anyone else do yachts?
Discussion
heres mine, it's a racing micromagic sailboat.
my local park has a huge lake and a model boat club, most of the members do electric tugs etc but every other saturday they have races, i'd watched loads of races in summer and really got into it so thought i'd have ago.
on my first 3 rares i got a 1st,1st and 2nd, then last saturday we managed to get 4 races in and i came 1st,3rd,1st and 2nd....i'm chuffed with that! (bearing in mind that i'd never done boats before but 25years of fixed wing and helicopters)
heres some pics, not the easiest to sail a boat and take pics at the sametime but i love a challenge LOL
my local park has a huge lake and a model boat club, most of the members do electric tugs etc but every other saturday they have races, i'd watched loads of races in summer and really got into it so thought i'd have ago.
on my first 3 rares i got a 1st,1st and 2nd, then last saturday we managed to get 4 races in and i came 1st,3rd,1st and 2nd....i'm chuffed with that! (bearing in mind that i'd never done boats before but 25years of fixed wing and helicopters)
heres some pics, not the easiest to sail a boat and take pics at the sametime but i love a challenge LOL
Edited by slartibartfast on Wednesday 10th December 12:14
Nice one...I've got one too. Pictures taken just after I built it, it's now been pimped a bit with rod steering, and four separate carbon rigs with DIY sails, kit sails are still being used for my A rig though.
I think you might need to tune your rig a little bit, looks like your jib topping lift is slack, your jib boom is fouling your mast on tacks and you might benefit from a bit more mast rake...but I'm no expert!
Where are you based?
I think you might need to tune your rig a little bit, looks like your jib topping lift is slack, your jib boom is fouling your mast on tacks and you might benefit from a bit more mast rake...but I'm no expert!
Where are you based?
[quote=Hard-Drive]Nice one...I've got one too. Pictures taken just after I built it, it's now been pimped a bit with rod steering, and four separate carbon rigs with DIY sails, kit sails are still being used for my A rig though.
I think you might need to tune your rig a little bit, looks like your jib topping lift is slack, your jib boom is fouling your mast on tacks and you might benefit from a bit more mast rake...but I'm no expert!
Where are you based?
quote]
Hi, glad i'm not alone on here with yachts.
i'm still new to this and haven't got round all the gargon so i need your help.
whats an A rig?
i've adjusted the jib since then so it doesn't foul the mast.
and what's mast rake?
i'm in Lincoln, theres about 5 of us with micromagics although another member is about to get one so we'll have some more, we sail on the lake at Hartsholme country park every other saturday, next race due to xmas is sat 27th
any tuning tips will be GLADLY recieved.
thanks
Paul
I think you might need to tune your rig a little bit, looks like your jib topping lift is slack, your jib boom is fouling your mast on tacks and you might benefit from a bit more mast rake...but I'm no expert!
Where are you based?
quote]
Hi, glad i'm not alone on here with yachts.
i'm still new to this and haven't got round all the gargon so i need your help.
whats an A rig?
i've adjusted the jib since then so it doesn't foul the mast.
and what's mast rake?
i'm in Lincoln, theres about 5 of us with micromagics although another member is about to get one so we'll have some more, we sail on the lake at Hartsholme country park every other saturday, next race due to xmas is sat 27th
any tuning tips will be GLADLY recieved.
thanks
Paul
To be honest though with your racing record there I don't think you need any tips from me...I'm a newbie too but sail big boats normally!
Mast rake is making the mast lean back a bit (like a swept wing), yours looks very upright in one photo, mine leans back a teeny bit. That said, I have nasty creases in my mainsail in one of those pics, but it was the maiden voyage! TBH not sure how well this translates into model yachts but you'll probably find it goes upwind a bit more easily.
A rig is your biggest rig, which can be no bigger than the sails which came with your boat, and then you move to shorter masts with smaller sails as the wind goes up, so you can still sail when it's windy. If you try to sail in big breeze with the A rig, the boat simply won't sail. I've made B, C and D rigs for my boat.
Have a look at www.magicmicro.org for a wealth of info. Here's a smaller rig in action...
Mast rake is making the mast lean back a bit (like a swept wing), yours looks very upright in one photo, mine leans back a teeny bit. That said, I have nasty creases in my mainsail in one of those pics, but it was the maiden voyage! TBH not sure how well this translates into model yachts but you'll probably find it goes upwind a bit more easily.
A rig is your biggest rig, which can be no bigger than the sails which came with your boat, and then you move to shorter masts with smaller sails as the wind goes up, so you can still sail when it's windy. If you try to sail in big breeze with the A rig, the boat simply won't sail. I've made B, C and D rigs for my boat.
Have a look at www.magicmicro.org for a wealth of info. Here's a smaller rig in action...
Edited by Hard-Drive on Thursday 11th December 08:54
thanks for the info.
i've joined micromagic.org, yes there is a wealth of info there and i've learned a lot.
i don't think it's possible to lean the mast backwards at all but i might give it a go.
i know what you mean about in highwinds although it still goes but once you get cross wind it sometimes just goes sideways and is hard to get out of although having said that i've made quite a few adjustments since then and apparently i had too much twist on the sails back then.
i've often wondered about making a rig to hold the yacht in to measure thrust by using a fan blower and adjusting to get the most of out it, wonder if anyone else has thought of it?
Paul
i've joined micromagic.org, yes there is a wealth of info there and i've learned a lot.
i don't think it's possible to lean the mast backwards at all but i might give it a go.
i know what you mean about in highwinds although it still goes but once you get cross wind it sometimes just goes sideways and is hard to get out of although having said that i've made quite a few adjustments since then and apparently i had too much twist on the sails back then.
i've often wondered about making a rig to hold the yacht in to measure thrust by using a fan blower and adjusting to get the most of out it, wonder if anyone else has thought of it?
Paul
Rake the mast back by dropping some tension off your forestay and jib height, and then take up the backstay, you can put a little bit of curve in the mast but go easy on the original kit mast as they are quite fragile. Also, the plate where the mast goes through the deck is adjustable, try moving that back a bit too and then doing the screws back up.
Just noticed, you are missing your top batten (you have 2, not 3 like mine) and you have not stuck discs on the inboard ends of them to stop them peeling away. It's quite important...if you have lost them, you can get them from Mike at Swanley RC yachts or PJ sails.
Just noticed, you are missing your top batten (you have 2, not 3 like mine) and you have not stuck discs on the inboard ends of them to stop them peeling away. It's quite important...if you have lost them, you can get them from Mike at Swanley RC yachts or PJ sails.
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