the unnecessary telephoning that has occurred in the past will also be eliminated. Consequent on Greg’s election it was decided that he relinquish the post of Southern Area Treasurer and after a vote by those Southern Area members present Brian Munday, 40 Markwell Close, Sydenham, SE 26 was elected to the position, so again make a note of this change in your address books and Southern Area clubs please send your renewals to Brian. meeting concluded with little time to spare The for matters raised from the floor, Done ofHewitt radio remarking on the current preponderanc ny control activities and reminding the compa of the activities of the straight running and hydrois plane sections. Perhaps this emphasis on R/C of made more noticeable by the long presentation awards that takes place at the AGM and maybe ution consideration should be given to their distribriate immediately at the conclusion of the approp regatta so that we can spend more time on other matters, indeed it may well be worth while considering once again the suggestion, | believetheit came from Dick Palmer, that the AGM be basis for a more social type of gathering and then we may be able to consider things more calmly| without getting so hot under the collar. Yes, is know that | am one of the culprits but guilt pretty wide spread. Apart from the problems of the internal politics, in general 1980 was not such a bad year for in model boaters and as John Cundell remarkeders his report the band of overseas travell increased in numbers and success abroad became quite a usual thing for the British. In fact one of our number, Dave Harvey, was at that time ine on an expedition to Australia, and the grapev reports many successes, also | am sure that Dave will prove once again that he is a good to ambassador and a worthy competitor. Pleasingthe most members is the fact that no increase inon is subscription was made but the way inflati ng still going here is one that cannot see us avoidi an increase at the end of 1981. One matter that will prove a talking point in the future is the decision by H. M. Government to cease the issue of R. C. Licences and for the Naviga Championships in Magdeburg we will have to do something about it for at the present time the East German authorities require the production of one in their country. It has been suggested that the MPBA issue their own licences MODEL BOATS
