Just curious to know what the biggest radio controlled sailing event that anyone here has been to? How many Boats? What type of Boats? Etc…
September 2002 - AC Nationals in Detroit, Michigan with 23 boats registered and racing.
J120mm
2003 IOM Worlds : Royal Vancouver Yacht Club - 81 Competitors sailing in 5 fleets over 5 days of racing. Over 100 heats run with competitors scored on 23 races. ISAF International Jury with some jurors having served on numerous AC and Admirals Cups. Finish was 46 of 81.
2002 R3 IOM Championships - Fort Lauderdale 33 Competitors
R/C sailing - Race Week East 2002. Boats everywhere!!! Honestly, my favorite ‘model’, though non-RC, was that baby J-boat tied alongside the float. It was (guessing) 22’ long? Fore-and-aft seats. The skipper sat in the aft bucket seat, his head sticking up over the deck steering with a destroyer wheel. 'Course, the guy couldn’t set his sails worth a crap, but what a NICE toy!
Biggest RC event wasf the WRAM show in Westchester Country, New York…there’s not a whole ton of dedicated boat stuff there, but doodads can be had by the bucketful and thee swapmeet room is excellent.
There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Kenneth Graeme, Wind in the Willows.
I went to the East Coast Nationals in St. Pete a while back -as spectator and as one of the sponsors(small ad)they had around 25 boats.Except for a serious incident regarding complete disregard for the rules it was very enjoyable! Biggest RC event I’ve competed in was the Fla State Championship with the rc Laser -around 12 boats-I got second(after something like 11 firsts the first day-kind of a rough Saturday night I guess!) . Biggest event with rc participation was the Sail Fest regatta three years ago(last one) with over 700 full size boats including the first RCLaser Nationals . I got to meet Paul Cayard(picked him up at the airport) and met Jon Elmaleh one of the best US rc yacht designers and sailors.
Biggest full size fleet I ever raced in was the Mobile Dauphin Island Race when I was younger: 125 boats–I got second and the best start–so cool; I’ll never forget it. Many dozens of races over the years…and many more to come.
Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing
2002 Charleston EC12 Regatta,
My first chance to sail with the “Big Guns” in the EC12 ranks. If memory serves there were about 34 to 36 boats present. More importantly my first chance to see the top 10 EC12’rs in action. (Current and Former National and runner-up champs, along With the top three J-boat Champs)
As I was still a newby to the RC thing, it was an incredible opportunity. While I sailed poorly, I learned a lot in those two days.
I learned my deck hatch was not as waterproof as I thought [:-snorkel](after draining about a gallon out of the hull). I also learned that “B” Rigs are not options in Charleston, and finally that if your think your boat is riding low in the water, maybe you ought to check it out before you sail 3 more heats and almost sink it.
Any way, I learned a lot about how the best manage their races. One thing I did see that was most illustrative, the best follow RRS and give others room to manuever, and don’t put themsleves in positions that require protest.
As one of the “best” put it,
‘I can “literally” interpret RRS and take every advantage, or I can sail clean, keep my boat speed up, not go through the hassle, maintain my concentration, give others leeway to maneuver, and still win without enduring protests and collisions. Even if you have right of way, you can lose a lot of ground getting into p*ssing contests’.
Wise words that I’ve found true. I guess the other thing I learned was just how great some of these “best” were.
They all gave words of encouragement, advice, and tuning tips. They treated me as if I had been sailing for years and did not condescend to the “newby”.
They all knew I was just beginning, but no matter how badly I finished were more than eager to help a fellow sailor improve.
I hate that I missed the 2003 Charleston Regatta. Would have loved to sialed there again with all that they taught me last year.
Chris
EC#1582
NW1582
Rob, I would agree that Mystic Raceweek East is also the largest event I?ve been to. Definitely the biggest in PR that the AMYA has done to my knowledge with over 2000 visitors a day for six days. It was great to see all but one AMYA sanctioned class boat represented at this event. The 2003 Raceweek is going on right now and is quite a small event compared to last years.
As for the baby J boat here is a photo. It is owned and sailed by Tod Johnstone, of the J boat family. Tod has a very interesting story to his past. If any of you have seen the movie ?White Squall?, Tod is in this movie both as a leading character and in person playing the role of his father. This was a true story, and Tod unfortunately was a key roll in the story line as he was the young man behind the helm when their boat capsized.
I have to defend Tod with your comment on his sail shape on the Baby J. He was sailing this boat in a very casual and relaxed way due to the small aria that he was sailing in. Tod definitely knows how to trim a boat. My son is in these pictures with Tod, and on that day they became great friends.
Greg, thanks for the picture! What a cool boat! It is simply beautiful…
Doug Lord
microsail.com
monofoiler.com
High Technology Sailing/Racing
Raceweek 2000, see the report at http://www.amya.org/rw2kwebreport.html
Over 140 entrants, several classes, and … it’s kicking off Aug 13 in
San Diego for Raceweek 2003 http://www.amya.org/rw2003.html
Fair Winds,
David Goebel
Bumping Topic… Thought it would be nice to see if anybody has any others to add. (waiting on those multihulls and footys) 
G’day Fellas, I don’t know if this subject is about"mines bigger than yours" kinda? And I don’t think bigger regattas are indeed better?
Australian Nationals Jan. 2005 in Sydney had 118 boats over four classes for 13days continuous. Being made up of; Aclass 20 boats / three days, 18 ten raters/three days, 14 Marbleheads/three days and 66 IOMs /four days. This I might add is not the record for in 1993 I think, Melbourne turn for the Nats had 133 boats.
happy sailing
steve
Being fairly new to the model yachting scene, the largest even I visited was one the Regional SeaWind regatta for region 4 held in Wichita, KS. Day one was a gale, day two just left ya sittin in the water to drift. I volunteered as I don’t have a SW.