Back in the Water

After about 25 years out of the sport I am back in the water. Used to race EC12s up in Seattle and when I left I haven’t sailed since. Except in a Sunfish and a Coronado 14. I have a Seawind on the table being built and a US12 on the way. The local club sails the Seawinds and the RC10 is for the 14 acre lake in my back yard. I got a Hurricane from Twift for $233 RTR (sort of) to play with and bring my skills back. The Hurricane is 1 meter with a high aspect ratio sail plan 804 Sq inches. It comes with a 27 band radio that seems to have good range. A drum sail winch that projects through the aft deck with an endless line around a pulley in front. both inhauls are tied to the line and it works pretty good. Blade and bulb keel, you only have to rig it and sail it. The instructions are good except for the rigging they don’t put in enough photos. You will have to get someone to help you rig it if you are a beginner. The hull is fiberglass and it is well made the mast and booms are aluminum and the cleats and other plastic rigging parts are fine. I substitute some larger swivel clips because I have numb fingers and they are easer for me to handle. The sails are nice material. Watch the clew reinforcements they are adhesive backed and the glue could be better. Not much wind today (in Kansas!) but it sailed OK I still have to do some tuning I think the main sail might be a little to full. All in All for $233.00 its a nice boat. Got it straight from Shanghai ordered on the 14th and it arrived 5 days later! By the way there was no shipping charge!

Hi Danny
Great to hear someone coming back to RC sailing !
You might want to do some research on that 27mhz system that came with
your boat…
The “rules” governing radio use in the states is different than other
countries - which is why a lot of asian made stuff comes with that band .
You will need to be careful about operating around RC planes , and I think
CB interference may come into play .
Basically , these days surface radios are either 75mhz or 2.4 ghz
the new 2.4 ghz is awesome because there are NO crystals ,so they scan
multiple “channels” and always find you a clean link to your reciever .
( i think plane guys use mostly 72mhz or 2.4 ghz ? )
anyway - you might want to ask around about this…

Allan

Thanks Allen I will check it is suppost to be OK for use in the US I think most people stay away from 27 because it is used by a lot of car guys. Anyway I have a 75mhz system I can just change the reciver I have all ready checked and the servos will just plug in to a HiTec reciver.

Allen I have checked and the 27 band if fine there are only I think 8 channels it is reserved for surface,so it has sort of been abandoned I have now sailed many times with no problem on interference or range problems. I have found no radio companies being sold in the US that even sell a 27 band now. As you say most action is in the 75 and 2.5ghz bands. I have my “good” boats on 75 I still like the old controllers with the manual trim tab. After sailing the Hurricane a while I can defiantly state it is over powered by that tall rig and 804 sq in of sail. The boat its self is great. I am going to cut down the mast and put a lower aspect ration sail set on it. I think I will go with the Seawind sails. One of my other boats is a Seawind and although the club sails Seawinds they welcome any like sized boat. That way my Friends can sail against my Seawind and also come down and borrow it for a day to see what a race is like. I really like the hull it is much stronger with a really nice keel trunk. I will have to rework the hatch it is much to flimsy. The line also stretches so I am going to redo the lines also. Why can’t these manufactures put a decent hatch and lines on a boat its not like it is very expensive. Most of the line is probably made in China anyway.