Radio controlled

[Rob_Webb]

Just been annoyed by a noisy little RC car buzzing past my house - reminded me about some beautiful RC yachts I saw recently that were scale models of the Americas Cup boats, you know radical hulls, deep keels and rigs tighter than Madonna's g-string?

Never tried one (RC boat, not a g-string) - are they any fun compared to the real thing? If so, could be an option for some winter sailing fun whilst staying warm and dry.

Can't imagine decent ones come that cheaply tho.

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[SlowlyButSurely]

Never tried an RC sailing boat, but I have an RC power boat and I can tell you that it's just as much fun to drive as the real thing; ie. quite good fun for the first 15 minutes then rather boring after that.

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[steve_cronin]

On our kitchen windowsill sits a ....

scale model of a Beneteau 51F5. It's a long time now since my elder son sailed it.

It has two channel R/C, a self tacking headsail and a cunning device to allow two sheets and the rudder to be controlled by two channels.

Must give it a go when nobody's lookig!

Steve Cronin

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[IanBry]

Ssshhh

You might get lynched by the 'stinkies' /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

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[Jacket]

An old girlfriend had one. Gets a bit boring if you're sailing it on your own, but great fun if you're racing it.

But if you want fun winter sailing try landyachting. Much more exciting, and no more expensive than a competative radio controlled yacht.

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[Cornishman]

If you would like a test sail before purchasing visit the National Maritme Museum in Falmouth

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[oldharry]

... how do you race a radio controlled girlfriend? or do I need new glasses? Sorry to hear she was so boring - does that account for the 'old'?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by oldharry on 15/08/2003 17:09 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[qsiv]

How about this one..


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[Peppermint]

Re: What you need

is a Marblehead. I understand from a guy at our marina that they are widely raced at clubs and open meetings. They go pretty well but as with most RC stuff the change of direction, ie coming back to you, is a handful. I got his wedged between a yacht and the pontoon. No harm done though.

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[Aja]

There is a full winter programme of sunday races at Rhu marina for Laser OD RC models. Even have a short rig for when it blows up a bit.

Fancy one myself - price has put me off so far. They want to keep it strict one design from the same manufacturer - ergo price remains over £300. Pretty simple to sail - I had a shot - they even plane.

Donald

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[MainlySteam]

Rob, there is actually a big area (many acres in size) put aside within the marina we are at for RC yachts - permanent buoys for courses, etc too. The boats seem to be quite fast (relatively speaking that is) and very manoeuvrable. The people sailing them seem to get a lot of enjoyment out of them.

A well known NZ yacht designer was John Spencer who became quite well known for racing dinghy design and the design of big plywood keelboats (some of which were successful on the international circuit about 60's and '70's) - he designed the original Cherub (among many others) which I think there was a fleet of in the UK at some time. In his later years (he died a couple of years ago) he turned completely to RC yacht design and sailing. So it seems that it can attract the minds of even the very competent big boat sailers and designers.

Rob, an aside to a now boatless one... wife and I are off to the boat again for the weekend in a couple of hours!

John

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[Sybarite]

Chichester did a lot of his preparation using model yachts especially his own wind vane (sail) system.

John

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[Guest]

Marbleheads etc ....

There are various cheap plastic / grp ones around in RC shops .... but the real beauts are expensive and really good. I had boats, cars, planes and helicopters until making the choice to stick with my other love - bigger boats !! Belive me - RC yachts are real boats, just smaller.

The first thing to understand is that they are not so simple as you think and take practice. You will not be sitting in the cockpit looking ahead and naturally going port or starboard. You will standing at pond-side having to actually think about which way to put the RC stick etc. to turn one way or other.



<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ...
Bilge Keelers get up further ! I only came - cos they said there was FREE Guinness !

 

[tcm]

Re: Marbleheads etc ....

I was in Lisbon and they were racing on one of the ponds on the front, near the newish vasco da gama monument - stunning boats at least 6 feet high, very spectac and fast.

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[h4nym]

Re: Marbleheads etc ....

What would the colregs say about who would have here?
Is it human, sail or power?

H

<hr width=100% size=1>Life balance?

 

[tcm]

Re: Marbleheads etc ....

They were sailing them in ornamental (or purpose built?) pons, so would never come across an ornery boat. Otherwise, colregs say nothing about models, i think?

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[DanTribe]

Why bother with models? Now that most electronic boat gadgets talk to each other, presumably you could strap a web cam to the pulpit of your yacht, send it off and sail it via the internet from the comfort of home.


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[philmarks]

Larry Ellison of Oracle has already done that. Also developed the soft screen instrument systems now used on superyachts and coming our way I think. I read somwehere (YW) I think a coupl eof years ago that his internet controllable superyacht had 26 PCs on board...



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[Moose]

My No1 Moose has a 1m racing thing, it does about 15kt's when its planning!!!
They are incredibly fast things!!!

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El Alce

 

[robp]

Ashamed to admit that my wife bought me one Christmas before last and I've never sailed her yet. Needs a reasonable sized car to lay it out in. (Hull/keel support important) and best part of a day to spend on it. It's another discipline. Stands about 8' high when rigged.

After the trip we had the other day up the Alderney Race and round Cap de la Hague, I can see her suggesting that this be the answer.

I must set that day aside!

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