d'12metre radio yacht
and other things associated with the sailboats that have been a part of the America's Cup contests 1851 - 2007

Promote Radio Yachting! - Never let an interested bystander or member stand alone!!!

This site best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer v6 or above and at a resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher.
For a summary of the latest changes to this website, click here

Next Major Event

  2009 WORLD's REGATTA - USA  - In Historic Charlestown, South Carolina 

          USA          

-----Original Message-----
From: Rick West [mailto:ranger-ric@mindspring.com]
Sent: Friday, 21 March 2008 7:22 AM
Subject: 2009 Worlds Regatta

 Gents, please forward to your association and class. Thanks, Rick

March 20, 2008

International Invitation to the 2009 Worlds Regatta

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to present this invitation on behalf of the US East Coast 12 Meter Class to host the second Worlds Regatta event in the United States. The event is scheduled for the first week of November 2009 in Charleston, South Carolina. This invitation by email is being sent individually to each of these countries: Australia, Canada, France, Sweden, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Please present this information to your members and groups.

The Notice of Race and other information is posted on the US EC12 Class website in the Regatta menu. The NOR is presented now with consideration for individual planning needed for international travel that would surely include more than toy boat racing. Details of the event will follow in time.

www.ec12.org

As the head of the Class, I will be your host and available to whatever assistance you need. I look forward to the event and visiting with all of you.

Kind Regards,

Rick West

Class Secretary US EC12 Class
139 Dardanelle Avenue
Pacifica, CA 94044 USA
Ranger-ric@mindspring.com

What is this site about?

This site has has been set up as a result of a passion developed by me over the last 7 or so years for the 12 metre class of radio yachts. That comes after sailing and having been exposed to most of the classes sanctioned by the ARYA and also a great variety of "other" sailboats. I did not start out addicted to the "12's". That situation just evolved. Why? Because they are just so versatile to sail, and beautiful in their grace! I do not know of any other boat that can sail in the shallow waters that the 12 can happily sail in, whilst at the same time time being again, depending on model, happily, able to sail in winds in excess of 15 knots (roughly 30 kph).

And I need to thank the small group of folks I sail with for that opportunity. This group of people sailed, and still do, a wide variety of boats. They have no prejudices about sailing this boat or that, and newcomers are warmly welcomed. That group by the way unofficially call themselves the "Southern Model Radio Yacht Sailors". There are links to this group in the Links page, (via Magpie Yachts - Cherry Lake), of this site. It was here, sailing with this band of merry men, (and in many cases, they were accompanied by their ever tolerant, and ever patient, partners who could never understand what their own partners saw in the attraction of sailing toy boats, but still and nevertheless provided full support), that I sailed a number of different boats, including A Class, 10-Rater, EC12, Victor products Australia II and America3, an IOM, a Magpie90 and various other craft, and finally decided that the 12-metre was the way to go for me.

But back to my passion if I may. The 12-metres are America's Cup yachts, even though they were sailed in Europe before being adopted as the official rule for the America's Cup in the 50's. And whilst the 12-Metres are no longer the official America's Cup (AC) Class boats, they still faced the challenges that today's competitors face. I only found this out after my interest in the radio 12's developed. As that interest developed, so did my interest in the full size boats. The history of the America's Cup is quite something but the comment below, attributed to the New Zealander, the late Sir Peter Blake  sums up very nicely I think, how I see the America's Cup boats, which do include the 12-metres.

BLAKE'S thoughts on what it takes to succeed in this regatta are contained in a letter he sent to Italian challengers Prada, who succumbed to his team in 2000.
The America's Cup is what it is because it is so difficult to win. It is not a game for armchair admirals. It is not a game for the faint-hearted. It is a game for those who are not scared of pitting themselves against the best that the world has to offer. It's a game where winning is almost impossible, almost, but not impossible. And this is why it is worth fighting for." By the late Sir Peter Blake. (Courtesy of the New Zealand Herald 22 June 2007.)

First I loved the radio control (RC) model. Then interest grew in the real thing. Then that fired up even more my interest in the 12-metre RC model. The model was here and now, and attainable. And through it you could, if you tried hard enough, really, really, hard enough, re-live some of the history including the romance, the mystery, the intrigue, the politics, the technology, the skills, the dedication that affected, and probably afflicted, all those who took part in the America's Cup challenges.

No wonder I am so smitten! All the ingredients of a suspense thriller are there. Reality check! Reality check! Reality check! Reality check!

Damn, how I hate those things sometimes! Isn't a "reality check" comment in the world of yachting an oxymoron?

Anyway, back to mundane reality. My own fleet comprises, again, funnily enough mostly 12-metres, but I also still have an IOM, and a 10-Rater as well as a fishing trawler and a small IACC boat - America³, so whilst the 12's are my passion, I am not one-eyed about them. In fact I do take a genuine interest in all the craft sailed by my fellow radio sailors. And whilst the emphasis of this web-site focuses on the 12-Metre radio yacht, other yachts will also be referred to as appropriate. There is nothing more dangerous than tunnel vision or fanaticism. Hopefully this site will not be guilty of either.

This site has no ties or commitments with any particular manufacturer or supplier of goods in goods, service, or in kind. However, where I have had good service, I have made comments to this effect throughout the site as appropriate.

On the "Links" page you will also find funnily enough, links to various organizations. Most, if not all, of these I will have dealt with personally in one way or another, and any comments made under the links themselves are my own, mostly reflecting my own experience in dealing with these organizations.

All in all, I hope this site will be of benefit to both experienced radio yacht sailors and those just starting out in this fantastic hobby and sport of Radio-Controlled Model Yachting .............  

If you would like to actively participate in promoting this hobby, or even if you have only a vague interest, don't know where to go, how to do it, just  click on the following link which will then take you to the forum pages of this site, where you can then ask questions and make constructive comments and maybe even on the odd occasion even get answers to your questions.......

  Forums' - All systems go for anybody who wants to constructively discuss radio yachting issues, ask for help, etc,. 
 

[ Home ] [ News ] [ 12-Metre Group ] [ Boats & Gear ] [ Galleries ] [ General Interest ] [ Weather ] [ For Sail ] [ Links ]

Send mail to webmaster@dldirect.net with questions or comments about this web site or its contents.
Copyright © 2006 - 2008, d12metre radio yacht                                                    Webmaster: Don Leitis
Page last modified: July 19, 2008 10:47 PM