590 Class Yacht

This is a one design class of fin keel racing yacht of 590mm overall length, hence the name.  Thousands of these models are scattered around the country and they are still sailed competitively by the Sheffield Ship Model Society.
Kits are available from model shops, with or without a cabin. The best choice for racing is without a cabin, as there is less risk of taking on water. Contrary to what we sometimes hear at the bank side, the model has no means of propulsion other than the wind in it’s sails.
Standard two channel radio gear is used as in model car racing. Sail winches are prohibited and one servo is used to haul the sails in or let them out simultaneously, the other servo operating the rudder.
Whilst being an ideal beginners model, it is capable of being tuned to achieve an excellent performance within the strict class rules, which prohibit any external modification to the hull and limit maximum sail area to that of the largest suit supplied with the kit, although you may use different sail cloth.
Mast, booms and rig may be altered within strict limits.
Races usually consist of one or up to three laps, depending on available wind and the winning yacht scores ½ point. second gets 2 points, third three and so on. At the end of the event, the winner is the yacht with minimum score. One score is discarded for six or more races and two discards are allowed for twelve or more.