Brightlingsea Model Boat Club
August 2026 Newsletter
Dear Members,
Firstly, I must apologise for not writing a newsletter sooner. We have had some family illness and a bereavement, which have understandably taken up much of our time recently.
The Annual Regatta was a huge success, and I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended and supported the club. It was lovely to see so many of you, and especially nice to see some of your partners joining us too.
A special thank you to Sandra and Frances for organising and preparing the ploughman’s lunches. They were very much enjoyed by everyone.
Important dates for your diary.
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Tuesday 29th September – Our Fish and Chip Supper Evening, which usually starts at around 4.00 pm.
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Saturday 21st November – Our Christmas Dinner Day. Further details will be displayed on the noticeboard in the coming weeks.
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The Christmas Dinner really is a wonderful day. The food is plentiful and delicious, and everyone goes home with a raffle prize!
As you may have noticed, we now have a fold-away table outside the clubhouse. It has already proved very useful and was recently used by the motorboat crew. A big thank you to Gordon and Jeff for all their help with this — it is very much appreciated.
We also have a new ‘Dragon 95’ in the clubhouse. This is available for members to use if they are unable to use their own boat. There will be a book available for members to record
their name and the date they use it.
It is fantastic to see that we continue to attract new members to the club, and there are still people enquiring about joining. This is a really positive sign for the future of the club.
A big thank you also goes to Terry for keeping the lake treated and topped up, allowing us to have continuous use of it throughout the summer. I know the water levels have been a concern, but with the exceptionally hot weather we have experienced, this has been largely unavoidable.
Terry has also informed me that the council are planning to purchase a saltwater pump, which will allow the lake to be topped up without relying on the high tides. Hopefully, this will help us to manage the water levels more effectively in the future.
Sadly, we recently said goodbye to one of our long-standing members, Tony Brett, who had been a valued member of the club for many years. Some of our newer members may not have had the opportunity to know Tony, but he was very much part of the club and will be greatly missed by all that knew him. Our thoughts are with is family and friends .
Finally, thank you all for your continued support of the club.
I hope you are enjoying the summer and managed to get plenty of sailing.....
Happy sailing,
kind regards,
Gary
Regatta sail day 2026
Information:
HOW TO TAME YOUR DRAGON - by Carl
This article deals primarily with the DF95 on Brightlingsea Boating Lake and is my opinion
only. There are as many opinions as there are Dragon sailors. Some right, some wrong?
Who knows? Preferences may differ, as may conditions elsewhere.
The following is purely what works for me.
BUILD
Not too many options here. Don't believe the build time. It will take all day, if you’re quick!
Buy and apply the keel patch from RC Yachts before you start. Dip the ends of the rigging
twine in Superglue and cut to a point to thread it through bowsies, etc. Secure all knots with
a blob of Superglue. The instructions are very good. The only deviation everybody makes is
moving the mast to the fully aft position. Screw the keel together with some Loctite 270 on
the bolts but DO NOT overtighten the keel/deck bolt, you’ll crack the hull. The main boom
bearings supplied are useless. Not stainless steel at all and will soon rust and seize. I
replace them from the start with hybrid stainless/Teflon bearings from Race Pace Bearings
(Part No. ABEC7 B106RS). Likewise, the plastic rudder bearings don’t last long, leaving you
with a wobbly rudder. I drill these out during the build and insert a 4 x 20mm brass sleeve
instead (now allowed by DF95 rules).
SET-UP
Use the measurements in the manual for mast rake and backstay adjustment (1135 and
1090). After that I use a 30mm gap between sail foot and booms. 70mm from centreline of
mast to mid leech (back ) of jib when sheeted in. 60mm from backstay to end of middle
batten on the main, increasing to 70+ as wind increases. You know if it’s right if you can sail
upwind no hands. Mainsail downhaul should be just tight enough to take up slack. End of
jib boom should be over the inner edge of the angled side deck and main boom pointing at
the corner of aft deck recess when sheeted in. This is where it’s absolutely essential to
make sure the mainsheet bridle is centered. Any misalignment here will translate into a
massive difference at the end of the boom, usually manifested as different steering
balance on port/starboard tack. The forward facing part of the bridle doesn’t really
contribute much, apart from breaking it’s plastic bracket when you gybe. I leave it loose. I
run the elastic tensioner and jib sheet directly from the deck eye to the control line clip as
per the instructional drawing. Some run them through the port side deck eye to keep them
clear of the mast. It avoids wear on the elastic if you go direct and prevents the jib and main
fighting against each other when fully out. You have to try it to see what I mean. Use a 6
volt 1600mah 5 cell humpback NiMh battery, they fit perfectly. Avoid Lipo batteries, unless
playing with explosives is your thing. If you have a programmable transmitter set 40% expoon your
rudder channel (ensure you get this right, negative for Flysky and Futaba). The stick
on hatch cover is only good for a couple of outings. I tape over the entire hatch every time
with new Fixman All Weather clear tape. Much cheaper than replacing electrical bits.
Lastly, check the rudder is exactly centered. It might not be! Get it as near as possible using
the adjustment on the servo rod, then wiggle it about and do the final bit with the trim
switch on your transmitter. Usually rudder goes on channel 1, sail winch on channel 3.
Standard convention is right stick for right/left (port/starboard) and left stick up for sails out
and down for sails in. Best to stick with this in case anyone else ever has to take control.
SAILING
In my opinion Dragons do not sail well with everything tightened in. They go much better
sailing a bit loose and free. In addition to the settings mentioned above I’ll still sail with a
couple of clicks of mainsheet out when going upwind in light airs. Put some BG Sails tell
tales on the jib and become obsessive about keeping them flying straight. It’s the only way
to trim/ steer accurately. Can’t keep the jib goosewinged? Steer into wind a bit (away from
main boom side). Weird I know, but the wind comes round behind the mainsail and flicks it
out. Try it. Downwind in a blow they can be lively (this is where the expo helps). It’s often
easier and quicker to go downwind in a series of very broad reaches to avoid nosediving. I
personally don’t use the B rig at Brightlingsea as you will always lose out in the sheltered
bits. I prefer to detune the rig with a bit more twist in the sails (slight tweak on the backstay)
and go for it (although not the most seamanlike approach, I know).
MAINTENANCE
Wash down with fresh water after every sail (not forgetting the sails if they’re wet).
Dry off, then come back later to paint some WD40 onto main boom bearings, vang
mechanism, aft control line block and rudder linkage with a small modelling brush. Check
backstay off, plug out and no water inside, battery out and on charge. Support the keel
underneath to take the weight off the hull. I leave the boat stored with the hatch
off to dry out any moisture.
Spares from RC Yachts
Stands and rig bags from Potter Solutions
Sails & Decal sets from Soch Sails
Happy Sailing
St. George