The DF65
The Dragon Force 65 (DF65) is the fastest growing class of RC sailboats in the U.S. The boat has earned this distinction by being a great one-design sailing boat, while being one of the least expensive ready-to-sail boats on the market. At around $250 for a boat with radio and receiver and about three hours of assembly and you're on the water. An added benefit of the boat is the well-supplied and dedicated national distributor that provides excellent access to boats, parts and accessories allowed by the class rules.
One of the great things about the DF65 is its' size. Twenty boats can be raced at one time with no problems, which makes for great racing! They are also easy to store and transport.
The Northern Maryland Model Yacht Club has one goal and that is to master this boat. It should be loads of fun!
My DF65s with a long and short keels are pictured above. The white boat is version 6 and the black boat is version 5. Both boats have their strengths. We only allow A, B or C Sails when racing at PORMYC except when noted otherwise, such as a regional regatta sanctioned by the AMYA or the National Organization. They allow A+ sails to also be used.
Personally, I have had more luck competing with my Version 5 (black boat). The main difference is the sail material, as the older version’s sails feels more like cloth. Both versions have their supporters. Surprisingly, this sailboat can keep up or beat with some of the larger boats when sailing for fun.
The Dragons race at 10AM on race days. Every year there is also a Capital Cup, in which we compete as a club against the other clubs in the area. It was great fun last year! Several other nearby clubs race these boats, so you can race many times a month if you’d like.
To sum things up:
1. DF65s are inexpensive
2. Easy to transport and build
3. Perform above expectations
4. Have a great group of sailors to compete against.
Why not join the fastest growing class?
The DF Concept was initially conceived quite a few years back by John Tushingham and Mike Weston who had a desire to produce an affordable radio sailing yacht which sailed well, had all the tuning aids that a larger radio yacht had and that was available off the shelf so that fleets could grow quickly.
The concept came to fruition in 2013 with the DF65, based on the Ice RG65 by Mark Dicks. Produced by Joysway Hobby Co in China the DF65 was an instant hit and to date (early 2016) there are over 12,000 boats out there sailing and racing. Whilst the DF65 was finding its feet John Tushingham was approached again by Joysway to produce a large radio yacht.
Here is the U.S. Site where you can register your boat ($7), get official numbers and learn a lot more about this fun and challenging boat.
Our club represents region 2.
Version I-V DF65 shown on the left.
Version 6 is shown on the left.
DragonForce65 Home
Welcome to the DragonForce 65 U.S. Class Owners Association website!
This site is your online portal to all things DragonForce 65 in the USA!
There has been an update in the Class Rules to provide clarification to some of the rules. The latest version of the rules is now posted under the USA COA Info tab .
Click the International Class Association link for current information about our membership
Please go to the Regatta Schedule Page for Regional and other Major Events
The Club List has been updated. Please let us know if your club needs to be added or if the info is incorrect.
We recently have added two interesting pages to the website. The DragonForce history of development and a great tuning video was added to the Tuning and Building Guides and Tips.
The latest revision of the DragonForce65 Restricted Class Rules has been released (v1.61). Included in the rules is the addition of the A+ sail which fulfills requests for improved light air performance for fleets that sail in predominately light wind venues. Like the B and C rigs, the A+ is permitted for use but is not mandated by the rules.
The DF65 is the fastest growing RC class in the world with over 24,000 sold to date. The USCOA has over 1100 boats registered with the class and about 360 boats AMYA registered and fleets have formed at over 120 clubs around the U.S..
The DragonForce65 excels in a large range of wind conditions and with optional class-legal smaller rigs it can handle about any conditions you can throw at it. As a Restricted One-Design boat, skippers will be putting their sailing skills to the test not their wallet.
Sailing your DragonForce promises close and exciting racing in an affordable and easily maintained design. Parts and boats are widely available and whether you are sailing on your own, with a group of friends or trying to help your club grow and flourish with a new class, the DF65 is a great choice!
The DF65 is also a class legal boat in the RG65 class but a reminder that if your boat is registered in the RG65 Class but not the DF65 USCOA it is not eligible to participate in DF65 regattas.
PAGES on the website:
Chucks_DF65_A_Assembly_Guide_9ccb2af1-51a0-42ac-abbc-7aa7b032ec87.pdfdragonforce-65-restricted-class-rules-v1-61.pdfdragonforce-65-rules 2021 -v1.7-showing-changes-explanations-1.pdfdf65-mainsail-foot-templates.pdfdf65-v6-a-mainsail-jib-dimensions.pdfsoch-sails-df65-tuning-manual-v1-3.pdfDF65_V7_manual a.pdf