:: Lilydale Radio Yacht Club

Frequently Asked Questions...

Q.	What boats are welcome in the LRYC Inc.?
A.	Boats of all types are welcome in the club, unfortunately internal combustion powered craft are prohibited by the lake management so they can't be used on the lake . Members of the club own a variety of craft including tugs, warships, steamboats and sailboats.


Q.	What does it cost to join the club?
A.	For 2009 the annual dues are $40 (Junior members [under 16] are $30), reducing quarterly. Family Membership is $70 (covers 4 family members).This covers the provision of buoys for racing, register of boats, rescue boats, public liability insurance, trailer, newsletter and two sailing days a week.
	A Race participation contribution of $2 per head per day also applies.

Q.	Where do I start?
A.	Read some of the model boating magazines that are available. Visit model boating clubs and talk to the members. Ask questions and gain from others trials and tribulations. Research is the key to success. When you have a good idea of what you want and how to get it the battle is half over.


Q.	How do I get started?
A.	Getting started in model shipbuilding is easier than ever. If you want to build your own boat there are various kits and plans available from several companies at relatively low cost. For those not wanting, or able, to design and build their own boats, you can purchase a completed boat from a commercial builder or second-hand, from a club member.


Q.	What does it cost to build or buy a boat?
A.	This depends on several factors: Your own skills; you can make several fittings yourself. Are you building from scratch? Are you building a kit? Are you buying second hand? Are you building a class boat? Do you have R/C gear already? What power source Steam, Electric or Sail? How serious do you intend to get? Kits, both power and sail, start at under $200, without radio gear, and sail boats and go up to $1000. To this add the cost of a two-channel radio, about $100 and batteries, etc. In most cases you can be on the water for well under $500 and scratch built boats for under $200 all up. If you are interested in serious “Class” boats for racing, A, M, 10R and 1 Meter, then see your bank manager for a second mortgage. These start at about $2000 for average boats and go to $10,000 for world champions contenders. Second hand "Class" boats start at around $800 for older 1 meters and go up to $5000 older state / national title boats with carbon fibre hulls, state of the art masts, several rigs and winch. Other used boats often come up "fore sail" in clubs, and don’t forget the classified adds, the Trading Post Newspaper and, if you are willing to risk buying sight-un-seen, the Internet.


Q.	You mentioned "Class" boats, what are they?
A.	Recognised Class boats are types of boats that are sailed in serious competition such as state, national and world championships. There is no handicapping in these events so strict rules are laid down for the construction each class of boat. These may be as simple as length of hull and sail area e.g. 50 inches a 800 sq inches for marble heads, to the more complex rules for International One Meters, which take several pages to explain. Some of the class boats are state of the art with carbon fibre, Kevlar and titanium components. Of course you pay for for this technology. There are also non-recognised classes which is any boat of which there are three or more e.g. any kit boat.


Q.	How long does it take to build a boat?
A.	This depends on a few things: The type of boat; The amount of detail you want; Scratch building; and Building a kit. If you are scratch building you can spend years building something like the QE2 or a couple of months building something that floats and looks good on the water, from fifty feet all boats look good. Kits take less time and can be assembled in a few days or a week. Some kits have so much work already done for you they can be put together over night.


Q.	Can I do this?
A.	If you can read basic instructions, you can build any entry-level kit boat. These would be be on a par with some of the more complex plastic kits most people build as kids. As your skills improve you can acquire more challenging kits or begin scratch building models from plans or your own imagination.


Q.	What do I want to build?
A.	What catches your eye? Is it a Towboat with a string of barges moving up a river, or a sleek yacht motoring away to the horizon, a squat and powerful tugboat pushing a freighter to the dock, or is it a menacing looking warship patrolling the sea-lanes? If you have a type of vessel you’re drawn to that’s where you should start.


Q.	Where do I get information?
A.	Be a sponge, go to club meeting, ask questions, take photos and ask for advice. Take your boat with you and have club members critique your work. Most modelers will remember when they were in your shoes and will give you the benefit of their experience. Go out, get started, and have fun


Q.	You want me to race? You’re kidding?
A.	No we’re not kidding. Although racing at state, national and international levels requires a complete understanding of the entire racing rules of sailing, some 50 pages of rules and 200 pages of explanations, most clubs that race yachts offer beginners a degree of tolerance. At LRYC Inc. we take this even further by using the rule book to level the trailer and sailing to our own very simplified rules, we don’t race for sheep stations just for fun. Take a look at our Rules. We try and make it easy for everyone to "have a go".


Q.	I don’t have a sail boat, what else can I do?
A.	Our club is not limited to just sail boats and our members have all types and sizes of craft. We also have various activities for these powered vessels including steering a laid down course, towing etc., apart form just having the boat on the water.


Q.	I don’t want to race, what else can I do?
A.	Part of the pleasure of this hobby is in the building of the boats. Most clubs have several members who are not racers, and are there with their interest in building and sailing only. The sport of radio controlled boating is made up of three distinctive elements - designing, building and competition. You may notice competition is last of the three. Or you can enjoy the complements that come to a well built and detailed scale model. Don't forget you can always just sail about!


Q.	My boat is only small, do I have a chance of winning races?
A.	LRYC Inc. uses a performance based handicapping system that is designed to bring all boats, no matter what size, to an equal standing. It starts with an initial handicap based on the potential of the boat and is adjusted weekly; rising and falling depending on the results of races. So boats that win line honours, more often than not, don’t win on handicap. Most other clubs in the Melbourne area race “class boats” and have no handicap system. The winner of the Race is the first over the line.


Q.	How do I improve my sailing skills?
A.	Practice and more Practice, spend as much time on the water as you can. To become a better sailor you must absorb information whenever possible. In the world of sailboat racing, there is a wide range of instructional magazines, how-to-books, videos and even computer simulators. Become a spectator. You can often learn more from watching a race than from sailing in it. Being a spectator allows you to look around a lot more. Instead of being focused on one boat, you suddenly have time to notice what other skippers are doing to get the maximum out of their boats. Win the race before the Gun. Thirty (30) minutes preparation at home will save you many hours of frustration. Check your boat, batteries and radio at home and do maintenance before you get to the water. This gives you a chance of having a good day on the water.