IOMICA Forum

It has recently been raised here on the forums that the current IOM class rules do not specify permitted materials for sail battens. As a practical matter, the class has always acted as if sail batten materials are unrestricted. Is there a sense that we need to change the rules for clarification?

A rule to formalise this would save any arguments.

Technically this is correct. The rules do not mention batten materials but we should be careful if we are going to specify what they can be made of. Today's expensive exotica in materials are tomorrow's standard. In this case I would say that as things seem to be functioning adequately this is best left alone.

So, the question comes down to, do we propose a rule change that clarifies that batten materials are unrestricted or do we things be? Any NCA want to submit a proposal?

By and large the rules we have are OK with some continual massaging to make them perhaps a bit clearer when something is discovered.

I find it hard to understand how it can be alright to ignore a performance related piece of the boat (battens) because it is fine just the way we are working now (no direction at all) but then turn around and immediately have to have a specific allowance for a battery meter that has nothing to do with your boat's performance except if your battery goes dead part way through the race and you can't finish, and a rescue boat has to go retrieve your boat and a delay in the next start is imposed.

When an opportunity to have the rule say what you really mean comes up it might be good to take the opportunity.