hi all
Do you remember what it was like before you started model boat racing?
If I remember correctly, not a great deal has changed EXCEPT there are now FAR more 'other things' to do!
I started off with 'other things' - a plastic model of a dragster which, when finished looked very pretty but didn't do anything.
So off to the model shop to see what they had. At that point I'd never seen a copy of Model Boats or a boat race, or attended a regatte, so had no idea what I wanted. The picture on the box of a Lesro Stiletto looked good, so with that and the help of a knowledgeable shop assistant, I left with - the kit, glue, paint, a HB20 engine, tank, rudder, tubing, aircraft silencer, thicker tubing, propshaft, coupling, plastic prop and a 2 channel radio.
I won't say it was easy to build because at that time a lot of it was more luck than judgement, but a few weeks later it was finished.
I then had to find somewhere to run it as, up until then, it had never crossed my mind that I would need somewhere.
The guy at the model shop told me of the nearest club and when they were there, from then on it was 'plain sailing'.
The reason for these 'ramblings' (apart from the fact that I'm getting old) is that the "newcomer" we are hoping to attract into model boating may not have any idea what they want or how to do it! How many IC knowledgable sales assistants are there? I was VERY lucky - I could just as easily ended up with a model train!!
I firmly believe that the upsurge in interest in the USA is due to the fact that NOW, you don't have to rely on the model shop assistant who MAY be OK but .......
There are a number of RTR boats which seem to range from bad to quite good, but are ready to go.
What does the UK offer -
Decide what type of racing to do. Don't know? Well EVERYONE will say that theirs is the ONLY type, the others are not worth bothering with. The truth is out there - somewhere!
Buy hull from XXX (have to mail order because the local shop doesn't stock it), if lucky may have an A4 sheet with a layout sketch on.
Buy engine from ZZZ (no idea which one though - huge variety of engines AND recommendations)
Buy all the other bits needed. What do you mean "you don't know what bits" - it's common sense!
If your really lucky, join a web group who will help you, bearing in mind that you're local shop probably won't even know there is one!
WE DO NOT MAKE IT EASY.
What do other groups do?
Cars - dead easy, RTR, run in the car park, stocked in the local shop.
Planes - bit harder, RTF but have to join a club and not much competition until you're good.
So what would appeal to someone who's never done it before? THINK BACK to before you ever had a boat.
If any established racer were to help promote a starter class, first by buying the boat, then by building and/or testing the boat, doing a photo build, recommending it, etc, it would have to fulfil certain needs:-
It would have to be able to race against others with the same boat (accepting that there would be low numbers to start with).
It would have to be associated with a type of racing already taking place into which they could move if desired.
It would hopefully look and feel (possibly smaller) like other boats they am being encouraged to move on to.
As I write this, I am more than ever convinced that if we could get a UK distributor (ie Ripmax or Jotika) to import a GOOD USA RTR boat OR get them to put the WHOLE kit together (including radio) and proper instructions, we could be onto a winner.
I know that Ripmax already sells the Nitro Hammer for just over £200 and the same American company also make a bigger (27") version with .18 cu in engine (which Ripmax don't import). These boats are suitable for 'offshore' (probably the 'lake' variety of event) or for circuit racing. They also import the Miss Vegas hydro which would only be OK fro circuit racing. There are NO starter or RTR boats suitable for FSR-V (multi).
If you add the cost of UK parts, we could probably do something for a similar price, ie.
Nimrif 33" Cigarette hull = £45
Hardware kit = £60
Engine (pull start .18) = £60
Cheap tuned pipe and manifold (Just Engines) = £30
2 channel radio = £30
Bit and pieces (tank, paint, etc) = £10
TOTAL = £235
but which would be more appealing to a beginner?
Remember - its not what WE want, its what would appeal to a newcomer??
So what do you think (should I ask that or will it provoke so much thought that nobody responds except DickyD)
Danny