So you're interested in Radio Controlled Sailing at Harrington Waters, then our advice is as follows:
Harrington Waters Radio Sailors Inc. members are usually at the lake throughout the year. Club racing commences at 1.00pm every second Sunday, but members often arrive about 12.00 noon. You can contact us or simply come along to the lake and make yourself known to one of the members. We are keen to introduce new people to the sport. You might even end up with a transmitter in your hand to give it a go!
Our members will offer plenty of advice regarding which boat is likely to be suitable for you, as well as giving you an idea on cost, value for money etc. A visit to either the local Radio Sailing Association of Western Australia (rsawa.asn.au), or the Australian Radio Yachting Association (ARYA) (radiosailing.org.au) website will show details of boats currently for sale under their Classifieds section.
Plan to spend the first year learning about (a) the sport at all levels and (b) the boats used in competition. Plan to up-grade your boat after the first season to one that you have chosen carefully, based on what you have learnt.
We wouldn't generally recommend buying a kit, building from a plan or even buying a brand new boat to any newcomer to the sport, as most skippers find that they are able to make a more informative decision and upgrade once they have picked up enough knowledge to work out what type of design they want. The Joysway DF65 and DF95 are available in kit form if your handy, but their pretty involved so if you can get a second hand ready to sail boat, the fun starts straight away.
There are many club members who have the experience and ability to assist you to get started, so please don't hesitate to ask!
Enjoy.
Are there any kits available in model shops which I should consider?
Yes, the Joysway DF65 and DF95 are available in kit form from places like Sick Hobbies in Rockingham. Sailing for fun may become fairly humdrum after a while and you may well end up looking for others to join in with, either informally or through a club. Competition is not available in Western Australia for many of the kit form yachts available in model shops apart from the ones mentioned above, so you need to research carefully what does work and what does not. Make sure you check your local user groups before purchasing your boat.
Which class should I go for?
Whatever is sailed at your local club. Again there is not much fun after a little while in sailing around without someone to sail with or race against. At Harrington Waters, we promote the One Metre Class.
Any guidance regarding choice of design for a beginner?
Depending on your sailing experience, probably for the first year it will be your lack of rules knowledge, tactical experience, and ability to control the boat that will slow you down rather than any fault of the boat. So, if you are planning to replace the boat after a year (as suggested), it is not terribly important which design you have. You can look at results on the Australian and local club websites and ask your local club members (several) which they rate as a good choice and which to avoid at any price.
Can you give any guidance to a beginner wanting to buy a boat?
Just try to get a complete up and running boat to start. Again, for your very first boat, availability and price will be the primary considerations, and the speed potential of the boat at this stage is not that important as they are all relatively similar within their class. Performance as well as price should guide the purchase of your next boat. Used boats are often excellent value. They will usually not be regarded as the fastest around but they may well be the ones that were regarded as the fastest until more recently. As there is a significant fashion element in the sport it is sometimes possible to pick up very quick boats at quite modest prices. Second hand boats will usually be at quite attractive prices compared with buying new but, as ever, you tend to get what you pay for and the better boats will attract better prices. The pace of design development is not great and any boat that was truly competitive a few seasons ago will still be a potential winner if equipped and sailed well.
Assume the RC equipment will not be in tip top condition and expect to replace it, keeping the original as spares. On this basis it's helpful, but not terribly important to have RC equipment with the boat.
Do not buy any boat without having seen it first unless you trust the judgement of someone who has.
Where should I find a second hand boat for sale?
The club secretary or other members may know of one of the club's members who has one he may wish to sell. Both Radio Sailing Association of Western Australia and the Australian Radio Yachting Association websites keep a comprehensive list of boats for sale when they are available. The links to these are below.