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Displaying items by tag: RC Laser

#MODEL YACHTS – Dun Laoghaire's Winter Model Yacht RC Laser sailing programme got off to an enthusiastic if somewhat wet start on the Bank Holiday Monday. The impromptu gathering was intended to dust off the cobwebs but instead proved a test of the waterproofing of all the equipment because of the very heavy rain.

Nonetheless 7 boats turned up, including some new ones and the usual faces were seen at the front of the fleet in the trying conditions with the new boys coming to grips with getting the best out of their boats.

With over 20 boat owners in Dun Laoghaire and 3 new owners this year, there is renewed enthusiasm evident so come along and enjoy the fun. Organisers say you do not have to be a member of the Nationall Yacht Club to participate.

The class now has excellent marks, an automatic tannoy starting system and access to a super mark laying and rescue boat.

From next week on the RC Laser class shall be meeting every Sunday in the National with racing planned to commence at 2pm with at least 10 races being organised. Racing will be in front of the Club or from the East Pier near the Bandstand.

A new recording system for results and a league system will be running which will be divided between the period up to Christmas and January/February in 2012.


Published in Racing

The Dragon was designed by Johan Anker in 1929 as an entry for a competition run by the Royal Yacht Club of Gothenburg, to find a small keel-boat that could be used for simple weekend cruising among the islands and fjords of the Scandinavian seaboard. The original design had two berths and was ideally suited for cruising in his home waters of Norway. The boat quickly attracted owners and within ten years it had spread all over Europe.

The Dragon's long keel and elegant metre-boat lines remain unchanged, but today Dragons are constructed using the latest technology to make the boat durable and easy to maintain. GRP is the most popular material, but both new and old wooden boats regularly win major competitions while looking as beautiful as any craft afloat. Exotic materials are banned throughout the boat, and strict rules are applied to all areas of construction to avoid sacrificing value for a fractional increase in speed.

The key to the Dragon's enduring appeal lies in the careful development of its rig. Its well-balanced sail plan makes boat handling easy for lightweights, while a controlled process of development has produced one of the most flexible and controllable rigs of any racing boat.