Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: g4yvm on August 27, 2013, 11:35:48 pm
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Well I received my DF65 today and I have just finished it. I thought I'd make a few comments on this little delight.
Firstly, Im pretty new to model yachts but I have vast experience with aeroplanes and other models. Someone somewhere made the comment that, if you rushed it, you'd get this boat on the water in half an hour. Well, there's no way I could!
I DID make the following mods to mine: epoxy the deck eyes, cut one of the eyes into a hook, epoxy the aft deck main sheet pulley. I also took out the radio tray and varnished it. Please note all newbies than when you epoxy the eyes in THE STATIC ELECTRICITY OF THE DECK WILL ATTRACT THE THING STRANDS OF EPOXY LIKE BEES TO HONEY! The best thing to wipe epoxy off (anything) is meths. Im glad I knew this. I wish I'd know the static thing.
The instructions are good and augmented by importers notes.
The fitted radio is not great and certainly not water proof but I am using it.
The PVC decking (sticky back plastic) covers the sail winch drum and Ive seen at least one mod which suggests covering the winch drum with the backing sheet to avoid sticking. This is un-necessary because (a) the drum is recessed into a drum shroud and (b) the stick plastic covering isnt sticky in that area anyway!
I don't know why I cut deck eye 4 into a hook! It isnt used with the provided sails and rig.
Questions:
Why is deck eye 4 a hook?
The instructions say to remove the pvc decking after each outing in order to dry the innards. I appreciate the whys and wherefores, but will this not trash the PVC decking in short order?
The set up as sold give sheet out as "throttle off" , i.e. stick back and sheeting in as "full throttle". i.e. stick forward. My other yacht I set up opposite...is there a standard?
In conclusion this is a lovely little kit and builds into a very nice boat. I bought it to learn how to rig boats and get a benchmark for building my own scratch built yacht. It's done this admirably.
I look forward to getting my boat wet tomorrow.
David
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@g4yvm:
The Dragon Force 65 is getting good reports all over the place. I have not seen one, but I understand they need a fair bit of water as they are pretty deep - this is where the good performance comes from. I believe there is a shorter keel available if needed.
I cannot answer the question re deck eye 4.
Re the sticky hatch cover - I have a number of model sailboats; I consider it essential to leave the boat opened up while it is stored between sailings to ensure that the internals are completely dry. Even with a boat that is totally dry inside during/after sailing, temperature changes (such as the difference between a warm car and the launch into cold water) can cause moisture to form in the boat leading to rust and corrosion of wiring / electronics. I would suggest you consider the sticky patch to be disposable and replace it every few sailings, if not every time. There are plenty of products around that will seal it nicely. An alternative may be a solid hatch of some type (maybe a piece of black plastic or similar) sealed around the edge with electrical tape or conversion of the hatch to a screw lid.
Re the sticky cover sticking to the winch drum - I have seen one suggestion to mount the winch servo below the servo boar instead of above it - this gains a few millimetres of clearance between the drum and cover.
There is an extended discussion on the DF65 (the earlier version) including the mention of a number of modifications/improvements at http://www.shipshaperc.com/index.php/forum/dragon-force/284-slow-dragon-force-rg65 (http://www.shipshaperc.com/index.php/forum/dragon-force/284-slow-dragon-force-rg65)
I should also mention that some of those modifications may mean the boat no longer conforms to the proposed class rules for the DF65 recently published at http://dragonforce65.com/one-class-rules/ (http://dragonforce65.com/one-class-rules/)
Hope this helps...
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Actually of course, it's not a kit. Not a proper %)kit anyway. But it's still a nice boat.
D
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Thanks. I did see the thread re lowering the winch but this would require dismantling the drum unit which I didn't want to do. As I said I'm new to boats and I figured the bits on my bench were puzzle enough without adding a dismantled servo to it. !! I also wanted it done to sail tomorrow. In fact lowering the winch really isn't necessary.
D
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its advisable to remove the radio tray and move the winch servo to being mounted below the bottom tray , this will prevent the drum getting snagged on the hatch cover . ive already done mine , hoping to sail this evening , jon
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I too bought a Dragon Force 65 yesterday, but will not be starting it until this evening.
Lots of information available from http://www.abersochboatyardservices.co.uk/Dragon%20Force.php and they sell the full range of spares too.
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Maiden voyage in about an hour :-))
David
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Well 'excellent' is all I can say. :}
I had about an hours sailing tonight, me and my sons, and in quite gentle airs the dragon gave a very good account of itself. Speedy when asked, turns on a sixpence and even heaves-to nicely.
All in all a very controllable boat.
I imagine one could trim and trim and trim this boat until it was perfect but as a thug sailor I'm happy that its out- of-the-box performance is delightful
Recommended !
D
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mine also had its maiden last night , very enjoyable sail , it was even out sailing a 36 " fairwind
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Triumphjohn
Glad it went well. Did yours let any water in? I had a few drops in the bilges. I think ingress through the PVC hatch cover which had lifted a little. Deformation of the cover might be a better reason for lowering that winch servo; I must think about that
D
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hi wayne , no thankfully mine was dry inside . i moved the sail servo from the outset , but having changed my hull colour from the stock black to my own tri colour design i opted to make a new hatch cover in 1mm clear plasticard which i hold in place with hatch sealing tape . we have at least three in our club now .
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glad you are all happy with the df65,they do sail well.very pleased with mine.one on f/bay cheap slug
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David,
(http://my2wheels.com/forum/images/smilies/mysmilies/worthless.gif)
Would love to see a few shots of your boat, especially with the mods you mentioned. I too am a newcomer to R/C sailboats with 40+ years experience in RC helis, planes, cars, and would love to see what others in similar situations do in their newfound hobby.
Cheers!
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That's very clever. Most impressed.
ken
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That's very clever. Most impressed.
ken
Hope that wasn't said tongue in cheek. Sorry if it was. :-X
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No pics? Well this is not g4yvm's DF but here is the sort of close racing fun you can have if you get two together...
And to see little boats in big water and more wind, have a look at this video - two of us did "show and tell" at the A Class racing last weekend...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NS0IXMBzxLs (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=NS0IXMBzxLs)
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Good looking boats, Mr P.
Thanks for the video link! They seem to do quite well in heavier airs. You seem to have quite the diverse collection by the way. :-))
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I was impressed with your animations Saylee. Where did you get them ?
Cheers
Ken
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Ken,
Can't claim credit for those. They've been around for some time, so I just did a google search with that sentiment and clicked on images. There are a few other clever gems like this one, but I have yet to find them all on one site.
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I was intrigued by the thread "heavy weather sailboat" so I thought I'd take my DF65 out today - pics and vids to follow I hope, if I can upload them - and see how it faired.
Well, I only have the standard kit sails (new ones on order as a result!) so I had a few knock-downs and there's a heck of a lot of blastd weed still drifting around but all in all, apart from shipping a bit of water, she did okay. A few gusts got the decks awash but there was no damage and a lot of fun!
Oh, and during the clean up I lost my bung!
I really like my DF65. Its a good little boat...but my next one will be bigger. I\d fancy a hull about twice the length of the Dragon next I think.
David
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(http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/ab62/g4yvm/20131027_124034.jpg) (http://s850.photobucket.com/user/g4yvm/media/20131027_124034.jpg.html)
Well this is a shot of my boat. Because I have recently switched from an Iphone to the piece of garbage knows as Samsung I cant upload video via my Mac. Ill keep trying but Samsung is so bad I doubt I'll manage it. Pity.
David
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Got my videos finally sorted.
Here's one of them, the others are there too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfG1-pJM-qw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUe-cFRy8UMOZ-40zEaEn9IgDavid
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Hi David
I like the vids
When you get the new sails can you register
the boat to get a sail no.?
Been looking at Cat sails and a couple of others
and would like the new sails numbered by the
supplier.
Ned
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Ned
Glad you like!
Re sail numbers etc I don't know and won't try. I'm not into competition at all. I just enjoy pottering!
D
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No worries David.
Just plain sails look, well, plain !
I just made some up for my Vic
Do the same for the Dragon
Ned
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.....
When you get the new sails can you register
the boat to get a sail no.?
Ned
Have a look at www.dragonforce65.com (http://www.dragonforce65.com) re getting sail numbers and a lot of other info on this boat.....
Quote from that site:
Don’t forget that you should register yourself with the RG65 Class Association who will issue you with a personal number. Email the registrar at [email protected] ([email protected]), he is very helpful!
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Thanks for the info Mr P. :-))
Ned
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I really like my DF65. Its a good little boat...but my next one will be bigger. I\d fancy a hull about twice the length of the Dragon next I think.
David
That would be a Marblehead methinks :-)) :-))
With the three rigs you can sail in any weather but transport and rigging
become issues unless you're the White Van Man {-) {-)
Ned
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Ned
Yeah I'd clocked that problem with marble heads. I tried one ages ago but binned the idea because of transport. Surely there's a way of making them 'take down'?
D
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Swing rig is easier, but I think the Conventional
Rig sails better.
Ned
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get an old Marblehead with short keel for pleasure sailing,not the fastest but still look good tony
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Well, and looks a lot nicer
D
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My Marblehead rig box is 7' long
The A rig mast is 6'8" long.
!6" Keel and she sits on her stand at 27" high.
With a length of 50" she needs a good sized car
for transport.
All the niggles of rigging are forgotten when she is sailing in a good breeze though.
If it starts to rain and all the guys with smaller yachts can run for the car, I am stood
de-rigging and muttering to myself!
Contacted Tony the RG65 Registrar and got myself the Sail No. 190.
I can now order my sails.
Ned
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Just a correction to my last
The Registrar is Tom Brooke
not Tony :embarrassed: :embarrassed:
Ned
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All in all Ned I can see why IOM took off!
I would like a marble head though.
I guess theyre like model planes; the bigger ones just perform better
D
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Just to put it into perspective.
Rigging my Marblehead at the lakeside.
This is the 'B' rig :-)) :-))
Ned
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That's a very elegant boat. Must look good on the sea.
D
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Re larger boats:
I have an A class - hull is about 1800mm long, weighs 15Kg. Mast is about 2 metres long. Sounds big, and IS big when you need to transport it.
However, it fits in my smaller wagon (Subaru Forester) without too much issue and I can rig it pondside in five minutes even in a good wind. It is really just a matter of having the boat set up for easy rigging. A keel stepped mast makes it easier (but mine is not keel stepped)
Picture shows a similar boat near my car as a comparison - the boat fits in the car without any real drama
These big boats are exciting to sail in a blow!
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Very nice. I just looked at A Class on you tube. Quite impressive.
D
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Hi
Another new Dragonforce 65 owner here. Was looking forward to getting out on the water with it this Wed night after doing the various normal mods but ran into snags with the mast. Somehow the small mast has vanished from the table where I was building the boat. Turned the house upside down, then I remembered thar SWMBO and the mother in law were in the same room the other day(spare bedroom come junk room) clearing out some stuff. Apparently they got rid of a load of old tent spares so I suspect that the mast got ditched with the old carbon look tent poles. :((
So not out on the water yet
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A small problem I have just had with my DF.
The rudder servo packed up in the middle of the lake
I was lucky the rudder was midships when it failed
and I was able to sail her back to me as she is well balanced.
On strip down the smell of burnt electrics showed the problem.
The worrying thing was the ring of abs melt directly below the
servo.
There is very little clearance between servo and hull.
The fact the yacht was in the water cooled the hull enough
to stop a complete melt through.
Not heard of any other failures.
Ned
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A small problem I have just had with my DF.
The rudder servo packed up in the middle of the lake
I was lucky the rudder was midships when it failed
and I was able to sail her back to me as she is well balanced.
On strip down the smell of burnt electrics showed the problem.
The worrying thing was the ring of abs melt directly below the
servo.
There is very little clearance between servo and hull.
The fact the yacht was in the water cooled the hull enough
to stop a complete melt through.
Not heard of any other failures.
Ned
Ned,
This has been a problem that has shown on a number of DFs with the original servo. In my local group of about 15 DFs we have had maybe 5 or 6 fail without warning.
The cause is still unclear, originally thought to be a lack of lubrication in the servo but this is not necessarily accurate. We also blamed battery types as well but it happens with all different types.
Personally, I am suspicious that a bit of back load from the rudder to the servo while sailing is somehow causing the metal gears to bind together and once the gears are locked, the output transistors on the circuit board overheat. This heat then melts the wires going to the motor and potentiometer, resulting in a short circuit, heat, smoke, smell etc.... I have only seen one that failed without the heat, melting etc...
I replaced mine with a Hextronic HXT900 and it is fine. Any servo that will fit in the opening in the tray is a legal replacement as far as the rules are concerned.
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Thanks for that Mr P,
You have described the fault exactly as it happened to mine.
I have replaced mine with a Towerpro MG90S which works fine.
I posted my problem on the RG65 UK forum on the DF page
but no replys as yet.
Have any of the failed yachts noticed any kind of melting to the hull?
Thats what concerns me the most as a melt through would probably end in a sinking.
Ned
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Thanks for that Mr P,
You have described the fault exactly as it happened to mine.
...
Have any of the failed yachts noticed any kind of melting to the hull?
Thats what concerns me the most as a melt through would probably end in a sinking.
Ned
No significant hull damage has been mentioned but some of the failed servos got very hot and the servo case distorted significantly. I doubt it would hole the hull if the boat was in the water due to the cooling effect of the water, and they always seem to fail during sailing, never on the stand.
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My mast issues are now on coarse to be fixed. Got a mast kit for the 'c' class sail so I now just have to cut it to length. Anyone know the length of the short mast on the rig supplied with the boat?
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My mast issues are now on coarse to be fixed. Got a mast kit for the 'c' class sail so I now just have to cut it to length. Anyone know the length of the short mast on the rig supplied with the boat?
Not clear what you are after.... the boat is only supplied with an A rig.... I think you are perhaps looking for the length of the upper piece of the original A rig mast? I gather that was what you lost. The length of mine (actual upper tube length) is 202 mm on a standard A rig.
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Thanks, that was exactly what I was after. Now fingeres crossed I can get the boat on the water this weekend :-)
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it does seem that whenever you post a problem of something failing on a dragon to certain website tthe issue is ignored , i tried leaving querries in january when my hull split around the keel box and still not received any aknowledgment , improvments in the quality of the product will only make the boat even better surley ?
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it does seem that whenever you post a problem of something failing on a dragon to certain website tthe issue is ignored , i tried leaving querries in january when my hull split around the keel box and still not received any aknowledgment , improvments in the quality of the product will only make the boat even better surley ?
@triumphjon:
It may depend where you post it perhaps.
Also not sure whether you are referring to the designers or the distributors.
Re the designers - Mark Dicks (one of the three behind the product) is a regular or the Dragon Force thread in RCGroups...
I have also provided him some feedback on various matters on another forum (ShipShapeRC.com) that has been taken back to the manufacturers.
Re the distributors - I can only speak re Australia - I have had contact on a few occasions with Hobby Warehouse and they have been Ok.
I have also experienced the splits around the keel box, probably caused by rough handling on my part I think (travelling long distance in a vehicle, boat was in the back with lots of other gear).
It seems to have repaired Ok.
I used MEK (methyl ethyl ketone, a cleaning/primer fluid for plastic) and some light glass fibre, topped off with a bit of P glue (you will find these chemicals in the plastic plumbing section of your hardware store)
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Finally got mine on the water this morning for the first time. Very impressed with the handling. Still getting used to sailing into the wind but really glad I got one!
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@Z750Jay:
Looking good!
By the way, none of us can sail into the wind :}
I think when most of us start sailing we try to point the boat where we want to go (just like an electric powered boat or a car) and if "where we want to go" is directly upwind then we get nowhere - not only no forward motion but no steering either....
To go upwind, try sailing at 45 degrees to the wind, much easier, you sail farther but faster! If the sails are luffing (flapping) you are not getting any forward drive. With no water flow over the rudder you get no steering.
When tacking while travelling upwind, make sure you have a bit of speed up and then make the change of tack quickly. These lightweight little boats will stop very quickly.
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Lol, that's wha I ment by upwind. I was fine most of the time while tacking but every so often tried to steer her like my tug. Only ran out of lake twice and both times it was not too much of a walk.
Also got to get my sence of where the wind is from and what 45' off the bow looks like from the lakeside.
Thanks for the advice :-))
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Lol, that's wha I ment by upwind. I was fine most of the time while tacking but every so often tried to steer her like my tug. Only ran out of lake twice and both times it was not too much of a walk.
Also got to get my sence of where the wind is from and what 45' off the bow looks like from the lakeside.
Thanks for the advice :-))
The trick is not in knowing where the wind is coming from where you are (easy), but knowing the direction where the boat is. Angles as viewed from the bank look nothing like what is actually happening out on the water. Its a continuing learning curve, which keeps it interesting. I really must get one of these.
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Learning to read the wind is one of the skills I am enjoying getting better at. How it is where you boat is, what it is like approaching it, what it is going to be where your boat will be and how it is going to affect your boat.
It's all the terms I hate. Being an ex Navy engineer, I used to annoy the deck apes by using the wrong terms and old habits are hard to break !
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I bet the room on the ship you lived in had floor, walls and ceiling.
:D :D
Slept in a bed And went to the bathroom :D
Ned
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Yep, and now I work in the dockyard so still get to wind the sailor type with references to "the pointy bit" the blunt end, and any acronym that I can mangle :-)
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Now that is a step up the ladder of life :-))
Stoker to Dockyard Matey %%
Ned
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Ah but I was a MEM(L) one of the chosen!
But being ex RN and a Dockie I am self sustaining in tools
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both mine and a friends servo tray has delaminated both had been varnished from new.the thing I cant understand why you can,t make one out of plasticard....rules state that it has to be original fitting...new version coming out with plastic servo tray....not interchangeable with wooden one...just my little gripe....lovely yacht..great fun..well pleased......tony
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The servo tray is a standard spare, in stock in a few places for under £3.
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Took the DF out for the forth time today, well really it's the third time as last Wednesday does not count as I only got 10 minutes sailing time until I chucked the Tx in the lake!
Had a great time with the Portsmouth Model Yacht Racing bunch and once one of them kindly sorted out my rig I stopped being last and started to get a bit competitive %) . Strange how it's all nice and casual banter when everyone is strung out but all goes quite when we are concentrating on not fluffing it up.
Like I did .
A lot .
Still I am really glad I got talked into getting a DF and are looking forward to getting into the completion side.
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Still I am really glad I got talked into getting a DF and are looking forward to getting into the completion side.
[/quote]
Yeah, they go much better when completed :D :D
Ned
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its going to be interesting when the next batch of boats start filtering through , there are a number of manufacturer upgrades , which will mean different replacement parts , which hopefully the improter is going to carry both old and new !
good boat which not only intoroduces new blood into the hobby , but allows eveybody to compete from a level starting point . the portsmouth fleet is around twenty boats , with a regular turn out of around ten skippers , come rain or shine
jon
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If they are coming through with upgrades surely they should be allowed as a retrofit.
I varnished my servo tray and up to now its OK.
I would like to fit an abs one though.
One less problem.
Ned
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I think the main question is how much compatability between the first version and the new one. If the parts are not and the spare for the first version are discontinued then the rules will have to let you make your own replacements. It would be ok if it is just the servo tray as all the rules would have to say is something like from plywood of a set thickness to a set pattern.
I know the switch has been moved inboard with a bit of wire to operate it. If they stop supplying the replacement rubber cover for the originals once again the rules can be changed to say a replacement can be used from this model of this manufacturer. I can not see them changing the rigging.
It's if the new hull gives a performance boost that will be the main problem
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I think the main question is how much compatability between the first version and the new one. If the parts are not and the spare for the first version are discontinued then the rules will have to let you make your own replacements. It would be ok if it is just the servo tray as all the rules would have to say is something like from plywood of a set thickness to a set pattern.
I know the switch has been moved inboard with a bit of wire to operate it. If they stop supplying the replacement rubber cover for the originals once again the rules can be changed to say a replacement can be used from this model of this manufacturer. I can not see them changing the rigging.
It's if the new hull gives a performance boost that will be the main problem
Only working from pictures of the new version, but it seems that the new servo tray is actually two separate trays side by side. The mounting screw holes are different; this could be more of an issue than first expected if looking to fit the new trays in the previous hull. Issue with getting the centre 4 screws secure in the hull that is very thin at that point; also the rudder servo position has changed I believe, maybe requiring realignment of rudder link.
Re the power switch. There is no mention of the switch in the rules, however, part of rule A5 states:
The website www.dragonforce65.com includes a Hints & Tips section. These, or any other suggestions posted in the future, are deemed as permitted changes within these rules.
And on that page it says:
•Switch 1: Some of these are leaking - loosen screws & seal with sealant then re-tighten
•Switch 2: You may change the switch, but you must use a similar item that fits into the original location and uses the original cover.
The switch and boot are currently available as a spare part of course...
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True, I think if my trays start delaminating I would just make some new out of ply. I think we all forget that the DF is designed to get us into RC yachts and how fun racing can be. The rules are designed to keep the boats cheap and competitive for all. Yesterday my straight out the box DF was able to compete and beat the guys who had the replacement sails and more experience (ok mainly it was due to them concentrating on each other and ignoring the newbie :} ).
If anyone needs to win that bad they need to get squeeze extra performance out of the equipment beyond what is already there, then there is the big boys 'normal' RG65 with their carbon fibre hulls etc.
Mine yesterday was sailing like a brick and got lapped in the first two races until one of the experienced guys helped me set the rigging correctly. The result transformed the boat. I could actually race! Very closely as it turned out with just my inexperience and being a bit hesitant - I really must learn the rules of who gives way to whom. The only person I could not play with was the one who had a 'proper' RG65 with a carbon fibre hull etc but the experienced guys could give him a run for his money going up to the first maker - it was just the downwind leg that he just zoomed ahead.
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@Z750jay:
Nice to hear you got the DF running ok.
From my experiences with our radio sailing club the DF is a great leveler. Once you get the boat tuned for the conditions it is up to the skipper. I find the experienced skippers generally go well because they are confident with the rules, they make fewer mistakes and they can plan ahead to have the boat in the right place at the right time.
As a novice, I sometimes think I am going pretty well only to arrive at a mark at find I have to give way to one of the "old salts" who outsmarted me with a tack thirty metres back.
Sometime you watch where they sail and wonder why they are are going out in some odd direction - if in doubt, follow them if you can - it usually pays off.
Re racing DF against RG - we find that a DF is usually pretty much equal to an RG running on B rig. The RGs here usually dominate in light winds but they come back to the DFs when it starts to blow seriously. The standard (class legal) DF will not compete with a reasonable RG. However, racing DFs against each other always leads to close finishes and good fun.
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It was interesting watching the others yesterday. We had light winds so no one was moving that fast so I had time to try to work out the rules and tactics. I think the only reason I got in the lead once was because I was prepared to get very close to the lake edge and risk stalling while they all tacked in the other direction and kept falling over themselves. I did note that once my rig was sorted, [size=78%]had got the hang of it and had started to be competitive that there was a lot more 'tactical' sailing going on but I am reading up on the rules so I don't get caught out again![/size]
[/size][size=78%]Later, once the rest of the crew had departed I was sailing alone trying to get the Rx batteries to die so I could see how the boat handles just before they do(had my rescue boat with me) and someone started to sail their RC yacht at the other end of the lake( Some sub 1m American thing). Sure enough within 5 minutes we were racing each other using the pedlows as the markers ( moving markers is fun). What is it that makes us race if there are two or more on the lake together even if we are not evenly matched [/size] %)
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What is it that makes us race if there are two or more on the lake together even if we are not evenly matched)
Same reason that dogs chase cars - because they can! :-))
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I went to canoe lake on Sunday evening and because it was so amazingly clear I noticed that it is pretty shallow in places - do you have any issues with the DG with grounding out?
There seemed to be some hefty weed at the southern end too.
I am diligently selling off hobby stuff on ebay whilst waiting for the local shop to get one of the new DFs in.
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No probs so far apart from snaging weed at the edge. Most of the time the major problem is the pedlows
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No probs so far apart from snaging weed at the edge. Most of the time the major problem is the pedlows
The sunshine brings them out...
At £7 a go I am surprised there's anyone on them!
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On Sat morning we even had one of them wandering into our start markers as the women was too busy chatting on her phone
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Finally RCYachts have rig sets back in stock :}
Just ordered a B and C set plus some spares and a full set of sails from Cat Sails. Should arrive over the next week or so
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I see that rcyachts are going to do a 2014 hull for sale later to take the new plastic servo tray.....tony
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In a years time you will get a carbon fibre hull >>:-(
The modifications keep coming with every release.
Thought it was supposed to be a leveller so everyone
raced equally ??
Ned
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I am just going to keep to my mk1 - I will eventually get a Goth RG65 once I have got a bit if experiance eg when I can sneak it past SWMBO. Not sure I like the idea of a improved model coming out every couple of years. Like has been said, the DF65 is supposed to be a entry to the sport with a level playing field.
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a new winch is c0ming out for the 2014 model....would that be interchangeable with the early one???? tony
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A case of damned if they do, damned if they don't I think. If they did not improve the weak areas of the design, people would complain, but if they keep changing the design, people will complain. As long as the basic hull, foil, rig & overall weight isnt changed I don't feel it matters that much.
However I have heard that the new plastic radio tray flexes excessively, so maybe the old one was better.
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I have not seen the new (2014) model as yet.
The last boats delivered a couple of weeks back in Australia all seem to be the previous model. The RTR version is being provided with a different radio from the original white/black unit.
From what I can determine relating to the 2014 version, I don't think the changes made thus far would provide any advantage or disadvantage.
I am not aware of any winch changes apart from the changes to the winch drum and shell being made smaller vertically in units delivered in the last few months. I note on the 2014 version that the winch is now set up to wind the opposite way (sheet = anticlockwise) but other than that it looks the same from pictures posted.
The 2014 hull is needed to fit the new (plastic) servo tray pair as the mountings are somewhat different around the hatch rim. It may be possible to retrofit the old tray in the new hull, but the new trays will not fit the old hull without adding holes in the hatch rim, a rather weak area at the best of times on the hulls I have handled.
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Most of the DF stuff is now back in stock. Picking up a B and C rig from the post office this afternoon and my new sails should be done by the weekend