AquaCraft Rio EP - Manual (Page 9)

9
ADJUSTING THE TRIM PLATES
You can also adjust the trim plates to adjust the ride attitude
of the boat. Bending the plates down (negative) will help keep
the boat from porpoising (the front bouncing up and down).
Bending them up (positive) will make for a looser (faster)
ride but at the same time make the boat unstable. It is best
to make small adjustments one at a time.
RACING YOUR RIO EP
• Although it is very enjoyable to run the Rio EP by yourself
or with a buddy, the real fun and excitement of R/C boating
is experienced when you get involved in racing. Racing
against other boats is much different than running your
boat alone. The following suggestions will hopefully provide
helpful strategies when racing a model boat.
• A good set-up for running alone may not be the best for
racing. Race water conditions create challenges different
from running alone and water conditions constantly change
during a race. Five or six boats racing against one another
will create rough water on the race course. To compete
successfully, it may be necessary to “tighten” the ride
characteristics.
• Wakes caused by other boats can upset the balance
and ride characteristics of even a well-trimmed model
boat. When running down the straightaways, don’t follow
in another boat’s wake. Wakes generated by other boats
while entering and negotiating a corner are especially
dangerous. Cutting across a wake when entering a corner
can cause the boat to “hook” (spin out).
• Racing other boats through a corner may be a competitor’s
greatest challenge, especially the first corner after the start
of a race. The boat entering the corner first has the task
of holding its position (often called “holding your lane”)
through the corner. The following boats must then attempt
to hold their lanes, too.
• There are three national model boating organizations in the
United States and Canada:
APBA or American Power Boat Association
(R/C Boat Category)
www.apba-rcboating.com
IMPBA or International Model Power Boat Association
www.impba.net
NAMBA or North American Model Boat Association
www.namba.com
Each of these organizations has its own rules governing
model boat racing, sanctioned events and recognized records.
Organized model boat racing is offered at both regional and
national levels. Location of clubs, race dates and locations,
membership applications, and other information can be
obtained through their respective web sites.
Here are some more good sources of information regarding
all aspects of model boat operation:
International Waters
www.intlwaters.com
Jim’s RC Boat Dock
www.jrcbd.com
Of course, racing does not have to be an organized and
sanctioned competition to be fun. Small informal races can be
very exciting without the stress that comes with formal events.