Sport .18 Hydroplane Racing Guidelines

To help meet the ever-growing interest in racing ready-to-run sport hydroplanes, AquaCraft has put together this simple set of racing rules.

The IMPBA (International Model Power Boat Association) and NAMBA (North American Model Boat Association) have also adopted rules for RTR racing. By following their guidelines or those we've prepared, you can race legally at club or district levels.

Class Intent:

This class of racing is intended only for similar sport hydroplane boats that are manufactured for the radio-control hobby. Drivers of all skill levels are welcome to participate.

Boats permitted for entry must not only be made for the R/C hobby, but also be available nationwide from hobby shops or e-commerce.

Production Sport Hydroplane Racing Rules (Nitro Engines)

To be allowed entry, your model boat must meet all of these criteria:

It must be intended for the R/C hobby market.
It must be distributed to and available from hobby shops and e-commerce nationwide.
It must be a full-body hydroplane (known in the modeling industry as "Sport Hydroplane").
It cannot resemble outrigger hydroplanes, tunnel hulls or catamarans.
Its engine displacement must not exceed 0.189 cubic inches.

You must race your boat only as it was designed by the manufacturer, with the following exceptions:

You may use any radio equipment.
You may use any glow plug.
You may use any glow engine fuel (for example, with any nitro percentage).
You may upgrade to any engine starting system, including changing the flywheel and cable coupler.
You may use any propeller designed and sized for the stub shaft (but it is not legal, for example, to use 3/16" props on a 1/8" stub shaft).
You may use any production turn fin and turn fin bracket.
You may sharpen and polish hardware.
You may change any silicone part, such as the fuel line or pipe coupler.
You may paint your boat however you wish - in fact, we encourage it!
You may scuff the paint.

Any of the following will disqualify your boat from racing:

You cannot modify the engine.
You cannot modify the hull or remove detail parts.
You cannot modify the tuned exhaust system.
You cannot add an on-board fuel mixture system.
You cannot use hand-made parts.
Performance-enhancing repairs are also prohibited.

If it's not mentioned here...it's not legal!

The Race Course

The course is set up as an oval, with boats racing in a clockwise direction. Its length and width, as well as the number of laps to be raced (usually six), are up to the host.

A minimum of seven buoys — six course buoys and one start line buoy — are placed in the water. The front set of buoys should be approximately 50 feet from the driver's shoreline.

Three buoys (numbers 1, 2 and 3) are arranged on the left side of the course, and three buoys are positioned on the right side (numbers 4, 5 and 6). Typically, the start buoy is placed in the center of the course. You are not allowed to "cut the course", or run inside the buoys, at any time - before, during or after the race.

To start the race, a countdown timer is set for two minutes and thirty seconds (2:30). Boats must be running and on the course before the timer reaches the two-minute mark.

When the countdown ends, the race begins. The boat closest to the start line without going over is in first place. If a boat jumps the start - or is positioned to the left of the start line when the countdown ends and the race begins - it is called over by the contest director (CD) and must pass the start/finish line before it can be credited for starting the race.