We sail and race radio controlled yachts.

 

These yachts have no motors to drive them but rely on the power of the wind to propel them through the water.  The radio controls the rudder for steering the yacht and also a winch which hauls in or lets out the sails.  The challenge for the land based sailor is to use these two control functions to exploit the wind and  gain an advantage over other competitors.  As the basic class is same  there are only fine tuning of the sails and rigging and the skill of the sailor  that determine success or otherwise in a race.

 

As sailors on our Manor Park Lake will confirm the winds are extremely unpredictable and variable between and during races. This makes every afternoon session and every race challenging and hence interesting.

 

We are  able to sail most Mondays in the year, and with our covered terrace are rarely defeated by the weather, however there are some days when the winds are just too strong for  enjoyable sailing, and others when a lack of any wind at all leave us becalmed and  frustrated. 

Whilst members are welcome to sail any yacht and there will be plenty of interest in any innovative creation a member might bring along, the current practice  in the Club is to sail two main classes of yacht, the Victoria  and the DF95.  Both of these are  conveniently sized boats which can be stored at home and transported easily in the boot of a family car.