IOMICA

World Council

A few of the AGM Class Rule resolutions have met a mixed response from RSD, the Exec is working closely with RSD towards a solution. The likelihood is that some of the resolutions will be rejected. The Exec does not expect these issues to have any significant effect on the class.

Measurement

Mike Eldred Has been co-opted as VC Measurement, he’s currently getting up to speed with measurement issues.

Events

Discussions continue around  the format HMS for the 2007 World Championship, the Exec is liaising closely with RSD and the MYA regarding updating HMS for 6 boat promotions.

Andy Stevenson
GBR 1779
IOMICA Secretary

World Council

The AGM Class Rule resolutions have been formally submitted to RSD and have been acknowledged, we await the results of the deliberation of the Joint Technical Committee(Robert Grubisa, ISAF-RSD Techincal committee chairman, Roy Langbord, IOMICA VCTechnical, and Rick Martin, ISAF RSD Technical committee vice chairman).

The Class rule changes are due to take effect 90 days from the AGM, assuming a timely response from RSD we should be releasing IOM Class Rules 2007 by 7 January 2007.

Measurement

Work continues to appoint a suitable Vice Chairman for the measurement sub committee; we hope to have someone in place soon. It’s worth noting that there are also vacancies on the measurement sub committee for willing volunteers who wish to make a contribution.

Events

The 2007 World Championship is still pending an official announcement. However scuttlebutt has managed to make sure pretty much everyone knows when it is! The next hurdle is the NoR, this should appear any day now. Work continues to ensure that the event meets the standards we’ve all come to expect.

Lester Gilbert has resigned from the events sub committee, there is room for a volunteer or two here if anyone’s keen. VC Events is particularly keen to hear from any IOM sailors with experience organising regattas, particularly international regattas. Someone with experience of an IOM World or Continental Championship would be ideal.

Andy Stevenson
GBR 1779
IOMICA Secretary

World Council

The AGM has now concluded, the minutes can be downloaded from the IOMICA Website. There is a thread in the public forum for comments on how the AGM went. Your opinions on what went well, what could be improved or how the Exec ran the AGM in general would be much appreciated.

A formal request to RSD for ratification of the CR changes is currently being edited and the CCR will be updated with the passed resolutions shortly.

Measurement

Roy Thompson has tendered his resignation as VC Measurement. This is a sad loss to the Exec and we are considering options for his replacement currently with a view to having someone in place soon. If anyone has an interest in the position or serving on the measurement sub committee please let a member of the Exec know.

Tentative discussions have taken place within the Exec surrounding measurement issues, particularly self certification for sail makers.

Events

The French application for a World Championships 2007 is shaping up well. The ESC is hopeful that this will go ahead as planned. There has been a good deal of speculation within the IOM community surrounding the event. To be clear, nothing is official yet, the NOR is still being refined and there has been no announcement.

The ESC is confident that an official announcement from IOMICA and YCPR jointly will happen very soon.

Andy Stevenson
GBR 1779
IOMICA Secretary

World Council

The WC AGM has been officially announced, all NCA representatives should have received an email with the agenda attached. The announcement has also been posted on the IOMICA web site and forum. The agenda can also be downloaded from the web site.

The forum polling system isn’t sufficient for our needs. There is now a template submission form, a template voting form and instructions available for download from the IOMICA website. Please contact a member of the Exec if you have problems with either the forms or process.

NCA’s are reminded that they should provide up to date owners lists for calculating voting strength by 21 August as per regulation 4.9.

Technical

The Exec has been corresponding with ISAF-RSD to ensure a smooth process post AGM for Class Rule Changes. To this end Robert Grubisa, RSD Technical Chairman was very helpful in developing the final Exec rule changes proposed as AGM resolutions.

The Exec is grateful to Robert for his efforts, he was in no way obliged to help in this manner and his input has been most useful.

Events

The French application for a World Championships 2007 has been confirmed and work continues to ensure the process is a smooth as possible.

Financial

Continuing efforts have been made by our Treasurer, David Turton, to collect outstanding fees for Euro 2004 from ESP, unfortunately with little success. The Treasurers report has been prepared for presentation to the WC at the AGM.

Andy Stevenson
GBR 1779
IOMICA Secretary

World Council

The deadline for proposals for AGM resolutions is the 17th of this month. 2 proposals have been submitted so far.

Technical

VCTech has, as yet, not put forward any proposals for the AGM. These should appear this week.

Events

Work continues to clarify & confirm the French application for a World Championships 2007. Details will be published once the wrinkles have been ironed out.

Andy Stevenson
IOMICA Secretary

The hard work continues to ensure the AGM runs as smoothly as
possible. There have been a few questions we’ve hopefully now cleared up, if anyone is still unsure of what will be happening please don’t hesitate to contact myself or any other member of the Exec.
On a slightly different note, some of you may have noticed our Chairman & Treasurer travelled half way round the world to compete
in the RM world championships at Fleetwood, Greg finishing in 24th
place & David 21st. Well done to both of them.

World Council

It is surprising to note that there have been no proposals for resolutions at the AGM. While it may be the case that you’re all waiting with baited breath for the Exec & VC Technical to publish it’s proposals, I had hoped I’d made it clear that such proposals, Texalium aside, would be to bring the Class Rules back to their original meaning only.
I can only assume, given this, that everyone’s happy with the Class Rules in their 2003 form, no one has burning issues about certification, registration, fundamental or event measurement or anything else concerning their boat and the way it’s raced.
Similarly you’re all happy with the way the class is run, you have no
objections to the way IOMICA operates and you’re satisfied with the
relationship between IOMICA & ISAF-RSD.

Technical

The lack of a sub committee is contributing to the delay in the proposals from VC Technical. However Roy assures us that proposals
with be here soon.

Events

The events committee has a good deal of work to do as outlined in the last update, no resolutions as yet, but work continues.

There has been some movement on a possible host for an IOM World
Championships 2007 from several countries. A firm application has
been received fro FRA, this will be announced on the events page of
the web site imminently.

InfoComms

We’re looking into the possibility of a uniform online voting system for
owner polls. This will require some fairly extensive set-up & testing.
It’s unlikely to be in place for this year’s AGM & NCA’s should continue
to make their own arrangements.
Andy Stevenson
IOMICA Secretary

World Council

The 2006 World council AGM has been announced. Now is the time for IOM sailors to contact their NCAs & WC representatives with ideas and suggestions for the class. It is hoped that all proposals will be discussed in an open forum by all IOM sailors, not just the WC & Exec. The more input we have the better chance we have to get this right.

The Exec as a whole is nearing completion of proposals for rule changes for a variety of reasons:

• To bring the Class Rules in to line with the changes to the ERS & RRS.
• To incorporate Class Rule interpretations.
• To finally deal with the issue of grandfathering Texalium boats.

It’s worth mentioning that the vast majority of the rule changes likely to be proposed by the Exec will be designed to bring the existing Class Rules up to date with changes to RRS & ERS. The idea is to ensure the Class Rules still achieve the intentions they where originally designed to. In no way does the Exec intend to change the way an IOM is built, measured, sailed or raced.

Any Class Rule changes that do alter the original intent will be dealt with separately & will clearly be identified as such. Hopefully after lengthy & open discussion.

Administration

All except one NCA Annual Reports have been received (you know who you are!) Those that where received before the Exec Annual report was published have been appended.

The Exec has completed setting up the bank account and the Treasurer is busy catching up with outstanding financial matters.

Technical

IOMICA recommended SSIs have been updated as an interim measure. Assuming the rule change proposals go according to plan they should revert back to their original form after the WC AGM. Although that may well be a good time for a review.

The vast majority of the Class Rule change proposals are the remit of the TSC. However, with the TSC being short an actual sub committee, all Exec officers have had an input.

Events

The ESC continues its deliberations. Some of the topics include:
• Updating the Race Management Manual.
• Proposals for Umpired / Observed events.
• The question of Race Officer qualifications.
• The ongoing concerns surrounding the running of international events.

The umpires report from the World Championships in Mooloolaba has now been received and is being studied by the ECS. It is likely that this will be made public in due course.

Infocomms

We are receiving a growing number of registrations to the IOM forum by ‘users’ who register just to advertise a product (usually medical, pornographic, etc.). The registration procedure has been changed to allow only real persons with an interest in the IOM class to register.

Andy Stevenson
IOMICA Secretary

The Exec is mindful of some concerns expressed regarding the lack of action on some fairly pressing issues. It hasn’t been an easy time for the new Exec & we have been hard at work trying to sort out a suitable course of action.

In an effort to put those with concerns at ease this will be the first of regular updates on the deliberations, conversations, thoughts & actions of the Executive Committee. It’s not intended as a complete report, more a summary of the ongoing issues that are likely to be of interest to, or have an effect on the class.

General

After the Mooloolaba vote on rule changes.

With the exception of the Texalium issue, the rule changes will be
resubmitted to be voted on, as before, at the next AGM of the WC. The thinking behind this being that essentially the changes are what’s needed, the problem was the way the proposals were put forward. It seems clear that a lot of people were unsure what, exactly, they were voting for. Dealing with Texalium separately will, hopefully, make things a little clearer. There has been a great deal of discussion within the Exec surrounding the Texalium problem. While it would be far from desirable to exclude those boats now no longer legal, it’s also a very worrying prospect setting a precedent for not only introducing brand names as permitted materials, but also the wider issue of rule changes to allow innovations previously interpreted as class illegal.
The Exec proposes to reintroduce the grandfathering of Texalium hulls, with no event exceptions or time limits. It should be pointed out that this is an exceptional circumstance; similar situations that may occur in the future are unlikely to be dealt with similarly. If a class rule interpretation renders a boat illegal, it will probably remain so.

For the time being the Exec will post recommended alterations to NOR & SI’s. This should appear on the IOMICA web site shortly.

Events

The Events Sub-Committee is deep in discussion. It is becoming clear that NCA’s are unable or unwilling to host international events. While some of the reasons are fairly obvious, this is probably a very complicated issue that is unlikely to have an easy solution. I’m sure this issue will be opened up for WC / public input once the ESC has a better idea of the situation.

InfoComms

The IOMICA public & WC forums have been very quiet. Probably due, in some part, to the Exec’s lengthy deliberations & lack of public communication.

Measurement / Technical

Waterless measurement & in-house sail certification are still ongoing and some discussion has taken place. However, with the Exec being tied up with more pressing matters, little real progress has been made towards working solutions.

World Council

A WC AGM will be required this year. The Exec hopes to announce a date in the near future. The intention being to give the WC members plenty of time to formulate proposals for resolutions. We are hopeful that this meeting can be held electronically.

Andy Stevenson
IOMICA Secretary