RC Model Sailing Yachts: Rigging and Self-Steering

How RC sailing yachts work

A radio-controlled model yacht uses the wind for power, so the radio only has two jobs:

Rudder — steered by a servo, just as on a powered boat.
Sails — trimmed in and out by a sail winch, a powerful servo that pulls the sheets (the lines controlling the sails).

Most RC yachts use two channels, which makes them simple to install. Our radio control setup guide for model boats covers binding, failsafe and waterproofing, all of which apply to yachts. The receiver and winch need to be well protected, because yachts heel and take water over the deck more than most powered models.

Sail winches come in two main styles:

Arm winches — a long arm swinging through an arc, pulling the sheets.
Drum winches — a drum winding the sheet line in and out, typically used where more sheet travel is needed.

Underneath, most modern racing model yachts have a narrow hull, a deep fin keel with a lead bulb at the bottom, and a separate rudder. The bulb keeps the yacht upright against the wind’s pressure on the sails. Classic and scale yachts may use a long keel with the ballast built in.

Popular RC yacht classes

Model yacht racing is organised around classes, each with rules on length, sail area, weight and rigs. Some of the best known:

International One Metre (IOM) — a widely raced 1 m class with three rigs of different sizes for light, medium and strong winds.
Marblehead — a long-established class around 50 inches long, with a generous sail area.
10 Rater — a larger, older class with a measurement rule.
RG65 — a small class around 65 cm, popular for its size and cost.
US One Meter — a North American 1 m class.
Footy — very small yachts designed to fit in a box about a foot long.
DragonFlite 65 and 95 — ready-to-sail one-design yachts that have become popular entry points for club racing.

Many clubs also sail vintage, scale and non-class yachts just for pleasure. Check what your local club sails before buying; racing is more fun in a fleet of similar boats.

The parts of a model yacht rig

A typical modern RC yacht rig includes:

Mast — usually aluminium or carbon tube.
Boom — holds the foot of the mainsail.
Jib boom — on many model yachts, the jib (foresail) has its own boom, often pivoting on a stand-off fitting so it swings freely.
Forestay and backstay — wires or lines holding the mast forward and aft.
Shrouds — side stays holding the mast upright, usually led to the deck through spreaders.
Kicker (vang) — controls how much the boom lifts, which affects mainsail twist.
Gooseneck — the fitting connecting the boom to the mast.
Sheets — lines from the booms to the winch.
Bowsies — small adjusters (often plastic or aluminium) used to set lengths on model rigging lines.

A swing rig is a different layout: the jib and main are on a single boom that pivots on an unstayed mast. Some classes allow it, and it can be simpler to set up.

Model yacht rigging plans

Rig plans give the mast height, boom and jib boom lengths, stay positions and sail dimensions for a design. Common sources:

Class associations — for class yachts, the class rules and measurement forms set limits. Class associations often publish or link to rig drawings and approved designs.
Designers and sailmakers — many designers sell plans that include rig dimensions, and model sailmakers often publish rig plans for the classes they serve.
Kit and plan suppliers — model shops sell plan packs for classic and vintage yachts, as well as class designs. Our roundup of free model yacht plans lists pond yacht and RC designs you can download.
Vintage model yacht groups — for older designs, enthusiast groups often hold plan archives.

Check that any plan you use matches the current class rules, as rules can change over time.

Rigging and tuning an RC yacht

Mast and stays

Step the mast and set it upright when viewed from ahead, using the shrouds.
Set mast rake — how far the mast tilts aft — according to the plan or class tuning guide. Rake changes the yacht’s balance between turning into or away from the wind.
Set forestay and backstay tension so the mast doesn’t flop forward in gusts, but without excessive bend.
Use bowsies to make adjustments repeatable, and note your settings.

Sheets, winch and travel

Set the winch so that, with the transmitter stick fully in, the sails are pulled close to the centreline (for sailing upwind).
With the stick fully out, the booms should swing well out for sailing downwind, without the sheets going slack and tangling.
Use the transmitter’s end points to fine-tune winch travel without straining the winch at the limits.
Run sheets through deck fairleads to keep them clear of fittings.

Sail shape

Camber (the curve of the sail) is set mostly by the sailmaker and by outhaul tension at the boom end.
Twist (how the upper sail opens out) is controlled mainly by the kicker.
Jib and main together: the gap between jib and main (the slot) matters for efficiency. Tuning guides for each class often give starting measurements.

Start from a published tuning guide for your class or design, then adjust one thing at a time on the water.

Balancing the yacht is like trimming a powered boat: it needs to sit level on its lines. See our guide to ballasting an RC model boat down to its waterline. For rudder servo setup and linkages, see setting up rudder servos and linkages.

Model yacht self-steering gear

Before radio control, model yachts were sailed free: set up on a course and released, with a self-steering gear holding them on that course until they reached the far bank. Some clubs still race vane yachts today, and self-steering gear is a popular feature on vintage models.

Note: the windvane self-steering gear sold for full-size cruising yachts (including servo-pendulum and auxiliary-rudder systems) is a different product for ocean sailors. The model gears below work on similar principles, at model scale.

Braine gear

The Braine gear links the mainsheet to the rudder through a quadrant and springs or elastic. As the wind pushes the sail harder, the sheet pulls on the quadrant and moves the rudder to keep the yacht on course. It was widely used before vane gears became common, especially on certain points of sail.

Vane gear

A vane gear uses a small wind vane mounted on the stern, linked to the rudder. The vane is set at an angle to the wind; if the yacht wanders off course, the wind pushes the vane and turns the rudder to bring it back. Vane gears allowed free-sailing yachts to hold a course to windward reliably and became the standard for vane racing classes.

Self-steering vs RC

RC gives full control throughout the sail and is the norm for modern club racing.
Self-steering is a skill in itself: setting the sails and vane so the yacht sails to the right point on the far bank. It is often sailed on long, open ponds with a pole to turn the yacht at each end.

Some vintage enthusiasts fit both: a vane gear for display and occasional free sailing, and RC for everyday use.

Getting started

A ready-to-sail one-design yacht is often the easiest way to start, because it comes already rigged and tuned and lets you join a club fleet. From there, many sailors move on to building a class yacht from plans or a kit, rigging it themselves and learning to tune it. Our guide to planking a wooden model hull includes strip-planking an RC yacht.

If you prefer powered models, our guide to scale model ship propulsion covers motors and props.