Remote Controlled Sailboat

What specific knowledge is needed to sail an RC sailboat?

If model ships appeal to you, but speed is not necessarily what drives you, then forget about electric hydroplanes or fuel-powered monohulls. This RC sailing boat is suitable for fun on the water, lake or even at sea. What will then stop you from organising the odd regatta with a group of friends or experienced sailors? Sailing a remote-controlled sailboat requires a little training, technique, and above all, you'll need to brush up on some sailing vocabulary.

Start by learning the words to identify the mast, the bow, the jib (the triangular sail at the front) or the keel (the lowest part used to stabilise the boat), as well as the rudder and the rudder blade, two key parts that will guide the direction of your boat. The rudder blade is the rudder's component, which is the ship's steering system submerged under water and pivots to divert the flow of water under the hull. Why is this important to know? Because most remote control sailboats are replicas of the real thing on a 1:16 or 1:25 scale. Your remote control boat is therefore 16 or 25 times smaller than the original model and they work the same way! A remote-controlled sailing boat moves forward without fuel or electrical power, which sets it apart from all other remote-controlled boats. It moves with the force of the wind, and its speed depends on how strong the wind is. Once on the water at 45 degrees to the wind direction, remote control in hand, you are in control of the keel and sail level. You'll need to build up some skills to understand how a sailboat behaves in different weather conditions.

Which remote control sailboat should you choose for your level?

If you are a beginner, we would recommend trying one of the more affordable RC sailboats first. These models are generally smaller and therefore more robust. Knowing the vocabulary associated with the parts of your RC sailboat is essential if you want to build one yourself. Many models are available in kit form, and it is possible to customise them as you wish to make them more efficient. These differ from two other types of sailboats called Ready-to-Run and Almost-Ready-to-Run, which don’t require a lot of work before being ready to sail. As a beginner, we would recommend choosing from the Ready-to-Run boats to build up your skills first.

Have you already started sailing? We strongly recommend you choose models from well-known and recognised brands. This recommendation is even more important when buying a sailboat than a normal RC boat.