IOMICA Forum

Robert: Best I can tell, Lester Gilbert's post is simply his opinion of what ISAF will or will not require for an IOMICA sanctioned world championship based on his personal interpretation of what he thinks are the relevant ISAF rules. Unless Lester is now authorized to speak on behalf of ISAF, his v...

To the extent ISAF requirements for running international r/c sailing events mandate high costs, event complexity and extra staff, it is a very relevant part of any discussion of the pros and cons of an affiliation with ISAF. Fact is R/C sailing is different from other forms of sailing. It certainly...

I guess I'm still a little unclear about what is going on here. If I read Marko's post correctly, he is suggesting that the current IOMICA Executive is in the process of negotiating terms and conditions for our possible direct affiliation with ISAF. Looking at the posts from Jan, Barry and Alfonso, ...

Still looking for an explanation of the pros and cons of asking for ISAF membership now or waiting a year...

And if there was a note from ISAF requesting an immediate application from IOMICA, could it perhaps be made available to the membership as part of any discussion?

I'm trying to understand how this process works--does IOMICA have the ability to negotiate the terms of its affiliation with ISAF or does IOMICA have to first join ISAF and later try to negotiate changes? It would seem to me that we really need to try to solve the cost problems of National and Conti...

I can't see how allowing direct elections of IOMICA officers will undermine NCAs. I also don't see the difference between types of sailors. If you own and register an IOM and you care enough to vote, I don't see why you shouldn't have a full voice in class affairs. I guess if you look at anything lo...

Antionio: Respectfully, I think your lack of fluency in English and a less than clear understanding of the rules and history of our class have lead you down the wrong path. If you read the class regulations and constitution you will see that the method provided to change our class rules in a binding...

In thinking about some of the problems that arose as part of the most recent IOMICA election, I think it might be worth considering changing our voting system to "one owner/one vote" and to a fixed date for the class AGM. I've always thought direct, popular vote elections are the best way to decide ...

Barry: Sometimes with only a few loud voices talking it can seem that the reasoned and reasonable approach you are championing isn't appreciated or welcome. In fact you should know that you are exactly what the class needs at this time and you have a world of support behind you. I can only urge you ...

Just to clarify a few matters about the AGM in Barbados. The class rules require that a member of the existing executive chair the AGM. By default, Bruce Andersen was the only officer in attendance so the job fell to him. The vote count and results were supplied to Bruce by Anders Wallin, the IOMICA...

Just to prove that a near brush with death really can change a person--I agree 100% with Jim and 90% with Marko. I also promise not to go after Lester no matter how wrong he may be (that's a joke in case anyone has any doubts). This should be resolved among the affected parties and hopefully in a wa...

Brig: If you read the constitution and regulations carefully, you will find very specific procedures on how binding changes are enacted. These procedures involve specific advance notice and voting based on the number of boats registered/certificated in each NCA. Basically, they are the procedures th...

This is exactly the public debate that should not be happening. The "resolutions" that are being referred to are plain and simple not binding on anyone. There is nothing in the IOMICA constitution or regulations or rules that allow for the passage of "resolutions" whatsoever. They are not "lawful Wo...

Never trust a Canadian to explain the very, very strange US electoral college system (lol)! Not that it matters to us in IOMICA, but Marko has it exactly backward as to how the electoral college system works in the United States. Fact is each individual state determines for itself as to how it desir...

Respectfully, I don't believe Lester has framed the issue before us correctly. The question is not whether NCA representatives can "personally" choose how their country's votes should be allocated. That is clearly not a desired result. The question is does IOMICA have the authority to determine how ...

Andy: I too was hoping to do nothing but watch from the sidelines but now that you have spoken I have to respectfully disagree. Please read the official documents that govern our class--the IOMICA constitution and regulations. Nowhere in those documents is it specified that that the Executive or Wor...

I think we all feel that IOMICA needs to come up with a better, less expensive plan for judging/umpiring major events. However, let's not forget that judges aren't the only expense that we should examine. For example, are there ways to reduce travel and lodging costs for competitors? Could IOMICA ex...

I think Nigel and Peter have both identified the critical issue that needs to be addressed for our major events going forward--Cost! Unless we figure out ways to reduce the cost of organizing a World or Continental championship, the number of countries able to host an event will dwindle to nothing. ...

A few thoughts inspired by my time spent observing the IOM Worlds in Barbados. 1. The Control Area: At the Barbados event the practice was to have the competitors stand on an elevated platform overlooking the course. This has been the case at many major IOM events. The other principal practice is to...

As my time in the IOMICA VC Technical job draws to a close, I thought I would pass on a few things I have learned over the last few years. I have come to realize there are basically only three kinds of technical questions that we face and each should be handled in a different manner. The first type ...

First question is should third parties be responsible for calling "contact" at all. Lots of interesting back and forth could be had on that issue. Putting that aside, there are no "percentages" in the umpire business. You call fouls when you see them in any sport. Period. You try to see it all and y...

Antonio: I am sure you are making some important points, but it is very hard to understand. Perhaps you might have someone review your posts to improve the English a bit. As a general matter, I agree that our measurement form needs to be reworked and simplified. Also, as I have said here earlier, we...

Gee, and I thought I was the lawyer here...seems to me that you are ducking a simple question. Let me try it again-- if elected to the IOM Executive Committee, would you ask, vote for, welcome or support the appointment of Lester Gilbert to the IOM Class Technical Sub-Committee? It is a question tha...

Great, Robert. In the same spirit as your post, may I pose a simple and straightforward question to you--should you be elected to the VC Technical position will you ask Lester Gilbert to serve on the IOMICA Technical Committee?

I guess it isn't surprising that the responses of Lester Gilbert and Robert Grubisa are so similar. Also not surprising is that both see the letter we received from ISAF as justification of their own opinions. However, let's stop playing around. Robert Grubisa isn't asking real questions, he is enga...

Excuse me all while I hijack this thread for a moment, but my patience has reached an end. I've looked back over everything I've written here and otherwise and while I have strongly disagreed with a number of things Lester Gilbert has said and even "called him out" from time to time, I believe I hav...

Antonio: I might have misread your question. I assumed you were asking if the batten rules should be rewritten and my answer to that question was no.

So Lester, you created a whole topic to tell the world that you would no longer respond to any of my posts.

And what have you done? Continued to respond to my posts!!!!

And I though you were someone who would keep their word (lol).

Antonio: The answer to your question is "no". We don't need a rule change for something that is perfectly clear. MAINSAILS must have battens or batten pockets. If anyone is making mainsails without battens or pockets, they are not class legal and should not have been signed off by measurer. One thin...

Funny how different people can read things in such a different way. I read the ISAF response as a rebuke to self- important pedants who spend their time creating problems for the sport of it. I also did not find a single word in the ISAF response that suggests that democratic voting is a bad idea. O...