I inherited two LARGE r/c sailboats. Both have KA and a number on the sails. Can anyone enlighten me as to their types/class?
Rodney
gov>
the ka suggest that the boat was registerd as a austrailia boat. but unless we have soem number ( beam lenght, mast height) we realy cant help that much. if you could present a picture that woudl help. what you have ask. is like saying to someone. i have just purchased a car. is big. what is is?. do you know what i meen? what i consider big, might be considered small to wis, or huge to greg v.( sorry greg i could not resist:-) ) give us some more info. and we would be glad to help.
welcome to the club of extaordianry gentleman(opps ) sailors
cougar
When you say big, just exactly how big is it? I believe the KA is an Australian marking if I’m not mistaken. The Victor Model Products 12-Meter Australia II models have the KA numbers… they’re one meter long, or 39 3/8".
Just a guess.
Andy
Air Capitol Model Sailing Club
www.acmsc.org
so it might be austraila II? but the is a 1 meter model. there are some model out there, that are over 89 inchs
the ka is just a number reg . the boat
cougar
Look inside the hull for the name of the manufactuer. If these boats are really large (over 1 meter) and were obtained in the US, I have a funny feeling they might be Old Pop-Up models. As others have said, KA is the symbol for Australia and unless they originatied there this would suggest you have a model of an Australian boat.
posting a photo of the boat in question might help
ed
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>Originally posted by cougar
gov>
the ka suggest that the boat was registerd as a austrailia boat. but unless we have soem number ( beam lenght, mast height) we realy cant help that much. if you could present a picture that woudl help. what you have ask. is like saying to someone. i have just purchased a car. is big. what is is?. do you know what i meen? what i consider big, might be considered small to wis, or huge to greg v.( sorry greg i could not resist:-) ) give us some more info. and we would be glad to help.
welcome to the club of extaordianry gentleman(opps ) sailors
cougar
<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>
Rodney
<blockquote id=“quote”><font size=“1” face=“Verdana, Arial, Helvetica” id=“quote”>quote:<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”>Originally posted by cougar
gov>
the ka suggest that the boat was registerd as a austrailia boat. but unless we have soem number ( beam lenght, mast height) we realy cant help that much. if you could present a picture that woudl help. what you have ask. is like saying to someone. i have just purchased a car. is big. what is is?. do you know what i meen? what i consider big, might be considered small to wis, or huge to greg v.( sorry greg i could not resist:-) ) give us some more info. and we would be glad to help.
welcome to the club of extaordianry gentleman(opps ) sailors
cougar
<hr height=“1” noshade id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”></font id=“quote”>Thanks for your help, I tried to send photos unsuccessfully. One boat is 65" long and the pther 72". Does this help?
Rodney
I believe I may have solved the mystery. Would a small “A” above the sail numbers indicate Class A? If so, isn’t this class now defunct in the US?
Rodney
You probably have a couple of A Boats, and, yes, the class is on life support over here – USVMYG has taken over the responsibility for coordination, Rod Carr is doing the honors. The only club sailing A’s regularly is Port Washington on Long Island.
If you want to know more about your boats you can email Steve Crewes, the Historical Officer for the Australian Radio Yachting Association, and give him the registration numbers and other markings on the sails. He can probably tell you the approximate date of the boats from that, and maybe the name of the original registrant. His email is
Good luck,
Earl
Try doing a google search for such things as vanja sail and vanja popular mechanics and vanja boat.
Milton T got a lot of people in the US (Florida mostly) excited about building an A Class boat from a 1930’s Popular Mechanics magazine.
Some interestering info and pictures if you can stand all the anglefire popups (if you do not have popup blocker).
Scott
thanks to everyone for their information. I’m planning on keeping one and selling the other (to buy radio gear) after I’ve done more research.
Rodney
rodney
i did not even know about this class( no comment greg) . but you got 2 realy good looking boats there. i would be intrested in seeing pictures of them
give one to your friend and go sailing together
cougar
Cougar - send me a your personal e-mail and I’ll try and send some photos. This site won’t let me post .jpg’s
Rodney
Govner1 …
I found, dug out and attached a photo of an “A” Class monohull. Perhaps this might be like yours?
This one happens to be from an advertising brochure from the “CHEVRON BOAT COMPANY” out of Sandusky Ohio and postage date was marked 1981 !
I would guess they are now out of business - but perhaps someone knows if molds are still around and available. Don’t hold your breath, though.
Chevron “A” Class: [ smA Class-81.jpg](http://www.rcsailing.net/forum1/data/dick lemke/2004317143537_smA Class-81.jpg)
57.96KB
CHEVRON, along with VORTEX and REYNOLDS were a couple of the prime “Production” builders in late 70’s early 80’s. One of CHEVRON’s designs was the sweetest looking “M” Class boats I had ever seen, and design today is as fresh as it was back then. Called the “EXCALIBUR” the design was available in the 50/800 (“M” Class) configuration, and also in 36/600 size. According to the literature, the 50/800-M was co-designed with Geroge Izso.
At the risk of starting an outcry from current sailors lamenting the cost of r/c sailing today - back then, the EXCALIBUR 50/800 could be purchased as a full sailing “kit” - less radio gear for a mere $225.00 plus shipping!
Who says “M” Class boats are too expensive to own?[:D]
Hope the info may be of help. If not, hopefully it will revive some long forgotten memories for others!
Cheers
FWIW, I purchased the molds from the estate of John Reynolds when he passed away in October 1982. I am still manufacturing the boats that were unique to REYNOLDS MANUFACTURING such as the “A” class 6 Meter, Half-meter (an altered Santa Barbara) and “A” Kubernettes which is as large as my Shamrock V “J” boat. These are all wondeful boats that perform well, but sadly have no class to actually race. The new “A” class boats are much faster, and these graceful ladies have no partners. Still, they are very popular with the non-racing croud because of their solid construction (I know of some 30+ year old models sailing as if new) and grace on the water. They still sneak ahead of some boats in light air too! If there is anything I can do to help let me know.
I have a Reynolds Manufacturing “Heritage 12 meter” sail boat. I have had it for 30 years.
I know it is older than that because I bought it from an estate auction and the relatives said it had been in their family for 5 yrs. that they know of. Over the years it has shown wear and I need to get parts to bring it back into top condition. Specifically I need the mast and boom and some hardware. My existing mast and boom are out of wood. would like to replace with the same but will go to aluminum if necessary. I noticed Larry Ludwig has some of the Rynolds equipment. Perhaps, Larry, You might know where I can get the items I need.
Rich
OUCH… you just missed a BONANA… the entire package was on EBAY about 3 weeks back… no kidding… someone put an entire Heritage fittings set on… and it went for about $27.00 It was worth a lot more and I bid $25 on it… didn’t really need it but thought it would be handy to have as a spare. I just paid a small fortune to have my mast die struck… so wood masts… arrrghh… but I understand… hehehe you want to go back original. Are you looking for just mast,boom and fittings? I can tell you what they were but finding them might be rough. I can replace the glass… that is easy. I have an old heritage hull and rig… that we might part out… it is in my care, not mine personally. I will see what the ruling on it would be. The hull is in rough shape… save-able… but… not high on the busy list. Tell me what you are looking for specifically and I will help try and track it down. Worse comes to worse a bright shiny new aluminum mast and boom would not be so awful… heheheh
LL
Rich or Larry -
I’m going to be out of town for about a week but email me the dimensions of booms and mast and I’ll see if I can find anything in garage. Have a few pieces of Sitka spruce left over and some small “shorts” of redwood.
Let me know the dimensions, any tapers and if round, oval or foil shaped. Will see if I have anything to that size.
Dick
partners. Still, they are very popular with the non-racing crore is anything I can do to help let me know.
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I also have a bastard hull, about 62 inches long, glass, fin/bulb type, unfinished glass hull with gel coat, 11.75 inches wide, probably from florida. have any ideas?