Yesterday (12th May) the 2024 DF65 Globals got underway in Sweden. The weather looked lovely and eventually the breeze turned up and allowed a good day’s racing.
The organisers have a great Facebook page that is being kept up to date with all the latest information including results, videos and other good stuff.
If you want to keep up to date over the next few days of racing then please click here
Good luck to all the skippers taking part.
Chile has submitted all relevant applications to join the DFICA and the Executive Board has approved those applications. Pursuant with the DFICA Constitution and DFICA Regulations , the Board now posts for public viewing and comment on the Chile proposal to join DFICA.
As you’ll no doubt be aware the DFICA has conducted some consultation to get the class rules for both DF65 and DF95 up to date in a manner that included input from all member nations.
The new class rules are now online and are effective from January 1st 2024. There is also some rationale from the Rules Committee so that you can see the reasoning behind the changes.
Edit-For those that can’t find them the new class rules are under the relevant class heading on the main menu.
Have a great 2024 racing season.
At this years DF95 Globals we made some new friends who have expressed an interest in helping out on the DFICA committee. Details below.
The DFICA is pleased to announce the appointment of 2 new committee members to the team. Two members of the current Executive will be looking to stand down before the next AGM, and these appointments will add strong candidates for election next year and further diversify the representation on the Executive.
David Booth from South Africa brings a wealth of sailing experience and administration. Among his long list of significant achievements are, Vice President of the Optimist Class Association for 11 years, helped set up the Cape Radio Yacht Club, a National Judge, Regatta Organising Chairman and PRO at international events.
Chuck Millican from Florida USA is the current President of the American Model Yachting Association and has a very impressive list of multiple national championships, a member of the US Olympic Yachting Committee and Bermuda Olympic Executive Committee and is highly credentialed in sailing administration and race results.
DFICA Chair Phil Burgess said “We are extremely fortunate to have both David and Chuck join the team. Both are willing to spare their time, experience and skills to further develop our sport and ensure we have a strong succession plan in place for the future of our Classes.”
The current DFICA Committee is:
Chairman – Phil Burgess (Australia)
Vice Chairman – Chris Dance (Australia)
Secretary – Russ Gardner (USA)
Treasurer – Wayne Stobbs (UK)
Media – Tim Long (UK)
Manufacturer’s Representative – John Tushingham (UK)
Committee Member – David Booth (South Africa)
Committee Member – Chuck Millican (USA)
The Rules Committee comprises:
Chairman – John Tushingham (UK)
Member – Chris Dance (Australia)
Member – Russ Gardner (USA)
Member – Buzz Coleman (UK)
Round one and two place offers have been sent out and there has been good uptake on places. We have now had loads of information from the hosts about the event and have put this information on the Events page of the website.
It’s been a while since we posted here and there are now some important matters to get out to you guys and girls. The first is an update on the rules and upcoming events from DFICA Chair Phil Burgess.
“The DFICA World Council met on 30th October to address these issues:
Rule changes – All changes were approved with Option 2 (painted hull allowed) selected for hull treatment. The new rules will apply from 1st January 2024 and the Rules Committee will soon issue the new versions to be posted on this website.
Voting was as follows:
DF65 vote results
21 votes by 7 nations
Section C carried (100%)
Option 2 selected 17 for, 4 against: rule change approved
Section D carried: (100%)
Option 2 selected 21 for, 0 against: rule change approved
Draft stripes carried (100%): rule change approved
DF95 vote results
25 votes by 9 nations
Section C carried (89%)
Option 2 selected 16 for, 9 against: rule change approved
Section D carried (89%)
Option 2 selected 19 for, 6 against: rule change approved
Elastic carried (100%) : rule change approved
Draft Stripes carried (100%) : rule change approved
The new class rules for both classes will be published over the next week.
2024 DF65 Global Regatta – Round 1 offers were sent to all 19 member nations. 33 entries were received so Round 2 offers will now be sent mid-November to fill the remaining places. Any unused places will be allocated to the host nation to support local skippers. Ten wildcard entries are available for allocation by the DFICA and skippers who may have missed their nations’ selection, can request consideration. Applications must be notified to the DFICA by your national representative by 15th December.
2026 DF95 Global Regatta – Bids have been received from 3 Clubs to host the next champs – 2 from South Africa and 1 from Texas. The DFICA will consider these at their next meeting and expect to make an announcement early next year.”
The DFICA rules committee have taken note of the situation that arose a couple of months back and have now come up with a couple of solutions that your country rep will need to vote on at an upcoming council meeting.
For full details of the proposed changes and the rationale behind them from the rules committee please head over to the Class Rules page where you’ll find the information.
The DFICA met this week to address concerns about some of the recent rule changes.
The World Council meeting held at the DF95 Globals in Fleetwood unanimously approved the adoption of DF65 Rules version 1.8 and DF95 Rules version 1.4 that had been circulated to all members. These related mainly to keel box patches and sail numbers.
That meeting also addressed a new issue that had been identified at the regatta relating to hull, keel, bulb and rudder treatment that extended well beyond that contained in the rules. The WC members present at that meeting approved a Special Resolution for the Rules Committee to address Hull and Appendage treatment where a “gloss painted factory type finish” was required to keep boats equal and provide certainty for skippers wishing to decorate and differentiate their boats. The Rules Committee were given until 1st July to issue a further amendment.
In the haste to meet this commitment and publish the newly amended rules, there was a lack of time to seek broader consultation and the ability for member nations to fully consider the changes and their consequences.
The DFICA Executive Committee has agreed that more time should be provided for World Council members to consider the changes.
Consequently,
The content and details of a Special World Council Meeting, to be held on 28th August (UK time), will be communicated shortly.
Please direct any enquiries through your national class representatives.
A month on from our last communication and following on from the DF95 Global Championships we have received the revised class rules for both of the DF classes.
DFICA Chair Phil Burgess had the following to say –
“The DFICA Rules Committee finalised the latest rule changes overnight in time for the 1st July application.
The notable changes are the hull sticker as a preventative measure, larger sail numbers for the DF65 and banning some hull and appendage treatments. The hull has to be a factory finish in gloss paint but decals may be applied. This arose from the Globals where several boats had excessive fairing left unpainted of the hull, keel, bulb and rudder. Existing painted hulls will be grandfathered until 2025.
We requested a definition of the DF65 battery hatch size. The Committee’s response was that they don’t think it’s necessary to define a size. It’s description says its sole function is to cover the hatch, so if it is big enough to cover one of the bolt holes then it has gone beyond that definition. It would also be just another event measurement, which we don’t need. So, I think a patch that covers the keel box channel immediately adjacent to the hatch is permitted, provided it doesn’t extend over the keel box bolt holes or the keel recess.
Rule changes will always attract comment, analysis and criticism, so the consistent key message to all skippers should always be that the boats are required to be sailed out of the box under the spirit set out in A.5. If we start using “non-performance enhancing” justifications, it opens up a precedent for many changes where the rules would need to become very definitive and run into many more pages. Use the KISS principle.“
The revised class rules can be found by clicking here.
There has been some conversation over the last few days around the publication of the amended class rules for both DF65 and DF95 classes. Please find below a note from the DFICA Chair, Phil Burgess,
“At the 2023 Fleetwood World Council meeting the proposed rules changes were voted on and approved.
However, there was also a Special Resolution approved to address hull, keel, rudder and bulb issues identified durimg the independent measurement procedure at the event.
Therefore the release and adoption of the new rules has been delayed until 1st July 2023 to allow time for the Rules Committee to return home and prepare recommendations around these issues for inclusion in the new rules..
When finalised, they will be presented to the DFICA for ratifying. They will then be released for publication as soon as possible. In the meantime, the current rules will still apply.”
DF Racing World Information Site 