Hey, Miles, you actually have a great dilemma - eager participants, willing sponsors and thoughtful organizer (you).

For a new club, you also need to consider availability of RC boat, chase boat, and area/distance to cover for safety of competitors. For round-the-buoys races you need marks to be set relative to changing wind conditions. Distance races may not need this exactly. Does the lake have permanent, well-marked and easily describable navigation buoys that can be used as marks of a distance course?

I think the idea of a middle distance/laps around an area is a good idea to start off with. It limits the area to cover, yet gives the faster boats a challenge.

Any time you can get a mark rounding near a spectator site like a pier or something, it can be great for publicity.


Jim Casto
NACRA 5.5 & NACRA 5.7
Austin TX
Lake Travis