Fleet Meeting Recap, North Americans Dates Confirmed & IOD World Class AGM This Saturday
Graham Siener
Hi everyone,
Thanks to those who joined our recent fleet meeting. We didn't quite have a quorum, so we'll need to reconvene when we have next steps to discuss with the sail committee. In the meantime, here's a recap of what we covered:
North Americans - Dates Now Confirmed
We've finalized the dates for the IOD North Americans that Fisher's Island will be hosting:
August 14-16, 2026 (second weekend in August)
This replaces our traditional picnic race weekend. Charlie has volunteered as PRO to handle logistics. We're targeting 7-9 teams using our 10 available boats, and the timing avoids conflicts with other major events.
Other Key Discussion Points:
Sail Purchase Committee Update
- Main sail timeline targeting 2027 delivery to allow proper prototype development and testing
- Working with North Sails (Will Wells) on design process
- Prototype sail planned for June 2026 testing on multiple boats before final order
- Learning from spinnaker experience to ensure new mains match our existing rig characteristics
Race Committee Improvements
- Doug will lead a separate meeting on sailing instruction improvements
- Reviewing course length and leeward mark positioning options
Digital Compasses
- Fleet considering allowing electronic compasses compatible with existing analog systems
- Future vote to be scheduled
IOD World Class AGM - This Saturday, January 10
The IOD World Class Association's Annual General Meeting is this Saturday morning at 10am ET via Zoom. I'll be attending as our fleet's representative, but the meeting is open to all IOD sailors and you're welcome to join.
Key agenda items include:
- Review of class finances
- Confirmation of upcoming championship hosts (Marblehead hosting Worlds this summer, Fishers Island hosting the NAs, Sweden hosting 2027 Worlds)
- Votes on compass regulations and streamlined dues mechanism
- Election of new officers (Chris Gould from Nantucket taking over as World Class President, with Jennifer Miller from LIS as Executive VP)
Full agenda and documents: https://iodwca.org/iodwca/agm-documents/
Zoom details:
- Time: Saturday, January 10 at 10:00 AM ET
- Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81518925139?pwd=4MK0QRiJLgz7b79db8Ppw9qGoeJBXN.1
- Meeting ID: 815 1892 5139
- Passcode: 256145
Graham Siener
IOD World Class Association Annual General Meeting
Financial & Administrative Updates
Dues Structure
New flat rate: $75 per boat (replaces complex associate/membership tracking)
Revenue neutral change - simplifies fleet payments and treasurer work
Each boat represents ~3 people worth of dues
Passed unanimously by all fleets
Class finances strong: $25,000 in bank, small surplus in 2025
Fleet dues status: Most paid except Frederick Stott, Tonsberg, Manhattan
Fleet Status & Membership
Manhattan IOD fleet officially dead
Michael Fortinbra confirmed no active boats, seeking charter withdrawal
Community wasn’t sustainable, switched to J24s
Only had one boat remaining before collapse
Gibson Island fleet progress
5 boats active, 21 races held in 2025
Purchasing 4 new mainsails in 2026 for one-design compliance
3 boats will have full sail program (jibs, spins, mains)
Seeking 6th boat and official fleet status
Rick Murphy proposed immediate acceptance vote (ruled out of order)
Chris Gould (new president) sympathetic to special meeting request
Equipment & Technical Issues
Aluminum mast crisis
Cannot order new full-length aluminum masts for IODs
Zero spare masts available in most fleets (Bermuda, Northeast Harbor)
Nantucket has small supply, wooden masts only available in Northeast Harbor
Startup costs for new supplier: ~$21,000 per die, $42-45,000 total for both mast styles
European builder situation
No active builder in Europe (Lars retired 2 years ago)
Molds stored in warehouse under roof, costing $1,700/year
Hans Johansson leading search for new European builder
Will incur moving/refurbishment costs when found
Electronic Compass Approval
Rule change passed unanimously
Digital compasses now allowed by default (previously required sailing instructions)
Restrictions: bearing display only + countdown timer, no VMG/lift/header info
Approved models: Tacktick, Prism compass
Prohibited: Saltech with tactical display, Nova Sail with speed data
GPS-driven compasses permitted despite some fleet concerns about current effects
2026 Leadership & Elections
New Executive Committee slate approved unanimously:
President: Chris Gould (Nantucket)
Executive VP: Jennifer Miller (Long Island Sound)
Treasurer: John Henry (Northeast Harbor)
Secretary: Oliver Parsons (Fisher’s Island)
Members: Hans Johansson (Sweden), Peter Wickwire (Chester)
Greg Bussey stepping down after 2 years as president
Phil Cox rotating off EC (avoiding dual Nantucket representation)
Regatta Calendar & Hosting
2026 Worlds: Marblehead (June) - info at marblehead-iod.com
2027 Worlds: Sweden (confirmed)
2028 Worlds: Bermuda (pending committee approval)
North Americans: Fisher’s Island (2026), Nantucket (2027), Northeast Harbor (2028)
New England Challenge: Week before Worlds for boat owners lending equipment
7 fleets can host Worlds, 12 total fleets - hosting rotation math challenging
Special Programs & Initiatives
Sweden education program
3-month winter series with expert speakers
Topics: sail setup, tactics (Johnny Burnson), boat maintenance
Model for other fleets to increase racing standards
Women’s IOD Invitational successful in attracting outside sailors
Celebrity regattas bringing new people to class
Bermuda Gold Cup may switch to different boat class (8 new 28-footers)
Outstanding Issues
Insurance for borrowed boat events needs standardization across regattas
Long Island Sound, San Francisco, Chester fleets need growth to host major events
European mold storage and builder search ongoing priority
Gibson Island special meeting request pending new EC decision