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Thanks for these, Jolan. It’s always a treat to have a free Tuesday to tackle your seemingly endless ingenuity.
Here is my stab at these great clues.
1. Usually it’s the coachman’s right to a position of control (3,4,4)- THE WHIP HAND? (Usually the coachman’s right hand held the whip and the phrase means a position of control)

2. Sophisticated construction spotted off volcanic island (6)- ISCHIA? (Subtractive anagram of “Sophisticated” without “spotted” with construction as the anagrind. Ischia is a volcanic island. )

3. Wish evil on old bachelor dragon (7)- BESHREW? (Bachelor (of Education/Engineering) is BE, with shrew, a dragon as in formidable woman, gives beshrew an old word meaning to wish evil on)

4. I won’t hear this within earshot for example (2,7)- AN ANAGRAM? (“I won’t hear this” and “within earshot” are anagrams of each other.)

5. Decline to accept suspensions fail in going about from one tack to another (6,5)- REFUSE STAYS? (Chambers gives “fail in going about from one tack to another” as “refuse stays”. Refuse as in decline to accept and stays as in suspensions –“stays of execution”)
Thanks again.
AB

Hi AB and jolan
I've heard "in stays" used for being trapped between one tack and another, but "refuse" stays" is new to me. "In irons" is also used.

Super clues thank you Jolan.

Have you done something like #4 before, jolan? It rings a bell.

I should have got "the whip hand" (I was on the right lines), but "beshrew was beyond me.

Thanks again.

Hi everybody else Les40, Jazzy, AB, Andy and Ginge.

Superb solving and parsing, as usual, AB. All spot-on of course. Again, no need for me to post my parsing/justifications. Well done to the rest of you. They were a wee bit more difficult today. Wonder where Ari is? Hope he survived the very bad weather. Well spotted Chris re #2. If I can find an anagram/palindrome which "hides itself" in the clue - I use it on rare occasions.

Thanks a million for taking part. Makes it worthwhile for me.

I'm heading off now. Will peek in later.

Bless

J.

... by the by AB. Does "AB" have sea-going connotations? See you later.

... also Chris. Good thinking with "jib"/gybe.

Sorry for delay in posting, but I only solved #2 Ischia.
I should have spotted the anagram.
Although I've been sailing since I was very young, in Poole, Dorset, I had never come across "refuse stays".
Brilliant clues as always, Jolan.
Thanks x

Nice ones, Jolan. I tried to post earlier but the site shut me out. I had 1, 2, and 4 and ......., STAYS for 5 and couldn't finish them off while out shoveling snow. The cold has been relentless, well below 0 F every night (-18 C) and highs around -12 C. My son came out from Boston yesterday (a rather short trip) and his train was almost four hours late. Very risky driving, especially pulling out of side streets; the snow piles are so huge you just can't see what's coming.

Hi Jolan, Re post 16. No nautical connection. I am to sailing what Nelson was to skydiving.