SMYC Head Bob Wells gathering news 2017 Event Schedule 2018 Trips and Photos 2017 Event Schedule 2016 Trips and Photos 2015 Trips and Photos 2014 Trips and Photos Detail photos of selected IOM boats What's New

Click on thumbnail to view PDF file. A FREE digital NEWSLETTER covering IOM Radio Sailing in the Seattle area, Pacific NorthWest and beyond.

December 2016

December 2016

Our club newsletter is an annual summary of the past year (2016), and we recap our local club series scores and champions. We have regatta reports on USA Nats, CAN Nats, our R6N Championship in Hood River, and a few others. We interview Tim Brown and Zvonko Jelacic to learn about their new IOMs. To learn about radio sailing in Malaysia we interview Zach Chan Kok leong. John Ball comes through again with new rules articles, including a summary of the RRS changes for 2017-2020. All the 2016 USA Class News articles are included. Our Pacific NW 2017 schedule is at the end of the newsletter per usual. Plus, there is more. Our next newsletter is planned for the end of 2017.

December 2015

December 2015

Our quarterly club newsletter evolves to become an annual summary issue for 2015. We recap our 2015 PacNW series scores, and we have links to recap individual regattas. We have a long in-depth article on 2015 Worlds. We have regatta reports on USA Nats, CAN Nats, our R6N Championship in Hood River, and the amazing King Regatta in Thailand as well as a few others. John Ball surprised me with another RRS article, this time on "Protests". USA Class News has two authors this time: our out-going Class Secretary Fred Rocha and in-coming Bruce Andersen. Our PacNW 2016 schedule is at the end of the newsletter per usual. Plus there is more. Our next newsletter is planned to be the end of 2016 with the 2017 schedule.

January 2015

January 2015

Our traditional end-of-newsletter interview evolves to a number of brief interviews of a few Worlds competitors from around the globe. For the homebuilder we have two pictorial articles of building these great woody's, plus a how-to video link from BG on his method for making foam plugs. Graham Bantock brings us up-to-date with design developments in the IOM Class from 2012, a continuation of his long-running series. John Ball completes his excellent 5-part series of RRS articles getting you around the course with this one on Finishing. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on USA Class News where he discusses the coming Worlds. What we don't have this time is regatta reports, but we have some great links that cover this. Plus there is more. Corrected V2.

October 2014

October 2014

Our traditional end-of-newsletter interview is with Mike Eldred, who builds the V8 under license in San Diego. We also have a brief interview with Brad Gibson about his POP proto, and with another USA reseller Brian Brozek of Midwest Model Yachting LLC. John Ball's RRS article is a long one on approaching the weather mark. Regatta Reports include Hood River Carnage and The Caper on Bowman Bay. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on USA Class News and his recent visit to attend Euros on Lago di Garda. Plus there is more.

June 2014

June 2014

Our traditional interview is with designer/builder/sailmaker Jeff Byerley of Mirage Radio Yachts in Australia on his Cheinz and new Mojo. Our bonus interview is with USA reseller Tom Brighton of Brighton Boat Works. John Ball's RRS article discusses the downwind gate in depth. Regatta Reports include USA Nationals in Foster City and our local COW Cup among many other regattas. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on USA Class News, and of course there is much more.

Mar 2014

March 2014

Our interview is with Croats Robert Grubisa and Zvonko Jelacic, designers and builders of the new Kantun S and Zvonko also molds monofilament sails. The discussion extends to IOM sailing in Croatia, the small maritime country that performs so well at our major international regattas. John Ball's RRS article discusses hailing in depth - very useful information. Regatta Reports include the R6 in San Diego in February, won by - - - Houdini? Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News and 2015 Worlds in the USA. Corrected v4 .

Dec 2013

December 2013

Our first interview is with our recently crowned World Champion, Rob Walsh from UK. Later we interview big boat sailmaker Steve Toschi about his MicroBrew line of IOMs that he designs and builds for fun in Cali. We document the recent sinking and recovery of USA 7. Regatta reports include the Caper Regatta and Canadian Westerns on Hornby Island. And we have 2013 wrap-ups for the COW CanAm Series, our Seattle MYC Championship, and the Gig Harbor MYC Championship. Per usual our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News.

Sep 2013

September 2013

Our in depth interview is with the indomitable David Cook from Victoria, BC; that discusses his PORKY PIG line of custom boats and his inspiring approach to life. We document Gary Boell's system for safely and quickly packaging your boat for commercial shipping. Regatta reports include Hood River Carnage and Region 6 Championships in Foster City. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News.

Jun 2013

June 2013

Our in depth interview is with Australians Tim Brown of Radio Race Yachts and sailmaker Mark Paterson who together produce their licensed versions of the PIKANTO and FRAKTAL. Rod Carr provides an interesting history of the Seattle MYC that begins in 1927 and includes forgotten photos of our lost world-class venue at Golden Gardens. Regatta reports include our COW Cup and the US Nationals at Oracle's Pier 80 in San Francisco.

Mar 2013

March 2013

Our in depth interview is with experienced designer/builder David Creed from the UK, where we discuss his LINTEL and LINTEL MMX designs as well as his opinions on a host of other designs and things radio sailing. John Ball discusses changes in the 2013-16 RRS. The editor writes on his hands-on experience with rig assembly at Precision Park West in Idaho, which provides tips for amateur rig builders. Regatta reports include the windy Dallas Blowout. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News.

Dec 2012

December 2012

Our in depth interview is with sailmaker Brad Gibson of BG Sails & Design that discusses his World Champion BRITPOP design. We make a pictorial visit to Martin Herbert's shop/studio on Saltspring Island, BC. Regatta reports include CAN Nats, the Cranberry Caper, and our first local reports on new San Francisco area venues at Oracle's Pier 80 and Central Lake in Foster City. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News.

Sep 2012

September 2012

Our in depth interview is with Graham Herbert, a retired sailmaker/artist living on hornby Island, BC; who is as unique as his beautiful and fast IOMs. The UK's David Hollom honors our newsletter with his Theory on Canoe Body Lift. Regatta reports include Canadian Westerns, Hood River Carnage, and US Nationals in San Diego.

Jun 2012

June 2012

Our in depth interview is with New Zealander Ian Vickers and his V8 prototype. David Cook shares his extensive "Boat Notes" with tips from many sources that he acknowledges. Regatta reports include the Blowout in Dallas, Famous Potatoes Regatta in Boise and our COW Cup. Our NCS, Fred Rocha, reports on Class News.

Mar 2012

March 2012

Our in depth interview is with Adrian Harrison, a retired shop teacher in Victoria, BC, who is building high-quality SKA designs for himself and his Canuck buddies. We begin our discussion on chines, which has led to many responses from our readers in subsequent issues that culminated with the UK<'s David Hollom's Theory on Canoe Body Lift in our September 2012 issue. Regatta reports include the US Nats in Florida and Governor's Cup in San Diego.

Nov 2011

November 2011

Our in depth interview is with Scotland's Ian Dundas on his beautiful ECO design, a derivative of Aussie Jeff Byerley's EVO design. Regatta reports include the Canada Nats on Saltspring Island and the Cranberry Caper at Deception Pass State Park. The Cranberry Lake action cover photo by Wayne Martin is worth the visit in itself.

Sept 2011

September 2011

Our in depth interview is with Brazilian Denis Astbury and features his beautiful MERLO. Graham Bantock designed MERLO for Denis and provides us insights behind this design and some related designs. We have an article on mast prebend tools. Regatta reports feature the Hood River Carnage. This marks the first time we included a cover shot, which in this case is Graham Herbert holding his LEO design in his spiffy souvenir Hood River Carnage t-shirt.

Jul 2011

July 2011

Our Playmate of the Month is David Cook's Porky Pig, which he now calls PP1. This was before we figured out we prefer to interview the designer/builder, but David writes about how PP1 came about. In a separate article David also reminisces about his recent visit with New Zealander Geoff Smale, who sadly passed not long after this trip. Regatta reports include the Canadian Westerns on Saltspring Island and our COW Cup.

May 2011

May 2011

Our interview is with the Netherlands Huub Gillissen and features his woodie OBSESSION - a Craig Smith design from Australia. This is one of the prettiest IOM designs I have ever seen, it is so highly resolved and the white fiberglass deck frames the varnished wood hull perfectly. Local regattas are covered and there is an interesting Letter to the editor from Robert Grubisa in Croatia.

Mar 2011

March 2011

Our Playmate(s) of the Month are Michael Sharmer's latest custom wood boats from GER, which compete at a high level despite the flexible wood masts, simple fittings, and home made sails. His construction and narrow hull form are so against the current fashion, and yet competitive. An article discusses the latest trend in deck forms and local regattas are covered.

Jan 2011

January 2011

Our Playmate of the Month is the uniquely stylish woodie IOM designed and built by Jochen Burhenne from GER, who continues to build custom IOMs like no other. An article discusses a preference for lee helm by some very good skippers, and local regattas are covered.

Nov 2010

November 2010

Our Playmate of the Month is "Zorro", a custom Zoom design from Graham Herbert on Hornby Island, BC. All of Graham's Zooms are competitive and of a high aesthetic with custom acrylic graphics. There is an organic aesthetic in play here and many custom details worth examining. Not the least of which is the applied tubercle bumps on the leading edge of his foils - a mind blower. There is an interesting commentary by Brig North on the newish Lintel design that took the USA Nats by storm, and an article on the cost of IOMs. There is a letter from Graham Bantock on big wind sailing tips in anticipation of our sailing in the Hood River Gorge soon, and local regattas are covered.

Sept 2010

September 2010

This is our inaugural 'newsletter' issue five months after our first promo regatta, and before we figured out the Playmate of the Month interview should be a key feature of our newsletter. Besides race reports and schedules, we had some tuning tips and a discussion on options to assemble Euro kits. Also a discussion on how close to the deck the jib boom should be.

 

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