Is r/c sailing for the elite(megabucks skipper)? You betcha last dollar it is. If you want to compete at top level it seems. If you just want to enjoy yourself sailing on the local pond with a few good mates and have a quite beer or two or three afterwards,then you don’t.Anyway by the time can number 4[:-drunk] has gone down the hatch [xx(]your home-made whatever has begun to take on all the class and ability of the latest state of the art space age material Ben Lexen design thingamy,[:-goldfish] and has become unbeatable.
Seriously though,if r/c sailing is to be open to the masses then something needs to be done to control entry level costs. As an example,I have only joined the sport recently here in Australia,having seen some guys sailing on a lake near where my daughters wedding took place.
There is no way I can afford or even justify spending the money being asked for boats over here.
Example:-"Nearly 2 yr old RM Vibe.Full Walicki fitout (butterfly,fin,removable rudder,outhaul and slot-on-the-go adjuster etc.A,B and C rigs on walicki masts.RMG winch and servos. $3500 aud.
An interesting comment by seller "a very fast boat limited only by present owner.
I searched the internet/e-bay/club for sale ads for 6 months before finding a deal that was anywhere near what I could realistically afford at the time. I got two 10R hulls,1 complete with 2 sets of home-made sails on home-made rigs,the other a bare hull.
So,will I pose a threat to the 10R ranks?[:-pirate], do I want to? Do those guys have a few beers at the end of the day,from what I’ve seen so far I don’t think so.
But I tell you what, I bet I get a lot more satisfaction and enjoyment out of mucking around in my shed stripping my boat down, repainting it, replacing parts, having a go at making my own sails (even out of Tyvek overalls)
etc etc.And at the end of the day if I decide that r/c sailing is not the sport for me, I can tell my wife and kids that I’ve only wasted $400 of their money, not $3500.
What I stand to gain from my small investment however is beyond cost,many enjoyable hours of relaxation,meeting new people and making new friends,learning new skills and maybe even making the odd contribution to someone else’s enjoyment.
I like the idea of class type racing where you all turn up at the pond, draw a boat number from a hat,and sail what ever boat you come up with for that race.Occasionally you might get to race your own SOTAT or heaven forbid you might get my PIUBDOT[:-turtle][:-weepn].Then we might get an idea of who is the better skipper.
In the meantime while we’re waiting for that sort of contest to happen, I’d like to suggest that maybe a new design class be established for the select few…call it the EGO class.[:-cyclops]
Ross.
SOTAT = State of the art thingamy[:-bigeyes]
PIUBDT = past its used by date old tub.[:D]
I’ve learned, That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
(what am I doing here?)lol