A Model Yacht

A Model Yacht Map Mast Crane Head Editor’s Note: Jack boat electronics, the receiver Gregory served as AMYA Learn the Terms & Main Mast that listens to the radio signal, President from 1996 through Names of Parts– which it converts to commands 2002, then Managing Editor Jib Hoist: uphaul adjustment for sent to the servos, which, in of Model Yachting magazine It gets easier as Jib Luff. Also, a seperate uphaul turn, drive the various moving through 2004. He and Rich you use them! adjustment for Jib Stay tension. parts on board. Matt revitalized our magazine Class There is at least one servo with the critical concept and Insignia Head that is special: the Winch, or loop: a single format of a Featured Class for Outhaul adjustments are masted, fore- Sail Control Unit (SCU). The each Issue of Model Yachting. at the Clews of the Jib Shrouds Sand-aft-rigged winch is the principal differ- This format allows each class and Main sails. (Side Stays) sailing vessel having ence between sailboats and all to really shine with the writing and Spreaders a jib and main sail. other radio-controlled vehicles. and photo contributions of are not shown, they The forces on sails are extremely their members, and share their support the mast high, so, generally, the sails can- knowledge with the rest of us. on both sides. Downhaul adjustment not be controlled by the typical for the Main Luff Jack built the 60-page layout tension at the model aircraft servo. In addi- for the art for each magazine Luff Main Tack. tion, the action of trimming from 1996 through 2004, a Leech Luff sheets is so different from typi- truly herculean task. This in- Backstay, Leech cal short-travel control tasks troductory article is revised and tension Jib Stay that the actual connection of from the frst Getting Started adjustment Main Sail (Forestay) the winch to the rig becomes a Issue, number 130 in 2003 (an- Jib Sail major focus of building and op- Clew Tack other Jack Gregory idea). Foot Clew Tack erating a model yacht. Foot Jib Club Finally, the overlooked last by Jack Gregory Main Boom Vang Pivot component of a sailing model is he pointy end is the the skipper. Racing, in particu- front. That is all you Stern Main Sheet Goose Neck Jib Sheet Bow lar, puts a lot more demands on need to know to start (Aft, (Fore, the skipper than the boat. Even T Astern, or or Forward) sailing. The old salts will talk in the developmental classes, of luff and leech, and bows Abaft) Rudder Keel Hull Waterline with few restrictions on design and bowsies, but don’t wor- Displacement 6.2 lbs. is min. Draft 9 in., is depth below waterline. and hardware, a good skipper ry—they learned about the weight of V-32 ready-to-sail. Beam 8 in., is max. width of the hull. will beat a mediocre one every pointy end once, too. time. A good skipper knows the Sailboats are pretty sim- Main Sheet length is adjusted on the Main Boom, and Jib Sheet length on the Jib Club. boat, the wind, the rules, and ple in concept, even if the high- The V-32 viewed from the Starboard (right) side. The other side is Port (left side). the competition. All of these end, high-tech, high-price models are as complex source of the hull and many other parts as well. qualities can be developed and tuned, just like the as a model helicopter. In fact, sailing craft have The sails are the part of the boat that boat, but not without some rewarding effort. become simpler over time, with fewer sails and meets the air. Even though all of the other In the articles that follow, we cover these simpler controls. It is the rare model these days parts touch air as well, it is the sails that use fve basic parts, and related skills, and try to that has more than two sails. moving air to move the boat. Sail shape is just give you a feel for how they go together to help Since we expect most newcomers to the as important as hull shape, and you will want you develop as a model yacht skipper. We also hobby will have seen a sailboat before, we to start with Rod Carr’s article to learn more have an assembly article written to help you won’t belabor the point; you will learn that about that. There are several articles that will understand important basics of putting to- the pointy end is called the bow before too help you understand the critical skill of sail gether all the parts of your frst model yacht. long, and you may never know archaic terms tuning. The simplicity of sailing makes it easy like garboard or deal—and there isn’t really The rig is what holds the sails up, allows to get into, but the complexity of the tradeoffs any reason to, unless you want to understand them to be shaped and adjusted. The rig is a involved will keep even the most active mind oc- old texts on the subject. This illustration of a necessary encumbrance. The rig is composed cupied for a lifetime. V-32 will give you a good idea of sailboat no- of stick-like spars and various types of wire, menclature you will learn to use. line, and fttings, To begin you will learn the fve basic parts most of which are in of a modern RC sailboat: the hull, the sails, the the illustration on rig, the radio control system, and the skipper. this page. The hull, of course, is the blob to which The radio is everything seems to be attached. It includes what allows us to MODEL YACHT FITTINGS appendages, such as the keel and rudder. The control the boat hull is the part of the boat that meets the water from shore; it con- (hopefully the only part), and more than any- sists of not only the thing else, it defnes the kind of boat. In some transmitter in your Roger Cousineau classes (known as Developmental Classes), you hand but all of the www.modelyachtf ittings.com can make your own hull, but others have strict parts in the boat: the rules (known as One-Design Classes) about the batteries to run the Brass fittings for scale and pond boats