Basically,we race remote controlled sailing yachts to the same sailing rules as full size.It's a worldwide sport/hobby where racing occurs at club,national,continental and worldwide level.

   The boats are purely driven by the action of the wind on the sails,so this is a challenging sport at all levels as the wind is invisible.Here boat trim is very important and everyone learns how to get the best out of their boat.

   The remote control is at least 2 channels,rudder control and another to trim the sails in and out in relation to the direction of the wind by using a winch.
   The boats themselves are not scale models nor are they toys,but are designed to race in all conditions.You will be surprised in what conditions they sail in.There are many classes sailing in the MYA(our UK governing body,see links page)for all tastes,but its usually best to sail the same class at your local club to get the most out of the sport and to learn how to sail better against boats of the same class.

   We as a club sail two classes of yachts,1m and the Marblehead.
   Starting with the popular 1m class,this class has been around since about 1990 and is the class that the majority if people start in and has become an important class in it's own right worldwide.The main reason for their popularity is their convenient size of 1m long and a minimum weight of 4kgs (8.8lbs).With only 3 fixed area sail rigs costs are kept down to minimum.Being a closed rule class it means a well designed/built yacht will remain competitive for many years.If you are quite handy,this is a good class for the home builder with many plans available,including the free downloadable plans for the TRIPLE CROWN on the MYA site to encourage homebuilding.

   The Marblehead class has a small but keen following in our club.Class was devoloped in 1932 in America to fit across the back seat of the typical car of the time.This is an open class with length,depth and sail areas being the main design parameters.1.29m(50 inches)long and around 4.5 to 5.okgs(10 to 11lbs)all up weight and large sail areas they can be exciting to sail.Being the more hi-tech end of the classes where carbon fibre consruction is the norm,they have ended up very slim and sleek looking.