Dragon Sailing Blog & Newsfeed

Both veteran RC skippers and newcomers to the sport learned what hardcore sailing is all about at the inaugural DragonFlite 95 National Championship Regatta Oct 28-30, 2016  on Lake Ray Hubbard in Garland, TX.

43 Skippers sailed in the 3 day event which also had the distinction of being the largest RC sailing regatta in North America in 2016!  Both the conditions and the competition were challenging as the winds ranged from 5 mph all the way up to 20 MPH and B rig conditions most of day 2, creating big chop, big waves, and big fun !!

The Bass Pro Shop venue features an open dock and great control area and allowed the Race Committee to set up square and fair courses throughout the event. Principal Race Officer Fred Rocha, kept a brisk pace with nearly 50 heats and 16 total races. The top 10 skippers were all National Champions in other radio sailing classes so the competition was tough all the way through the fleet! The lead changed hands several times, but in the end Mark Golison, from Long Beach CA edged Gary Boell to claim the inaugural DF95 USA Championship! We are looking forward to a big 2017 for the DragonFlite 95 and expect the class to expand into regional regattas all over the USA! Check out the highlight video below:

We've finished our first video! Our customers have been asking for help assembling their DF95 rig kits and we have delivered!

The American Model Yachting Association (AMYA) , the radio sailing authority for the USA, has officially recognized the DragonFlite 95 as a sanctioned class!

You can check out the AMYA  at www.theamya.org and the DF95 USA Class Owners Association at www.dragonflite95.us

Here is the press release from AMYA President Ray Seta: 

Due to popular demand , we have decided to offer a special Ready-To-Race version of the DragonFlite 95 featuring the Turnigy i6 transmitter to the Dragon Sailing Lineup! 

We have purchased a number of the excellent Turnigy i6 Transmitters / receivers. The Dragon Sailing team will  bind, install and set the end points for the transmitter and receiver, so when your new DF95 is delivered all you need to do is quickly assemble the

rig, plug in the batteries, and go! Bind plug and manual will be included in each package.

We feel the Turnigy i6 is one of the best values currently going for the radio sailing market and has excellent next generation features only found in radios usually three times the price! 

If you havent enjoyed a transmitter / receiver with telemetry voltage feedback that displays real time on the LCD screen...you will wonder how you sailed without it! Also the transmitter features a low profile internal antenna, so no more antenna breakage! 

Turnigy i6 Specs:

Features:
• Entry level 6 channel 2.4ghz radio with telemetry capability
• Dual Rate/Trims/Gear/Flap/Gyro Gain Adjust/Flight Mode/Throttle Hold/Hover Pitch Switches
• Easy to use Programming & Navigation Buttons
• 20 Model Memory
• 8 Character Model Name
• Backlit LCD Screen displays real time transmitter and receiver voltage
• 4 Stick Mode Selectable
• Optional telemetry receivers and sensors available separately

Basic Program Functions:
Dual Rates
Sub Trim
Travel Adjust
Channel Reverse
Swash Mix
Gyro Sensitivity
Throttle Curve
Monitor
Pitch Curve
Throttle Hold
Model Name
Timer

Turnigy TGY-i6 Transmitter Specs:
Frequency: 2.4ghz ISM Frequency Range
Modulation: GFSK
Spread Spectrum Mode: AFHDS 2A and AFHDS
Band: 142
Number of Frequency Channels: 20
Output Power: <=20dbm
Working Current: <=100mA
Working Voltage: 1.5v x 4 AA
Dimensions: 174x89x190mm
Weight: 392g
Resolution: 1024 bit
Stick Mode: Mode 2 (Throttle Left)

Turnigy iA6 Receiver Specs:
Channel: 6
Frequency: 2.4g ISM Frequency Range
Power: 4.5V~6.6V/<30ma
Net Weight: 6.4g
Dimensions: 40.4x21.1x7.35mm

Requires:
4 x AA Type Battery For Operation

*Note: Receiver power telemetry feedback is available using the standard i6 receiver.

In the competitive radio sailing world, one of the key components top skippers look for to evaluate the quality of a boat  is the keel fin and ballast. The efficiency, balance, construction  of the keel fin and bulb are big determining factors how well a boat accelerates, its righting moment,  and ultimately how efficiently it moves through the water.

 DF95 lead designer, John Tushingham, combined  3D modeling, exhaustive testing and his  many years experience to create the specifications for Joysway Hobby to manufacture the effective foils and ballast of the DF95... and they have delivered!

The  100 gram carbon fiber keel fin is very stiff, and has an extremely efficient cross section that combine to give the DF95 good lift at low speed as well as good acceleration. 
The fin comes with nickle plated plugs that have been designed to be inserted into the keel fin, and provide a stable machined platform for the bolts to secure the ballast and secure the fin into the keel fin box in the hull.

Weighing 1000 grams , the design of the DF95 ballast is tried and true with a flat tail to dampen the vortices left from the trailing edge of the bulb. Since the boat is manufactured and imported , lead cannot be used for the bulb , but instead it is an alloy. 

The DragonFlite 95 will be available from Dragon Sailing February 2016 at www.radiosailing.net .

Pre Orders  are being taken at:  http://radiosailing.net/pages/dragonflite-95-preorder-form