Radio Sailing Group
The Radio Sailing Group was set up in 2007 and is affiliated to the Model Yachting Association (MYA). The objective of the RSG is to provide enjoyable, fun sailing and racing for as many interested sailors of all ages and experience levels as possible. There are around 40 members.
Those who are starting out will find it easy to get advice from RSG members on which boat to buy/build, how best to rig, tune and sail their boat, and many other tips to enhance their enjoyment of the sport.
Frensham Pond is suitable for all types of radio controlled yachts with plenty of room to be able to sail or race without interfering with other sailors.
The RSG sails on TUESDAYS throughout the year, starting at 10.00am, with organized racing at about 10.30am continuing until around 3pm.
There are excellent facilities including:
Clubhouse and toilets.
Large, free car park close to the launching/sailing area.
Excellent launching from one of a number of long jetties or from the bank.
Yachts are controlled from a large grassed area close to the launching jetties. This also provides a good viewing area.
Yachts that go astray can be recovered by a powerboat manned by trained RSG members.
Please note that model power boats are not permitted at Frensham.
RSG Membership is free to full members of the sailing club. If you’d like to join as an RSG Member only then please follow this link for membership details and costs or go straight to the membership portal here to apply
Classes sailed
The Model Yacht Group sails and races many classes of model yachts but concentrates primarily on four.
International One Metre
We race the International One Metre (IOM) in this group. These boats are light, responsive and fun to sail. This is one of the most popular of the four international classes and is sailed at most Model Yachting Association (MYA) clubs.
The class rule is ‘closed’, meaning that many aspects of design, materials and construction are restricted to promote close competition, but there are many different designs from which to choose. However the rule is designed to allow the DIY enthusiast some freedom to construct an inexpensive and competitive boat.
The important speed related criteria of length, draught, displacement and sail plan are limited to a maximum of 1000mm, 420mm, 4kg and three prescribed rigs. A typical second hand boat can cost around £200 depending on age, condition and design.
Boats over one metre
Commonly these are the 10Rater (10R) class. These are light, sleek, seaworthy and fast. It is an ‘open’ rule Class with great freedom to develop design and construction, particularly in rigs and sail plans. Any boat can be a 10 rater and several. A typical 10Rater is approximately 1600mm long, weighs 6kg and carries one square metre of sail. The cost of a second hand boat will vary substantially depending on its age and design, but a reliable and exciting boat can often be had for around £300.
Marbleheads have been successful in this class, and we race them with the 10R yachts. The modern ‘M’ class yacht is a ‘high-tech’ racer, sporting up to six measured rigs with trends of profiled rotating masts, unstayed carbon rigs, pocket luff mainsails, pre-preg carbon hulls and fins offering a wide scope for design freedom. At only 1290mm in overall length, the restricted development class rules allow both the professional or amateur designer/builder/sailmaker an attractive avenue to test their knowledge and skills in one of the most exhilarating radio yacht classes in the world.
DragonForce
The DF65 is the fastest growing class in the club. It is an inexpensive strictly one-design class 650mm long and is an ideal introduction to radio sailing and also a good test of sailing ability for experienced sailors.
Other classes
Interest is growing in sailing and racing the DragonFlite DF95 boats on an informal basis at present (Sep-24), with a view to possibly incorporating them into the 2025 racing programme
In addition members sail bottle boats, catamarans and vintage and replicas such as 15 metre yachts.
Boat building
There is a keen boat building tradition at Frensham. Several members have made their own highly competitive boats. Within class rules techniques include wood planking, glass fibre and carbon fibre for the hulls, using personal designs or designs from acknowledged experts.
RSG Sailing Secretary: John Haine
Email: rsg@sailfrensham.org.uk