At the Mid-Winter Dinner, Commodore Fortenbaugh appointed Rear Commodore Luigi Galbiati as the Club’s first IOD Commissioner. The Rear Commodore was instrumental in organizing our trip to Bermuda where we discovered and fell in love with the IOD Class. He also founded the Frostbite Sailing Program this past winter.
Photo: Commodore Fortenbaugh and Rear Commodore Galbiati meet with Rick Thompson (center) from the Bermuda IOD Fleet at the Hamilton Princess. This meeting helped launch the MYC IOD Fleet.
The Commissioner’s term will be two years, commencing in February 2017. The Commissioner is charged with setting the racing schedule and establishing rules to help grow the IOD Fleet.
How to Get Involved
by MYC’s First IOD Commissioner, Rear Commodore Luigi Galbiati
It is an honor to have been asked to take on the role as Commissioner of our IOD Fleet. Our members and the IOD class deserve only the utmost commitment and passion, and it is my duty to help deliver something that will go beyond your wildest dreams. Together we will make our program world class.
Racing Schedule:
The MYC IOD Fleet races will run May through October on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons.
There will also be 2 major yearly regattas for the MYC IOD Fleet.
In the tradition of the Class, the MYC IOD Fleet shall also on occasion host intra-fleet regattas and similar major events.
How to get involved; Seats & Buying an IOD:
Starting a new fleet is no ordinary feat, but, the first boat has already been acquired. It is now your turn!
There are only 12 seats –that’s the total number of boats the fleet will be capped at–and they will get picked up fast. If you are considering getting involved, then buy a seat. This gives you 1 year to get your boat. If you are unable to build your team and secure your boat within this time period, you can sell your seat back to the Club.
A seat secures you (your syndicate) a spot at being part of the fleet. We are happy to assist you in finding the IOD that fits your needs, provided you don’t already own one.
MYC IOD Bonus Points
We are now introducing MYC IOD Bonus Points. All races will allow boats to gain bonus points, going towards a year long competition. Such bonus points are awarded after every completed race, and gained in the following way:
- 5 Points: Women and/or Juniors (under 30) at the helm
- 3 Points: If 2 or more aboard are either Women or Juniors (includes driver)
- 1 Point: For every Member onboard that has never sailed on an MYC IOD before
Other Yearly Awards:
A new fleet calls for some new traditions. As such we are introducing some fun and lighthearted awards:
- The BLB Award, or Best Looking Boat. Criteria includes maintenance, gear, style and grace.
- The MYC IOD Spirit Award; given to the individual which best embodies both the MYC and the IOD spirit.
Here are frequently asked stories/questions I wish to share with you all:
How did you get introduced to IODs?
It was early July, shortly after the Independence Day celebrations. I wake up to a text from our Commodore “Luigi, we’ve been invited to race in Bermuda.” Little did I know what the future had in store for us.
This was in a year where our weekly racing team was dialed in, and approached every one of our races with a sense of invincibility.
But we knew that Bermuda was going to be different. None of us had ever been aboard an IOD let alone raced in Bermuda. We faced the great unknown.
Fast forward to November. Here we are huddled around a table at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, drawing boats out of a hat. We still don’t know what to expect, but it’s about to get real.
PRO: “Skipper Fortenbaugh, you will race aboard Impulse.”
As we tiptoed towards Impulse, butterflies started flying around our tummies –it was love at first sight.
We begin to rig her, and not fewer than 3 teams stop by at intervals offering advice and help. Now, that, is seriously unchartered territory at a regatta.
Our first day on the water we get 5 races in, and learn quickly that the IOD class races with our Clubs’ guiding principles; here is an excerpt from the Marblehead Fleet website “It is better to give way than to spend hours in a protest room.” Amen.
Our love filled eyes were obvious and somewhat contagious, and the IOD family opened their arms and welcomed us in their homes.
What happened once we returned from Bermuda is a little blurry, as it occurred all very fast and is still ongoing:
-We decided to launch a member owned IOD fleet, capped at 12 boats.
-We were invited to Chester, Nova Scotia by Rick Thompson, in order meet some of the Chester IOD sailors as well as Shawn Mulrooney who builds IODs.
-The first boat in our fleet got purchased: Black Arrow.
-We started looking for more boats to help guide members through the purchase process and forming syndicates.
-We began receiving invites to race around the world.
How would you describe IODs?
Family and Passion: Two words that I think of when describing IODs
Family: because it’s a mentorship boat. Many IOD sailors learned to sail on IODs thanks to their parents and grandparents.
Passion: In the 1930s Cornelius Shields was the man to beat on the water. He was quoted saying “We wanted the top, nothing less. When I was beaten, I wanted it to be by the best.”His passion made the best sailors gather and challenge him. And to ensure emphasis was kept on the skill of the helmsman and its team, rather than equipment/sailmakers & superior spending power, he came up with the IOD class and its one design, cost conscientious philosophy. That’s what sailing is about!
Family: because once you become part of it, you are welcomed around the world by the most gracious and welcoming friends, that help make you feel right at home.
Passion: because we want to preserve nautical traditions and etiquette whilst racing in a strong and competitive fleet. Sailing a boat of tradition is a different way to sail.
We will race better and harder. We will teach our kids to sail until we can race against them. We will travel with them, in an attempt to conquer new lands and win championships. The world is our oyster.
