IOMICA Forum

guys, one of the guys at my club is thinking of buying some sails for his boat, they are advertised as hanving carbon fibre battons, these arent illegal are they?

Thanks
David

The class rules say you have to have them but don't specify what they can be made of. So, if you apply previous discussions of mast fitting construction then we have a required item that must be made from nothing.

The ERS says (if I read it right):

H.6 Checking Materials
Unless specifically prescribed by the class rules, materials are not subject to certification control.

So if that applies then they can be made of anything, maybe. I have sails from reputable sail makers that have battens made from all kinds of different material including a couple of different versions of CF.

With previous discussions in mind I would not use CF battens. I have a feeling it would open yet another can of worms.

There is no reasons to use CF battens in an IOM sail other than it looks nice and seems to be "high tech"

The only place one can justify using CF is in the keel and here it is legal. All other places the CF can be replaced with glassfibre.

So my advice is keep away from it, you don't need it

Carbon Fiber can be used in the keel and the rudder and under the newly voted in rule change, rig fittings. Mast tubes (if not permanently fixed to the boat) can also be carbon fiber. As to battens, nothing in the rules specifies batten materials, so as is the usual problem with our closed class rules, technically it could be argued that no material is permitted.

Practice has suggested that no one particularly cares about batten materials and they have been effectively unrestricted. Hard for me to see how carbon fiber battens would be the right material, way too stiff in my opinion, but also don't think it should be illegal to use.

Might be another thing to propose at the upcoming AGM to clean up the rules.

RoyL wrote: Mast tubes (if not permanently fixed to the boat) can also be carbon fiber.

?????

Sorry, I meant to say "main sheet post", and English is my native language!

OC44 wrote:

RoyL wrote: Mast tubes (if not permanently fixed to the boat) can also be carbon fiber.

?????

I'm sure Roy meant mainsheet post tubes....

RoyL wrote:Carbon Fiber can be used in the keel and the rudder and under the newly voted in rule change, rig fittings.

"Rig fittings" (Just to double check 'cause I'm a belt and suspenders kind of guy) would include crane, vang(not rigid) and gooseneck? This would mean I could use some of my US1M parts.
Thanks
Don

All the things that you used to be able to make from nothing can now be made from anything.