2011 Dinghy Show - Our Best Yet!

The RYA 2011 Dinghy Show was over the 1st weekend in March as usual, 5th and 6th.

Our stand was right next to our main supplier, Rooster Sailing, and showed Tinky Winky resplendent in the new Rooster Sails, together with Rooster foil bags and the winners of the 2010 / 11 ISO Photo Competition.

The Rooster sail prices were announced at the Show, see web site home page, www.isoracing.org.uk, look fantastic and in the hands of Mike Lillywhite and crew Mark Riddington closed the 2010 season with a clean sweep of all three championships. So not only do they look good, they work and are available from Rooster now at a very attractive price. Rooster's usual Show discount immediately helped sale of sails along by selling three full sets and a couple of jibs over the show weekend. Didn't get your 10% discount ?? See you at the 2012 RYA Dinghy Show then.

2011 Dinghy Show     2011 Dinghy Show     2011 Dinghy Show

Show attendance was very good indeed. This year saw more serious interest in the ISO that at several of the previous shows. About 25 enquiries, several requesting test sails on a pond near you, which we're following up. Others were keen to attend events, some enquiring about training, others about parts and boat set up. It was all go, all weekend for the half dozen volunteers manning the stand.

There was also a lot of further discussion about the availability of new boats, moulds and timescales. Encouraging stuff ! As a result we're actively moving ahead with checking the foils and seeing how the defects we've found can be corrected prior to making new moulds, all maintaining the profile and spirit of ISO evolution as we've been doing for the last 10 years. So look out for invitations to contribute and also availability of foils from new moulds. Once that has proved successful we'll move on to looking at the hull with a view to, hopefully, being able to put a new boat on the stand at next year's Show.

Congratulations to the winners:
2011 Photo Competition
1st - Martin Hammen / Nik Rudolph
2011 Photo Competition
2nd - Jocken Lumpe
2011 Photo Competition
3rd - Andy Green
2011 Photo Competition
4th - Nik Rudolphe

The winning photo showed an ISO silhouetted against a background of mountains in a glorious sunset. 2nd and 3rd were more classical sailing photos of ISOs creaming along in a good breeze thoroughly enjoying themselves. Good effort folks, one which we may well repeat this year to get those cameras out and get snapping, the higher resolution the better.

In the interim please get to as many events as possible – it's a great calendar this year with Northern, Southern, Midland and Eurocup events listed. Plus – check out the virtual series ( ODVC Explanation here >>> )it is on trial for the next couple of years to encourage everyone to participate in ISO sailing, even if travelling is difficult. Hope it works for you – it will if you participate, it won't if you don't !

That's the Show update – off to Italy to train our Italian friends to kick butt at the Eurocup. So anyone want to set up a UK training session ?

Bob Ladell