INTRODUCTION TO RADIO SAILING
What is this Radio Sailing all about?
Radio Sailing, and particularly Radio Controlled Yacht Racing, is an absorbing and detailed sport and often complex for the observer to understand what’s going on.
As an introductory guide you might find the following notes and the following YouTube link below helpful:
Radio Controlled Yacht Racing is considerably cheaper than full sized racing.
-The DF95 is the cheapest boat we sail at around £300-£400.
-IOMs – International One Metres - vary greatly in price with older boats from around £250 to new ones at £1,800 plus.
-A Class boats, Marbleheads and Ten Raters also vary greatly in price from around £500 secondhand to £2-3000 new .
Rigs & Sails
Why more than one rig? As the wind speed increases to make the boat more controllable the size of the sails are reduced in size. So that changes can be made quickly most sailors opt for complete rig sets (mast and Sails) rather than just changing only the sails, which takes a lot longer.
Like to see more?
Check out the Model Yachting Association Video
MYA This Is Radio Sailing
FAQs
What motor does it have?
There is no engine it is just powered by the wind.
Actually that's not strictly true, the yachts have 2 small motors to drive the rudder and steer the yacht and a second to trim sails, but no propeller to propel the yacht.
How do you control it?
It is controlled by a radio link from a transmitter.
The stick on the left pulls the sails in and out and the one on the right is for steering.
Why are they shouting?
Yes, sorry about that!
They are not being aggressive or grumpy, they like each other really
They are simply pointing out to other Skippers that they have right of way or requesting room to round a mark or clear the bank.
How do you know when to start?
There is an automatic countdown from the device on the starting trolley, the start sequence is one minute in length with a final 10 second countdown. The race officer looks down the line to pick out any boats that arrive too early as those boats then have to restart.
Where are you going next?
The course is made up of numbered buoys and the Race Officer sets a course around them. There is a Start Line and there is also the Finish Line. Courses vary using a combination of the buoys in the lake depending on wind direction and strength.
How do you finish?
At the finish boats sail numbers are recorded in the order in which they finish.
How much do they cost?
That depends on which class of boat you are looking at but an entry level DF95 costs from £300.
(With thanks to the Poole Radio Yacht Club for permission to use much of the material on this page.)
Radio Sailing, and particularly Radio Controlled Yacht Racing, is an absorbing and detailed sport and often complex for the observer to understand what’s going on.
As an introductory guide you might find the following notes and the following YouTube link below helpful:
Radio Controlled Yacht Racing is considerably cheaper than full sized racing.
-The DF95 is the cheapest boat we sail at around £300-£400.
-IOMs – International One Metres - vary greatly in price with older boats from around £250 to new ones at £1,800 plus.
-A Class boats, Marbleheads and Ten Raters also vary greatly in price from around £500 secondhand to £2-3000 new .
Rigs & Sails
Why more than one rig? As the wind speed increases to make the boat more controllable the size of the sails are reduced in size. So that changes can be made quickly most sailors opt for complete rig sets (mast and Sails) rather than just changing only the sails, which takes a lot longer.
Like to see more?
Check out the Model Yachting Association Video
MYA This Is Radio Sailing
FAQs
What motor does it have?
There is no engine it is just powered by the wind.
Actually that's not strictly true, the yachts have 2 small motors to drive the rudder and steer the yacht and a second to trim sails, but no propeller to propel the yacht.
How do you control it?
It is controlled by a radio link from a transmitter.
The stick on the left pulls the sails in and out and the one on the right is for steering.
Why are they shouting?
Yes, sorry about that!
They are not being aggressive or grumpy, they like each other really
They are simply pointing out to other Skippers that they have right of way or requesting room to round a mark or clear the bank.
How do you know when to start?
There is an automatic countdown from the device on the starting trolley, the start sequence is one minute in length with a final 10 second countdown. The race officer looks down the line to pick out any boats that arrive too early as those boats then have to restart.
Where are you going next?
The course is made up of numbered buoys and the Race Officer sets a course around them. There is a Start Line and there is also the Finish Line. Courses vary using a combination of the buoys in the lake depending on wind direction and strength.
How do you finish?
At the finish boats sail numbers are recorded in the order in which they finish.
How much do they cost?
That depends on which class of boat you are looking at but an entry level DF95 costs from £300.
(With thanks to the Poole Radio Yacht Club for permission to use much of the material on this page.)