RC sailing is a fun hobby, I particularly enjoy it when I want to sit back in a chair, relax, but still want to play with something RC. There is something inspiring about letting the wind take your boat across the lake or the pond. Get some gusts of wind and you can have a pretty exciting day maneuvering your boat around the waves and when a gust comes seeing the boat take off into the wind.
Finding the best RC Sailboats on the market has gotten pretty tough. Many other sites just recommend the top they find quickly on Amazon, but truly, many are good, they just require a bit of extra work.
To be perfectly honest, any boat will need some maintenance or work done whether it is a cheap boat or very expensive. The sails on these can produce lots of push which can pull glued on riggings off, tighten lines, snap things, etc. This doesn’t happen often, but when you read reviews about a snapped line or plastic part, of course when you have a 4′ tall sail and a gust comes it can cause something to go wrong.
Due to many manufacturers exiting the market either through bankruptcy or leaving certain niches of the hobby, the number of RC sailboats on the market has become very limited. As I did the research for this article, it almost saddened me seeing so many players gone from the market. Anyways, enough rambling, let’s get into it.
There are a few good sailboats on the market, but buying new is limited, that’s why I also suggest you also expand your search for used boats on eBay.
Kyosho Seawind
The Kyosho Seawind is a great boat that comes RTR from the factory including a 2.4Ghz radio waterproof high torque sail servo, as well as a waterproof rudder servo.
The ballast in the boat is environmentally friendly, lead-free as well as removable for easy transportation. In fact, the mast, keel, and ballast are easily removable without tools.
The boat is 39″ long, about 8.9″ wide, and almost 73″ tall. If you do the math, that is over 6′ tall. This boat is HUGE. The boat can handle a good amount of wind if need be, but has a sail area large enough to sail great at even the slightest of wind speeds.
Kyosho is a brand that has been around for many years and can be trusted to keep replacement parts on the shelf for many more years to come.
This boat is a good beginner model as it comes ready to run, as well as a model for the more advanced sailor. The boat only needs 8AA batteries to get out on the water.
Pros
- Comes RTR
- Large
- Sails great
Cons
- Could be too large to transport for some users
Megatech Nirvana II
The Megatech Nirvana II is not made anymore, but it was one of the better boats on the market RTR. I currently own two as they are a blast to sail with or without friends.
This boat was the perfect beginner boat due to the simplicity of the boat as well as the great sailing abilities.
They have a heavy ballast on the bottom and have a very simple sail servo and rudder servo that make running it easy. This model measures in at 32″ long 65″ tall, and 7.75″ wide. The boat weighs in at 5.5 pounds with most of that in the ballast.
I have had no problem with my boats, but do believe if I stiffened up the servo area, that would allow me to be more precise in my sail control as it does tend to have some give in it.
The ballast disconnects for easy packing in a car or storage.
Sadly, Megatech does not manufacture this great boat anymore, but if you would like to find a used model, click here to run a search for this model on eBay. You won’t be sorry if this is your first or even your last boat.
Pros
- Awesome Beginner Boat
- Comes RTR
- Removable ballast
Cons
- Not made anymore
- Could use a stronger servo to control sails
Joysway Orion Sailboat
Joysway is one of the leading manufacturers when it comes to sailboats. They have slowed down production lately, but still have some great models. The Joysway Orion Sailboat is the younger brother to the very capable sailboat the DragonForce 65.
This boat measures in at 18″ long and 36″ high. This is the perfect boat to take on a trip due to its smaller size. The small size doesn’t mean you have lots of performance. This boat takes the wind and waves like its bigger brother.
Joysway includes an environmentally friendly zinc ballast, as well as good components such as fiberglass masts and booms.
Here is a very helpful in depth review with much more data and photos about this boat.
For a beginner, this boat will make anyone happy. Even for a more advanced sailor, this boat is fun as it is easy to pack around when traveling.
Pros
- Comes RTR
- Great Beginner Boat
- Smaller sized
Cons
- May need some tinkering to work to its full potential
Kyosho Fortune 612
The Kyosho Fortune is similarly sized to the Joysway Orion but a bit larger. The boat is about 24″ long by 5.11″ wide and 44.68″ tall. The boat weighs in at 2.31 pounds.
This boat is the ReadySet model which includes a 2.4GHz radio, and two servos to get you sailing as soon as possible. This boat will require about 30 minutes of work to get it setup as it is not fully built at the factory to provide for a smaller shipping box. The good news about putting it together is that you will really learn how the boat works and operates to give you a leg up shall anything happen to it.
The Fortune is the perfect smaller sailboat to get around the pond, yet it is large enough to get through the lake. This model is readily available directly through Kyosho’s eBay store.
Pros
- Ready to Run (RTR)
- Good Brand
- Good Quality
Cons
- Needs some assembly
Joysway Binary
The Joysway Binary Catamaran Sailboat is truly a one of a kind boat. This boat reminds me of sailing Hobie Cats as a child, and from videos of it, it handles just like one.
The Binary is a smaller sailboat measuring in at almost 16″ long 10″ in width and about 22″ tall. The hull is made out of molded plastic and there is both a main sail and jib sail to propel this boat through the water.
This boat comes with a high quality 2.4GHz radio to help control it through the wind.
This boat sails a bit different than a monohull sailboat. This boat does not have a heavy ballast in the bottom, but it uses two hulls to balance. This boat can tip over and it won’t right side due to the dual hull configuration. You may want to have another rescue boat jut in case. Typically this won’t happen unless it is super windy or if you are experienced sailing, you should be able to correct it before it tips.
This boat has a good build quality, provides good protection from water for the electronics, and sails great. This model is for a more experienced sailor due to it being a multi hull and you may want some experience so you do not tip it over.
For a full in depth review, check out this article here.
Pros
- Faster than a monohull of similar size
- Looks Good
- Unique
- Comes RTR
Cons
- May need some tinkering around to get it to run perfectly
- Can tip over leaving you stuck
Joysway Dragon Force 65
The Dragon Force 65 is a boat that was designed by sailing engineers from the ground up. The boat is good for the beginner as well as an advanced user.
The Dragon Force was originally released in 2013 and is currently on version 6 with its upgrades and variations. This boat is so popular, there is an ownership group dedicated to it as well as many clubs that use it as their standard racer.
This boat can be had in a RTR version or kit version leaving you to source your own parts. Depending on your level, either can fill your sailing void.
This boat is about 25.5″ long, 4.5″ wide, and 36″ tall. By no means is this the biggest boat, but it is a top performer. The hull is a molded ABS with a zinc alloy removable ballast.
This boat is sure to please the beginner boater as well as the more advanced racer. If you want bigger, this boat has a bigger brother, the Dragon Force 95.
Pros
- Aftermarket Support
- Has Nationwide Clubs
- Designed by sailing engineers
Cons
- None that we can find.
RC Laser Sailboat
The RC Laser Sailboat has been in production since 1994 and has sold over 22,000 models. From opening the box, this boat is ready to sail in 5 minutes. Like the Dragon Force 65, this boat also has its own sailing class.
This boat has a blow molded polypropylene hull with a molded fin keel and lead ballast. The electronics that come standard are class approved waterproof and the radio is a 2.4GHz model. This boat will need 12AA batteries to be water ready.
This boat comes with a B sail, but has A, B, C, and D sails available for different conditions. This is a single sail boat so there is no jib.
The hull is 41.5″ long, 13.5″ wide, and 73″ tall, and about 9 pounds so this is a LARGE boat. This boat has many accessories such as sails, cases, and parts available and there is plenty of support.
Pros
- Ready to sail in 5 minutes
- Lots of support
- Sails great
- Lots of information online
Cons
- This is a LARGE boat. Transportation may be difficult.
I hope this information helps you make an educated decision on choosing your next sailboat for purchase. All of these boats are different, have their advantages and drawbacks. I wish Megatech still made their boat, but there are some great boats on the list above.