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Skippers assemble for C.Q. International One Meter (IOM) Championships

The sport of radio controlled yacht racing will be showcased this weekend in Gladstone as the Gladstone Radio Controlled Yacht Club has attracted a wealth of yachting talent for the C.Q. International One Meter Yachting Titles held  this Saturday  and  Sunday .

With sailors from Brisbane, Gold Coast, Bundaberg, Mackay and Gladstone, the racing is expected to be very competitive. Local hopefuls Aaron Farrar, Laurie Donohoe, Phil Brown, Steve Bray, Ian Mackay & Grant Cooper will represent Gladstone and are confident of performing well.

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Commodore Aaron Farrar believes there is a ‘home water’ advantage for the locals. “Sailing over at Spinnaker Park week in, week out, gives us local knowledge of tides and wind shifts that the ‘imports’ won’t know about,” said Aaron “and we won’t be telling them about it either.”

Don’t make the mistake of calling these specialised craft ‘toys’ or ‘models’ or you’ll find yourself in an argument. International One Meter radio controlled yachts are not scale models and these can’t be bought over the counter at the local hobby shop. They are specialised craft made by professional boat builders, some of the top competitors yachts even attract a price tag similar to a small dingy and are classified under the Australian Yachting Federation guidelines.

Having said that, the members of the Gladstone Club is always willing to show you the ropes… or controls as they would have it. The C.Q. International One Meter Championships get underway  this Saturday  at  10am  and finish  this Sunday  at  3pm .

This is a great opportunity to come down to Spinnaker Park and witness these high performance, radio controlled yachts at their most competitive.

Check out more on the web site at  www.rcyachts.com.au

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All eyes on Harbour City for yachting world event

Tactical, competitive and highly addictive - that's how Gladstone Radio Controlled Yacht Club Commodore Aaron Farrer describes the water sport […]

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Gladstone Yacht Club

• For All Sailing Enquiries Including use of pontoon and sailing facilities 0491 027 443 or [email protected]

Honorably awarded “Best Small Social Club” twice, and best known as the destination point of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, the Gladstone Yacht Club was designed to take full advantage of its exceptional location. The Captain’s Deck and New Veranda offer beautiful water and sunset views, a constant sea breeze and a perfect place to wine, dine or relax & unwind.

Find out more

Copyright © 2024 Gladstone Yacht Club | Another on tack website from Almost Anything

Frequent Questions & Answers

What days do you sail & where?

The GRCYC sail most Sundays (with the kind permission of the

Gladstone Ports Corporation) to the right-hand side of

Volunteer  Marine  Rescue (VMR) on the commercial jetty in the

Gladstone Marina.  Please check our calendar on the home page

for racing dates.  We start arriving to rig up & have a chat at about

12:00 and start racing  around  1 pm.

What type of yachts do you sail?

The GRCYC has always chosen to stay the path of one-design racing ,  

while at the same time keeping things like costs under control and the overall

size of the yacht manageable. The club chose the International One Metre (IOM) class of radio controlled yacht to race, which is the most popular class of RC yacht in the world.

Can I buy an IOM over the counter at a Hobby Shop - after all, they are one met re  long?

Short answer = NO. So often when people start becoming enthusiastic about radio sailing, they head to the local hobby store and see a 'one-metre' sailing yacht on the shelf for a couple of hundred dollars and think that's a cheap way into the scene.  

WRONG!!!!  

Those models (and I emphasise 'models') apart from being one metre in length are nothing like the boats that are sailed at the GRCYC. They are cheap, plastic, scaled-down versions of larger yachts with heavy cloth sails and plastic fittings, These are designed to float in a sheltered lake or your bathtub and would not last two minutes in the marina, where we sail, without tipping over and sinking.  

DON'T GET SUCKED IN and waste your money!

The IOM is not a model of anything.  It is a strictly designed, purpose-built yacht in its own right and is not a scaled-down version of a larger yacht. There are professional boat builders all over the world that are attempting to design better IOM's every day within a strict set of class rules. Yes, the cost is considerably more, but you get what you pay for...

Talk to a member of the GRCYC. We're here to help give you a better understanding.

Are IOM yachts popular?

The IOM class is the most popular class of radio controlled yacht in Australia and the world. When compiling this page there were hundreds of IOM's registered with the ARYA. Aussies have stood on top of the World Titles podium in the past and arguably the most successful Aussie RC sailor and World Champion, Brad Gibson has made a life in England around his passion for the sport.

So, just how much is an IOM?

Look, it's not cheap... but then again it doesn't have to be too costly either. Remember, IOM's are NOT off the shelf, one-metre yachts. They are specifically built by professional boat builders and will handle all weather conditions.

Consider that to get a boat on the water you need a good hull, a minimum 2 rigs for different weather conditions including masts, booms, sails and all the fittings, carbon fibre keel, rudder, sail winch, rudder servo, receiver, transmitter, batteries, battery charger and then a sail box to protect the rigs, a boat box to protect the boat and a stand to put the boat on when rigging her, we're talking a fair bit of gear.

So let's look at price ranges in general.

Please take the following as more of a guide and we're assuming you're getting everything included (see list above).

Usually, they won't come with Sail Box, Boat Box or Stand and these are completely essential. Each boat for sale will fall into the "good, the bad and the ugly!"

If it looks like a dog, smells like a dog and barks like a dog - it's a dog. You will buy this - realise it's not competitive, more trouble than it's worth and get disillusioned. Don't do it.

$1000 - $1600

This gets you an entry-level basic club racer. However, be prepared for replacing the gear as soon as you get it. (Remember it never looks as good as it does in the For Sale photo!) If you're lucky the hull doesn't leak and because water and electrics DONT MIX, if it does leak, your entire electrics system is a ticking time bomb of expense. The sails & fittings will be reasonable. Look, if you can handle these things - then go for it - just be prepared to spend more than the cost price. $1600 - $2500 This price range would get you a good competitive racer. The gear is in better and the hull will be stiff (good) but I would still look at the electrics for signs of corrosion and perhaps swapping the wiring out asap. The sails will be good and your fittings will work. It should come with Sail Box but might not come with Boat Box or stand. This, my friends, is what I would suggest as a good entry-level boat that might perform better on handicap more than scratch racing.

$2500 - $3500

This would get you a top-level, serious 2nd hand or at the upper level of cost a BRAND NEW racer. Now I might explain that you don't have to be a serious racer, to get a serious racer. The gear is practically new and usually has been looked after. The hull will be stiff, won't leak and will be one of the latest designs. The electrics will be new, but even still, look for signs of corrosion and even consider swapping the wiring out for some peace of mind. The sails will be as good as it gets on a second-hand yacht and your fittings will still be gleaming silver. You'd better get a Sail Box, Boat Box and Stand. You are buying a bloody good boat at this price. You know what….you might just win a few scratch races!!!

If you are buying a new boat, nothing more needs to be said other than "look out National Titles... here we come!"

I will add one more thing.

PLEASE ... speak to any member of the club BEFORE you buy. If you don't have enough $$$ right now, save a bit more and get a good competitive racer because, honestly, we've seen our fair share of 'dogs for sale' out there and we want to see you in our club for a long time, not a 'frustrated, throw the towel in' short time.

The best place to go for boats for sale is the ARYA website and we have links here in our site. Happy hunting & don't hesitate to give us a call.

So what are the measurements of an IOM? (besides one meter!)

HULL DIMENSIONS: (With the boat floating in freshwater): Draught Min: 370mm Max: 420 mm The depth of hull from waterline: 60 mm Hull length: 1000 mm

BOAT WEIGHT: Total minimum weight of the boat in with keel, rudder, sails and all other racing requirements, in dry condition: 4000 g. Keel, excluding fasteners to hull Min: 2200 g Max: 2500 g, Rudder, including stock: 75 g

MAST DIMENSIONS: Lower point to upper point A-Rig or Mast 1: 1600 mm B-Rig or Mast 2: 1180 mm C-Rig or Mast 3: 880 mm

These measurements are taken from the IOM Class Rules and should only be used in conjunction with that document in full.

Can I give it a go... to see if I like it?

Yes, you can! The GRCYC have invested in keeping a club boat that is available for anyone who is interested in the sport of radio controlled sailing to come down and have a go. The members will expertly assist in setting it up and giving you a quick lesson on the controls. Really - that's it. You'll be sailing in no time.

BUT BE WARNED... it's incredibly addictive.

Remember, IOM's are NOT off the shelf, one-metre yachts.

They are specifically built by professional boat builders and will handle all weather conditions.

GRCYC Members 2007 Back L-R: Matthew Jackson, Mark Hardy, Grant Cooper, Dave Laurie Front L-R: Pam Morrow, Jeff Paul, Trevor Hall 

IOMWC24 - NOR Released

In what is an important milestone ahead of the 2024 International One Metre Class World Championship in Gladstone, Queensland, Australia, the organising authority, the Australian Radio Yachting Association (ARYA), in conjunction with the Gladstone Radio Control Yacht Club (GRCYC), the International One Metre International Class Association (IOMICA) and the International Radio Sailing Association (IRSA) is pleased to release the Official Notice of Race (NOR) for this prestigious event.

The NOR is now available on the official 2024 IOM Worlds Championship website under The Racing menu - or you can click HERE to go directly to the documents.

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Gladstone Radio Controlled Yacht Club

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2024 QLD Marblehead State Championship Nr 329 Eagleby Rd, Eagleby, QLD

Latest results, 2023 qld iom state championship gladstone, qld, 2023 qld df65 gold coast classic emerald lakes, qld, 2023 qld 10r state championship eagleby, qld, 2023 qld central queensland iom regatta hervey bay, qld, 2023 qld a class state championship nr 329 eagleby rd, eagleby, qld.

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Littlest Hobo pick of the yachts

Laurie Donohoe’s Hobo edges out ‘Gator’, ably manoeuvred by Aaron Farrar and Jetfish sailored by Steve Bray in the first GRCYC Handicap and Scratch Series

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NINE yachts of the miniature variety enjoyed the moderate steady breeze, as the Gladstone Radio Controlled Yacht Club (GRCYC) enjoyed its first Handicap and Scratch series of 2011 last Sunday.

After fifty races, results went down to the wire, with any of four competitors able to take the Handicap series.

But in the end, Laurie Donohoe’s ‘Hobo’, with 141 points edged out ‘Gator’, ably manoeuvred by Aaron Farrar, 143 points, and Jetfish sailored by Steve Bray, 148 points.

The outcome was more clear-cut in the Scratch Championship series as Guru, sailed by David Laurie, with 65 points was well clear of Hobo (108 points) and Krunch (Mark Hardy, 110 points).

Club president, David Laurie is impressed with this year’s attendance.

"We consistently have nine or ten boats on the water each week," he said.

"All the sailors are keen and willing to learn. Sailors need to know the mechanics of sailing as well as tactics and rules."

Club member Tony Zussino has purchased a new ’Evo’ type hull built by Gold Coast builder Jeff Byerley of Mirage Radio Yachts. The new yacht, named T&T, is inherently stable under rough and windy conditions whilst still being able to find plenty of speed in light wind conditions and Zussino looks forward to attaining higher results in the next full season with sailing club.

The next race day for the club will be May 15 from 1pm at the Gladstone Marina.

This will be the first races of Series 2. Anyone interested is welcome to come and observe, try, join and race.

Originally published as Littlest Hobo pick of the yachts

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Gladstone Amateur Radio Club

Po box 128 gladstone dc qld 4680 gladstone qld 4680, introduction.

The Gladstone Amateur Radio Club, Incorporated (ABN: 24 766 374 980) promotes and supports the hobby of Amateur radio in the Gladstone Region of Central Queensland, Australia. Our Town Repeater site VK4RGT is located at Maurice Hill between Gladstone and Calliope, Frequencies are 146.625Mhz 91.5hz Analog and 438.050Mhz MMDVM Dashboard VK4RGT.duckdns.org VK4RGA is our Kroombit Tops repeater site linking with the Central Highlands Amateur Radio Club network throughout the Bowen Basin, Mackay and Airlie Beach on 147.375Mhz +600hz 91.5hz CTCSS. The second Two meter repeater 146.900Mhz -600hz 91.5hz CTCSS is linked to the Bundabergs Mount Goonaneman VK4RBU. As a community service we have installed a UHF CB repeater Channel 04 at the VK4RGA site covering the Kroombit Tops National Park, the Boyne Valley and the local community area. It's purpose is to provide the residents of the area with effective radio communications in times of disaster situations such as severe weather events where other means of communication have failed.

Club meetings are currently held at 6:30 PM on the first Monday of every month (except January) at the SES Headquarters, Lamington Drive, Gladstone.

Club Activities & Events

- Activation of the HMAS Gladstone Museum Ship - HF Contests - Portable Operations - Tinker / Project Days - Annual Gathering Event - Monthly Meetings

Gladstone Amateur Radio Club Meeting Location

Club contact details.

Page Last Updated: Wednesday, 20 Mar 2024 at 22:48 hours by Gladstone